The Secret Bond (also known as the Secret Band) was a document drawn up by Cardinal Beaton and signed by a number of Scottish peers on 24 July 1543. They agreed to resist alliance with England by the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots to Prince Edward.

Historical context

Following the death of James V of Scotland in December 1542, his daughter,

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

, an infant of less than a week old, succeeded to the Scottish throne. A struggle for the regency between Cardinal Beaton and

Earl of Arran Earl of Arran may refer to: *Earl of Arran (Scotland), a title in the Peerage of Scotland *Earl of Arran (Ireland), a title in the Peerage of Ireland *, a steamship 1860–1871 See also * *Earl of Arran and Cambridge Duke of Hamilton is a t ...

was won by the latter. On 1 July 1543, the Earl of Arran entered into the

Treaty of Greenwich The Treaty of Greenwich (also known as the Treaties of Greenwich) contained two agreements both signed on 1 July 1543 in Greenwich between representatives of England and Scotland. The accord, overall, entailed a plan developed by Henry VIII of En ...

with

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

. Under the treaty, Mary was promised to Henry's son,

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

. The union of the thrones of England and Scotland which the treaty envisaged was controversial from the outset: the treaty's Anglo-centric policy was resisted by many who preferred to continue the Auld Alliance with France.

The Secret Bond

On 24 July 1543, when about to remove Mary from

Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although mai ...

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

, the leaders of the Scottish-French party entered into a bond drawn up by Cardinal Beaton in which they pledged themselves to resist the realm being "swbdewit till our awld enymyis of Ingland". The signatories included: *

George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly (151428 October 1562) was a Scottish nobleman. Life He was the son of John Gordon, Lord Gordon, and Margaret Stewart, daughter of James IV and Margaret Drummond. George Gordon inherited his earldom and esta ...

* Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll * Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox *

Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell Patrick may refer to: *Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name *Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People *Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick or ...

* John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland *

William Graham, 3rd Earl of Menteith William Graham, 3rd Earl of Menteith (c. 1500 – c. 1543) was a Scottish magnate and third Earl of Menteith. Biography He was the son of Alexander Graham, 2nd Earl of Menteith (c. 1475 – c. 1537), and Margaret Buchanan. He was the great-gran ...

John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine (7 July 148711 November 1555) was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Robert Erskine, 4th Lord Erskine (died 1513) and Isabel Campbell, a daughter of George Campbell of Loudon. His family was claimant to the e ...

* William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven *

Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming (c. 1494 – 10 September 1547), was Lord Chamberlain of Scotland to King James V, from 1524. Early life He was the son and heir of John Fleming, 2nd Lord Fleming, who was killed in a feud with the Tweedie of D ...

*William Crichton, 5th Lord Crichton of Sanquhar *David Drummond, 2nd Lord Drummond *John Lyle, 4th Lord Lyle *

George Home, 4th Lord Home George Home, 4th Lord Home (died 1549) was a Scottish nobleman and Warden of the Eastern March. The son of Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home and his wife Nicola Ker, daughter of George Ker of Samuelston, he succeeded his brother, Alexander Home, 3rd ...

*William Abernethy, 5th Lord Saltoun *Lord Lovat, The Master of Lovat * The Master of Forbes''The Complete Peerage'', Volume IX (London, 1936)

Aftermath

In December 1543, the Treaty of Greenwich was rejected by the

Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...

. Scotland's rejection of the treaty and its pursuit of a French Alliance led to the

Rough Wooing The Rough Wooing (December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following its break with the Roman Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland, partly to break the ...

, Henry VIII's attempt to impose his matrimonial policy by force, which lasted until the Treaty of Norham in 1551.

References

{{Reflist 16th century in Scotland 16th-century documents Rough Wooing