Crown Prince James

["Spirit One Email" <laurel@spiritone.com>]

Dear Niven,
   Hurray!  I had come to the same conclusion that the Prince's imprisonment
was not so grim but my source was a little strange.
In "Young Folks' History of England" by Charlotte M. Yonge  1879, it says:
That England's Prince of Wales, Henry, s/o King Henry IV, had joined the
Welsh in an attack on England but were defeated (much longer story here).
The Prince fought very well and was well liked by all the people.  Henry IV
had many enemies and insurrections to deal with so he never knew whom to
trust.  One friend after another turned against him and he became soured and
wretched:  He was worn out with disappointment and guarding against everyone
and suspicious of his brave son Prince Henry because he was so bright and
bold and loved.

   "The Prince was ordered home from Wales, and obliged to live at Windsor,
with nothing to do, while his youngest brothers were put before him and
trusted by their father--one even commanded the army in France.  But happily
the 4 brothers--Henry, Thomas, John and Humfrey--all loved each other so
well that nothing could make them jealous or at enmity with one another.
   Edmund Mortimer, whom the Welsh had tried to make king, was kept at
Windsor also.  The young Prince of Scotland, whom an English ship had caught
as he was sailing for France to be educated was there too. It was very
dishonorable of the king to have taken him; but he was brought up with the
young English princes, and they all led a happy life together.
    These are stories told of Henry--Prince Hal, as he was called--leading a
wild, merry life, as a sort of madcap; playing at being a robber, and
breaking into the wagons that were bringing treasure for his father and then
giving the money back again. " --No details on Henry IV's death.

    Now this book is certainly from an English point of view and full of
propaganda for the English children.  And at first I viewed this story that
way but the Scots had their own reasons for painting the English as monsters
that kept the Scottish Prince in a dank prison for years so that they could
whip up sympathy for their cause.
    Through the centuries it has been to the advantage of a neighboring
country giving refuge to an exile (Malcolm Canmore in England; Edward the
Exile in Kiev; Prince Henri I of France with Duke Robert; Duke Richard I of
Normandy with King Hugh Capet of France, etc.) to do all they could to treat
them well and not create a belligerent rebel to return to their country to
attack them.  No they wanted to mold this exile, or in this case prisoner,
into an friend or possibly almost Englishman.   Also if you let him run
around not learning responsibility and growing up soft, he will be easily
controlled when he returns to his country. Then English were not doing this
out of kindness but hard-headed good business of kingdom management.

  Meanwhile the king of Scotland died and his brother, uncle Robert Stuart,
Duke of Albany refused to pay his nephew's ransom and ruled Scotland himself
from 1406 until his death 1420.  His son was too weak to rule and finally
agreed to pay for James' release.  Prince/King James was now 30 years old
and returned home in 1426 where he found a lawless land oppressed by the
strong nobles who fought for power and land amongst themselves.  The only
law in the Highlands was that of the Chiefs.
   Then as King James II, he introduced several English type things that he
must have admired while in England (hate to be vague but can't find my notes
on this).  If he had been  mistreated, he wouldn't have been so quick to
adopt these enemy measures.
Laurel
===================

rd was replaced by his cousin, Henry IV, John of Gaunt' son.
> It was during the reign of this King that Prince James (afterwards
> King James I) was captured with Henry Sinclair II whilst he, Henry,
> was taking the Crown Prince to France for safe-keeping.  James
> was detained in England for 18 years during which time he received
> an excellent education and military experience because he took
> part in some of Henry V's  French campaigns.  Obviously, his
> 'imprisonment' wasn't of the kind which we normally associate
> with the Tower of London.  Eventually James returned to Scotland
> to be crowned in 1424.
>
> Henry was also imprisoned but, on condition that one of his brothers
> or one of the Douglases reported to Durham Castle as 'hostages',
> Henry was allowed frequent visits to Scotland.  Eventually he was
> released and acted as one of three of Scotland's Counsellors until
> James's own return to Scotland.
>
> Those were the days of chivalry.
>
> Niven Sinclair
>
>
> >

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