Treaty of Greenwich Worksheets
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Summary
- Anglo-Scottish conflict in the medieval period
- Anglo-Scottish relations under Henry VIII’s rule
- Signing of the Treaty of Greenwich
Key Facts And Information
Let’s know more about the Treaty of Greenwich (1543)!
Since the medieval period, Anglo-Scottish relations have been impacted by a combination of warfare, alliances, marriage, rivalry, and the Auld Alliance formed in 1295. There have been periods of peace as well as numerous battles and conflicts. In 1547, the Treaty of Greenwich was signed between England and Scotland, which involved a scheme developed by Henry VIII of England to unite both kingdoms. However, Scotland ultimately rejected it, thereby setting off Henry VIII’s Rough Wooing.
Depiction of Prince Edward and Henry VIII, c1545
Anglo-Scottish conflict in the medieval period
- England and Scotland were two separate kingdoms with a shared border for much of the medieval period. Their relationship was shaped by a mixture of warfare, alliances, marriage, and rivalry, with periods of peace interrupted by battles and conflicts. This period saw both kingdoms struggle for dominance, and England particularly wanted to bring Scotland under its control.
- Following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, William I of England and the Anglo-Normans ventured into southern Scotland in 1072. However, this was primarily a military campaign to assert his authority and suppress resistance.
- Whilst the Anglo-Normans did not invade Scotland, their influence was introduced to Scotland in the 12th century under David I of Scotland, who was a nephew of Henry I of England.
- Following the succession crisis caused by the death of Scotland’s seven-year-old queen-designate, Margaret, Maid of Norway, in 1290, Edward I of England took the opportunity to expand his control over Scotland.
- In response, Scotland sought support abroad, establishing the Auld Alliance between the kingdoms of Scotland and France against England in 1295.
- In 1296, Edward I invaded Scotland and overthrew the Scottish king John Balliol. This sparked the Wars of Scottish Independence.
- In 1297, Scottish forces under William Wallace won a famous victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Wallace became a hero and symbol of Scottish resistance against English rule.
- In 1314, Robert I of Scotland led the Scots to victory against the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
- By the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328, England officially recognised Scotland’s independence, ending the First War of Scottish Independence.
- In 1332, the Second War of Scottish Independence began when Edward Balliol led an English-backed conquest of Scotland. It lasted for more than two decades.
- As England gained ground in Scotland, France covertly assisted Scotland.
- In May 1337, the Hundred Years’ War between England and France broke out. Hence, the Anglo-Scottish war became a secondary theatre of this larger Anglo-French conflict.
- The Treaty of Berwick (1357) ended the Second War of Scottish Independence, with the English renouncing their claim of suzerainty and the Scots recognising a vague English overlordship.
- Relations between England and Scotland continued to be uneasy. The French victory in the Hundred Years’ War and the succeeding internal civil war, known as the Wars of the Roses (1455–87), left the English in a disadvantaged position. During the 15th-century struggle for control of the English throne, Scotland provided crucial military assistance to the Lancastrian cause against the Yorkists, as well as offered refuge for Lancastrian leaders. By the end of the 15th century, the Lancastrian Henry VII of England and James IV of Scotland were making overtures for a lasting peace agreement.
Anglo-Scottish relations under Henry VIII’s rule
- In an attempt to end the intermittent warfare between the two kingdoms waged over the previous 200 years, the Treaty of Perpetual Peace was signed by the two royal families of Scotland and England in 1502. This hoped to bring about a new period of peace, especially in the English and Scottish border regions.
Depiction of James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor
- However, the Auld Alliance was revived in the first half of the 16th century. In 1512, England under Henry VIII declared war on France, and in fulfilment of the Alliance, James IV launched an invasion of England.
- The disastrous Battle of Flodden (1513) resulted in the deaths of the Scottish king and many of his nobles and gentry.
- During the long regency years when James V of Scotland was still very young to rule, Henry VIII secretly instigated some of the factional unrest in Scotland. When the Scottish king came of age, Anglo-Scottish tensions intensified.
- At the time, Henry VIII had already broken with the Catholic Church, while James V, who the English king urged to convert to the Protestant faith, remained loyal to Rome and granted authority to influential prelates such as Cardinal David Beaton.
- In 1541, war broke out, ending in Scottish defeat at the Solway Moss campaign. This was soon followed by the death of James V, again leaving Scotland with an infant monarch, Mary, Queen of Scots.
- James Hamilton, the Earl of Arran, acted as regent and arranged the queen’s marriage.
- Henry VIII saw this as an opportunity to unite the royal families of England and Scotland by proposing a union between Mary, Queen of Scots, and his son and heir-apparent, Prince Edward. The English king freed the Scottish hostages in an attempt to gain the support of the Scottish nobles.
Signing of the Treaty of Greenwich
- The Treaty of Greenwich resulted from diplomatic negotiations led by Adam Otterburn, George Douglas of Pittendreich, the Earl of Glencairn in London, and Ralph Sadler in Edinburgh. The treaty was made up of two agreements, both signed on 1 July 1543 in Greenwich, between representatives of England and Scotland. The first sub-treaty was a general peace agreement between England and Scotland, while the second sub-treaty was a marriage proposal between Prince Edward and Mary, Queen of Scots.
- With Regent Arran's approval, the commissioners for Mary, Queen of Scots, included Glencairn, Pittendreich, William Hamilton, James Learmonth of Dairsie, and Henry Balnaves.
- On Henry VIII’s side, the commissioners were Baron Audley of Walden, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, Thomas Thirlby, Bishop of Westminster, and Barons St John and Gage.
- A key aspect of the negotiations was Regent Arran’s agreement that his son, James Hamilton, would marry Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
- Key provisions of the first sub-treaty
- Peace would last during the lives of Henry VIII or Mary, Queen of Scots, and continue for one year after either’s death.
- Neither monarch should wage war on the other or harm the other’s allies. Furthermore, if anyone were to attack the other’s territory, the monarch must not assist or allow help, regardless of previous agreements.
- Neither monarch should take in the other’s rebels or criminals, and neither should give safe-conducts to subjects of the other.
- Scots living under English rule and vice versa were to be treated as natural-born subjects.
- The agreement included major allies of both parties unless they were to harm or withhold goods from either party.
- Key provisions of the second sub-treaty
- Prince Edward was to marry Mary, Queen of Scots.
- Upon the consummation of the marriage, Mary was to receive £2,000 per year in English lands, increasing to £4,000 after Henry VIII’s death.
- Mary was to stay under Scottish guardianship until sent to England. Meanwhile, England might send a small group of English nobles to assist in her education.
- When Mary turned ten, she would be delivered to English commissioners at Berwick, but only after a formal proxy marriage contract was completed.
- Scotland was to remain a kingdom, keeping its own laws and liberties.
- If Prince Edward died without children, Mary could return to Scotland unmarried and without obligation.
- Six Scottish noblemen were to be sent to England as hostages to guarantee Scotland’s obedience to key parts of the treaty.
- Mary was only six months old, and Prince Edward was five years old when the treaty was signed. Regent Arran ratified the treaty on 25 August 1543. However, the Parliament of Scotland rejected it later that year. The rejection of the Treaty of Greenwich set off Henry VIII’s Rough Wooing, a military campaign aimed at imposing the marriage of Mary to Prince Edward.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Treaty of Greenwich (1543)
- What was the Treaty of Greenwich?
The Treaty of Greenwich was an agreement signed in 1543 between England and Scotland. It aimed to unite the two kingdoms through the marriage of Prince Edward (later Edward VI) of England and Mary, Queen of Scots.
- Who were the key figures involved in the treaty?
Henry VIII of England, who proposed the marriage; James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, the Scottish regent who initially supported the treaty; and Mary, Queen of Scots, the infant Scottish queen betrothed to Prince Edward.
- Why did the Treaty of Greenwich fail?
The Scottish Parliament rejected the treaty in December 1543. Most Scots opposed English influence and feared losing Scottish independence. The rejection led Henry VIII to begin the "Rough Wooing", a series of brutal military campaigns against Scotland.