A group is to travel from Fife to France to mark the 500-year-old links between a towering figure in Scottish Renaissance history and Falkland Palace.
The delegation from Falkland will travel to Joinville, in north-east France, to mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of Marie de Guise, who was partly educated in a convent but ended her life in Scotland at the helm of a kingdom torn by war and religious strife.
Born to a great French noble family, history recalls Marie as witty, beautiful, charming, intelligent and rich. She was persuaded to marry James V of Scotland in 1538 and after his untimely death, aged 30, stayed to carve out a powerful political career in a violent and male-dominated world, and to fight for the rights of her infant daughter Mary, Queen of Scots.
Her story is closely entwined with Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Linlithgow Palace but she is also closely linked with Falkland Palace, then the royal hunting lodge of the Stuart kings.
It was in Falkland that James V died in 1542. Marie de Guise had just given birth to their daughter. Mary stayed at Falkland Palace in 1563 and 1565, where she enjoyed hawking and hunting.
Marie de Guise ruled the country as Queen Regent and was the last great defender of the Auld Alliance with France. Her grandson James VI united the thrones of Scotland and England.
Howe of Fife SNP councillor David MacDiarmid will lead the delegation to France during the first week of July.
He hopes it might be possible to establish a twinning arrangement between the two communities. Local schools are also involved.
Mr MacDiarmid told The Courier: “It’s such an important part of history and Falkland has never been twinned with anywhere.
“Joinville are pulling out the stops for the Auld Alliance. This Scottish celebration means a lot to the folk of Joinville.
“As Regent of Scotland, Marie was very “hands on” and committed to this country. She even built a wall around the port of Leith to keep the English army out. They were camped on Leith links.
“There is a stained glass window of the crest of Lorraine in the Falkland Palace chapel. The 22 guests from Joinville who visited Falkland three years ago were very excited on seeing this.”