Treaty of Edinburgh

What it is

The Treaty of Edinburgh was drawn up on 5 July 1560 between commissioners of Elizabeth I, the Scottish Lords of the Congregation, and French representatives of King Francis II of France. It ended the Siege of Leith and replaced the old alliance between Scotland and France with a new arrangement between England and Scotland.

Why it matters

The treaty forced French troops to leave Scotland and weakened Catholic power there, even though Mary, Queen of Scots, never ratified it. It shows how Elizabeth used diplomacy early in her reign to protect England from invasion through Scotland, and how the fates of Elizabeth, Mary, and the French crown were tangled together.

Look closer

• Why might Mary, Queen of Scots, have refused to ratify a treaty that was already being followed?
• What does the treaty's wording about heraldry suggest about rival claims to thrones?
• Who negotiated this agreement, and what does that tell you about how royal diplomacy worked without monarchs meeting in person?