Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502)

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The Treaty of Perpetual Peace was signed by James IV of Scotland and Henry VII of England in 1502. It agreed an end to the intermittent warfare between Scotland and England which had been waged over the previous two hundred years. As part of the treaty a marriage was agreed between James IV and Margaret Tudor, the daughter of Henry VII.

The treaty was broken in 1513 when James invaded England in support of the French who had lately been attacked by the English. The invasion was forced by Scotland's obligation to France under an older mutual defence treaty, the Auld Alliance. The 1513 invasion by the Scots met defeat, and James was killed at the Battle of Flodden. Despite this abrogation, the Treaty of Perpetual Peace had a long lasting effect because it led to the issue (children) of the marriage between James and Margaret, which eventually led to the Union of the Crowns.