But Henry had to make concessions. He wanted a speedy settlement to free him to concentrate fully on his planned invasion of France. To achieve a quick result, he found himself accepting terms that guaranteed Scotland’s independence. A key clause confirmed the country “shall continue to be called the kingdom of Scotland and retain its ancient laws and liberties.” The Scots also insisted that if the marriage was childless, Mary might return home as an independent queen. This was to be a dynastic “union” of England and Scotland with the core stripped out.
