Henry VIII of England
22 years old in 1513, he acceded to the throne in 1509 after the death of his father Henry VII, inheriting a massive war chest and his brother’s wife. He had little training in ruling a nation or diplomacy, and a passion for martial sports including hunting and jousting.
James IV of Scotland
40 years old in 1513, he was widely viewed as a monarch of Renaissance learning. His diverse interests included sciences, arts and theology. Although King of one of Europe’s poorer nations he was well regarded in the courts of Europe as a great leader.
Louis XII of France
51 years old in 1513, his continued military activities in northern Italy and particularly his war with Venice had led to a dispute with the Vatican from 1510. Fearful of being invaded by the English, he renewed the ‘Auld Alliance’ with James IV.
Pope Julius II
Known as the ‘Warrior Pope’, Julius II initially supported Louis XII in his war with Venice, but by 1510 he had become concerned at the extent of French power in northern Italy. He formed an alliance against France which eventually included Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, the Duchy of Milan, and England. Julius II died early in 1513. His successor Pope Leo X was less martial in his approach. However in the summer of 1513 Leo X approved the excommunication of James IV for supporting France against the Vatican’s interests.
Catherine of Aragon
28 years old in 1513 and formerly the wife of Henry VIII’s elder brother Arthur (who died in 1502), Catherine was appointed Governor of England when Henry departed for France in June 1513.
Margaret Tudor
24 years old in 1513 and Henry VIII’s elder sister, her marriage to James IV in 1503 sealed the Treaty of Perpetual Peace between England and Scotland.
Anne of Brittany
36 years old in 1513, she wrote to James IV in June begging him to take ‘a yard of English Soil’ to draw Henry VIII back from his invasion of France.
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Alexander 3rd Lord Home
25 years old in 1513, he led forces on the Scottish Left Flank. Executed in 1516 for ‘cowardice on the battlefield’
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Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly
49 years old in 1513, he led forces on the Scottish Left Flank. Later he took a post in the Scottish Regency court.
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William Hay, 4th Earl of Erroll.
He led forces in the centre-left of the Scottish Army and died on the battlefield.
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John Lindsay, 6th Earl Crawford
30 years old in 1513, he led forces in the centre-left of the Scottish Army and died on the battlefield.
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William Graham, 1st Earl of Montrose
49 years old in 1513, he led forces in the centre of the Scottish Army and died on the battlefield.
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Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll
49 years old in 1513, he led forces in the right of the Scottish Army and died on the battlefield.
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Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox
25 years old in 1513, he led forces in the right of the Scottish Army and died on the battlefield.
Earl of Surrey
70 years old in 1513. He fought against Henry VII at Bosworth (1485) but later became one of his most able Generals. He was appointed Warden of the Northern Marches and charged with the defence of the realm by Henry VIII in the summer of 1513.
Thomas Howard, Lord Admiral
40 years old in 1513, the oldest surviving son of the Earl of Surrey. He was appointed Lord Admiral in the spring of 1513 and arrived in Newcastle on 2 September 1513 aboard the Mary Rose to act as his father’s second in command.
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Edmund Howard
35 years old in 1513, the Earl of Surrey’s youngest surviving son. He acted as the Marshall of the Army during the Flodden Campaign and commanded the English right flank.
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Edward Stanley, 1st Baron Monteagle
53 years old in 1513, the fifth son of the 1st Earl of Derby. Stanley commanded the English left flank and bought the largest single contingent of men to Surrey’s army (estimated at 9000).
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Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre
46 years old in 1513, he had also fought against Henry VII at Bosworth (1485). At Flodden he commanded the reserve that came to the relief of Edmund Howard on the English right flank.
