Union of the Crowns

The Union of the Crowns in British history refers to the inheritance by a Scottish king of the throne of England, at that time a separate country. This was in 1603: the monarch was James VI of Scotland, who became King James I of England on the death of Elizabeth I - the 'Virgin Queen' - who died with no issue. James succeeded through his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, who had inherited English royal blood through her grandmother, Margaret Tudor (1489-1541), who married James IV of Scotland in 1503. She was the daughter of Henry VII of England, and so the elder sister of Henry VIII.

Scotland and England have continued to be ruled by the same monarch since 1603. Between 1603 and the Act of Union 1707, the countries were ruled separately: they had different parliaments, different laws and courts, different armies and diplomatic services, and different religious settlements. The Act made the two countries one - the United Kingdom - although Scots law (and courts) remain independent; and the Lutheran Church of England is the 'established', or official, church in England, while in Scotland the equivalent is the Calvinist Kirk (or Church) of Scotland. Because of the Kirk's historical importance in providing education, the Scots and English systems of education are also distinct.