Qualla: Battle of Flodden

Battle of Flodden: Introduction

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit James Grant (book author), Public domain. The pipe tune is called "The Flowers of the Forest," and when it is played at Scottish memorials, everyone knows what it means. "The flowers of the forest are all wede away" -- all withered, all gone. The song mourns the men killed at the Battle of Flodden on 9 September 1513, when James IV of Scotland became the last monarch in the British Isles to die in combat. In terms of troop numbers, it was the largest battle ever fought between England and Scotland. In terms of consequences, it was Scotland's Agincourt in reverse -- a catastrophe that killed the king, destroyed the nobility, and left a seventeen-month-old infant on the throne.

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Image: James Grant (book author) | Public domain

Battle of Flodden: An Alliance Honoured

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Unknown author, CC BY 3.0. James invaded England to honour the Auld Alliance with France. Henry VIII was on the continent besieging Therouanne, and Louis XII needed a diversion. The Treaty of Perpetual Peace that James and Henry VII had signed in 1502 was already fraying -- cross-border raids, the killing ...

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Image: Unknown author | CC BY 3.0

Battle of Flodden: The Castles Fall

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Monstrelet, CC BY-SA 3.0. The invasion began well. James's artillery, including heavy siege guns known as the Seven Sisters, battered down Norham Castle in six days -- a fortress that had resisted Scottish attacks for centuries. Etal and Ford castles fell next. But James made a critical error: he had sent...

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Image: Monstrelet | CC BY-SA 3.0

Battle of Flodden: The Flanking March

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit David Stowell, CC BY-SA 2.0. James positioned his army on the commanding heights of Flodden Edge, protected by marshes on one side and steep slopes on the other. Surrey challenged him to come down and fight on the plain at Milfield, but James refused, reportedly saying "it was not fitting for an Earl to seek...

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Image: David Stowell | CC BY-SA 2.0

Battle of Flodden: Pikes Against Bills

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Stanley Howe, CC BY-SA 2.0. The battle began around 4 pm on 9 September in wet, windy weather. The Scottish artillery, hastily positioned on unfamiliar ground and shooting downhill, performed poorly. The English field guns -- lighter, faster, and easier to handle -- found their targets. When the Scottish pi...

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Image: Stanley Howe | CC BY-SA 2.0

Battle of Flodden: The Flowers Are All Wede Away

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Christine Westerback, CC BY-SA 2.0. The casualties were staggering. Nearly every noble family in Scotland lost a member at Flodden. Among the dead were an archbishop, two bishops, eleven earls, fifteen lords, and hundreds of knights and lairds. The Scottish ambassador later explained the disaster to Denmark in blun...

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Image: Christine Westerback | CC BY-SA 2.0