James IV of Scotland but from all of Great Britain, to be killed in battle. James was the son of King James III and Margaret of Denmark, born in Holyrood Abbey. As heir apparent to the Scottish crown, he became Duke of Rothesay. In 1474, his father arranged his betrothal to the English princess Cecily of York, daughter of Edward IV of England. His father James III was not a popular king, facing two major rebellions during his reign, and alienating many members of his close family, especially his younger brother Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany. James III's pro-English policy was also unpopular, and
History of Scots law II in 1371, was defined by the growing authority and power of the Scottish Kings and development of existing legal institutions. In 1469, the Parliament of Scotland affirmed the ultimate authority of King James III and rejected the authority of imperial notaries in Scottish civil matters. The recognition of the sovereign authority of the Scottish Kings was connected to the influence of the "ius commune" in Scots law. For example, the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges of 1438 was an attempt to limit papal authority in France and recognise the sovereign authority of King Charles VII of France. Various customary laws,