Aulic Spaces Transplanted: The Design and Layout of a Franco-Burgundian Court in a Scottish Palace

Abstract

The Scottish court in the sixteenth century is usually described and analysed in terms of its relationships with its neighbours: as a partner in the Auld Alliance with France, or as the ancient enemy of England. This article focuses instead on the independence of the Scottish court, and the choices made by one king in particular, James 11, as reflected in his designs for a new palace structure at Stirling Castle. I will argue that, rather than being a mere emulation of the French court, its styles and its protocols, the palace block at Stirling is evidence of a strategy of balance between several evolving court systems on the continent, including the Burgundian. By balancing his loyalties and relationships between the Valois in France and the Habsburgs as heirs to the Burgundian dukes in the Low Countries, James V astutely demonstrated the independence of hiscourt and his kingdom, and his place as an independent, equal sovereign among the princes of Europe.