James was the third son of King James IV and his wife Margaret Tudor, the eldest daughter of Henry VII of England, and was the only legitimate child of James IV to survive infancy. He was born on 10 April 1512 at See more

Pierre de Ronsard saw James in 1537 when the king was twenty-four and summed up his paradoxical appearance: "La douceur et la force illustroient son visage Si que … See more

According to legend, James was nicknamed "King of the Commons" as he would sometimes travel around Scotland disguised as a common man, describing himself as the … See more

The death of James's mother in 1541 removed any incentive for peace with England, and war broke out. Initially, the Scots won a victory at the Battle of Haddon Rig in … See more

Albany's regency
Albany arrived at Dumbarton Castle with eight ships and a troop of French soldiers in May 1514. He entered Edinburgh on 26 May, and in July See more

As early as August 1517, a clause of the Treaty of Rouen provided that if the Auld Alliance between France and Scotland was maintained, James should have a daughter of Francis I of France as a bride. Yet by the 1520s Francis's two surviving daughters were too … See more

James V has been depicted in historical novels, poems, short stories, and one notable opera. They include the following:
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