Mary of Bourbon

Mary of Bourbon or Marie de Bourbon (29 October 1515 – 28 September 1538) was a daughter of Charles, Duke of Vendôme, and Françoise d'Alençon, daughter of René, Duke of Alençon. Mary was the subject of marriage negotiations of James V of Scotland. He visited her in France, but subsequently married Madeleine of Valois. Mary died two years later. Life First negotiation A marriage to a French princess for the Scottish king had been an expectation since the Franco-Scottish alliance by the Treaty of Rouen of 1517. The Treaty itself was primarily concerned with mutual military support. As James V of Scotland came of age, at first it was thought he would marry the Princess, Madeleine of Valois. By December 1534, it was clear that Madeleine was sickly. Francis I of France suggested that James V should marry Mary of Bourbon instead to fulfill the Treaty. The marriage was promoted by John Stewart, Duke of Albany, and by the end of 1534, his secretary Nicolas Canivet and James V's secretary Thomas Erskine of Haltoun had met the Scottish King and shown him Mary's portrait. However, Marguerite de Navarre had discussed this marriage plan with Henry VIII of England's diplomat, the Duke of Norfolk in June 1533. She pointed out that Charles, Duke of Vendôme was closely allied with Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and claimed that Mary of Bourbon and her sister were 'sore made awry.' The Queen of Navarre wondered if James V might marry Christina of Denmark, and suggested her sister-in-law Isabella as Queen of Scotland instead. In January 1535, James V wrote to Francis I explaining that he felt he had been misrepresented in this negotiation, and sent his herald, James Atkinhead to France. Aikenhead was instructed to explain that James could not deviate from the 1517 Treaty by marrying a bride not a Princess without the consent of the Parliament of Scotland.