BattlefieldsBothwell Raid on Holyrood Palace 1593
Tudor

Bothwell Raid on Holyrood Palace 1593

1593
Scotland
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
James VI
Forces
inadequate household guard
VS
Victor
Bothwell
Forces
Bothwell with c.100 armed men broke into palace
Outcome
Bothwell forced entry; confronted James VI in his chamber; obtained pardon at swordpoint
The Battle

History & Significance

The Earl of Bothwell made a second violent assault on Holyrood Palace in July 1593, this time succeeding where he had failed in 1591. Bothwell's men broke into the palace through the back quarters and Bothwell confronted James VI personally in his chamber with a drawn sword. The king, terrified, eventually agreed to receive Bothwell back into favour in exchange for submission on the witchcraft charges. The extraordinary spectacle of a Scottish noble forcing his way armed into the royal bedchamber and coercing the king at swordpoint revealed the weakness of James VI's personal security.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around this battlefield

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near this battlefield