Treaty to formally conclude the Siege of Leith and forge a new Anglo-Scottish accord
Ended the Siege of Leith and dissolved the Auld Alliance, reshaping Anglo-Scottish-French relations in 1560.
Key Facts
- Date drawn up
- 5 July 1560
- Date of event (formal)
- 16 July 1560
- Also known as
- Treaty of Leith
- English party
- Commissioners of Queen Elizabeth I
- French party
- Representatives of King Francis II of France
- Alliance dissolved
- Auld Alliance between Scotland and France
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Siege of Leith, in which English forces aided Scottish Protestant Lords of the Congregation against French troops garrisoning the port, created military and diplomatic pressure on France. Existing tensions between England and France over Scottish affairs, complicated by Mary Queen of Scots' marriage to Francis II, necessitated a formal settlement.
On 5 July 1560, commissioners representing Elizabeth I of England, the Scottish Lords of the Congregation, and the French crown of Francis II met to negotiate terms. The resulting treaty formally ended the Siege of Leith, replaced the centuries-old Auld Alliance between Scotland and France, and preserved the broader Anglo-French peace established by the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis.
The treaty marked a decisive reorientation of Scottish foreign policy away from France and toward England, laying diplomatic groundwork for closer Anglo-Scottish relations. French military presence in Scotland was effectively ended, strengthening the Protestant Lords of the Congregation and contributing to the conditions that enabled the Scottish Reformation Parliament later that year.
Political Outcome
Treaty concluded the Siege of Leith, dissolved the Auld Alliance, and established a new Anglo-Scottish accord while preserving Anglo-French peace under Cateau-Cambrésis.
Scotland allied with France under the Auld Alliance; French troops garrisoned at Leith
France withdrew from Scotland; Scotland moved toward an Anglo-Scottish accord under Protestant leadership