Mary of Guelders
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Mary of Guelders was Queen of Scotland by marriage to King James II of Scotland. She ruled as regent of Scotland from 1460 to 1463.
Mary of Guelders depicted in the 1591 Seton Armorial
James II of Scotland
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James II was King of Scots from 1437 until his death in 1460. The eldest surviving son of James I of Scotland, he succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of six, following the assassination of his father. The first Scottish monarch not to be crowned at Scone, James II's coronation took place at Holyrood Abbey in March 1437. After a reign characterised by struggles to maintain control of his kingdom, he was killed by an exploding cannon at Roxburgh Castle in 1460.
Contemporary image of the king, showing his distinctive facial birthmark
A portrait of Mary of Guelders
James II died outside the walls of Roxburgh Castle when one of his bombards exploded.