1513 battle during the War of the League of Cambrai between England and Scotland
The largest battle ever fought between England and Scotland, resulting in the death of King James IV, the last British monarch killed in battle.
Key Facts
- Date
- 9 September 1513
- Location
- Near Branxton, Northumberland, England
- Outcome
- Decisive English victory
- Scottish King killed
- James IV, last British monarch to die in battle
- Scale
- Largest battle ever fought between England and Scotland
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
As part of the War of the League of Cambrai, King James IV of Scotland invaded northern England, besieging and capturing several English border castles. He encamped his army on a commanding hilltop at Flodden, prompting England to dispatch an army under the Earl of Surrey to repel the invasion.
Surrey's English army executed a flanking march to position itself behind the Scottish camp, forcing the Scots to abandon their hilltop and occupy Branxton Hill. After an artillery exchange, Scottish pikemen advanced downhill but were disrupted by unexpected marshy terrain, allowing the English to engage in close-quarter combat with bills and halberds, at which they held the advantage.
The English won a decisive victory; King James IV was slain, becoming the last monarch from Great Britain to die in battle. The loss of the king and a large portion of the Scottish nobility triggered a political crisis in Scotland. Some British historians mark the battle as the end of the Middle Ages in the British Isles.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Earl of Surrey.
Side B
1 belligerent
King James IV.