In July 1567, William Cecil mused over the prospect of a particularly enticing political morsel. Reviewing the terms of an offer for Mary and her infant son, Prince, but shortly to become King, James, to come and live in England in order to ‘enioy quyetness’, Cecil amended the terms to include only James. Whilst his mother was a liability, the infant royal presented a tantalising opportunity. In the event, of course, on this occasion Cecil got the exact opposite of what he wanted. Moreover, his suggestion was far from novel. Rumours of French plots and concrete English plans to acquire James V emerged throughout his minority, and, famously, the Rough Wooings were in large part fought for custody of Mary. These proposals, with the notable exception of Mary's departure for France in 1548, came to nothing. Nevertheless, they exemplify the possibilities which minority offered to foreign powers, and the particular challenges facing regents in their diplomatic undertakings.

This chapter explores three themes which have been prominent in the foregoing examination of domestic governance: how regents secured legitimacy, the extent of their powers, and the financial constraints and concerns to which they were subject. In so doing, it builds upon, but does not rehearse, the rich existing scholarship on minority diplomacy – of all the areas of government, Scotland's relations with foreign powers during royal minorities have hitherto enjoyed the most extensive historiographical attention. To explore these themes, the chapter is divided into four sections. The first explores the powers wielded by regents in the diplomatic sphere. In particular, we will address the ways in which these were limited during the ‘protectorate’ of Henri II, 1548–58, when Henri envisioned that as protector he could dictate Scotland's foreign affairs in line with those of France. This section will probe the protector-regent relationship from a new angle by exploring two instances of negotiations surrounding disputed territory.