THE COURT AND HOUSEHOLD OF KING JAMES IV.

The article focuses on the court and household of James IV of Scotland (r. 1488–1513), highlighting their roles as central components of his Renaissance reign. It distinguishes the court as the social space around the king and the household as the formal institutional structure providing order, domestic service, and a hierarchy within that space. Membership in the household offered flexible roles, material rewards, and opportunities for political influence, with personnel often connected to wider royal administration and local landholding. The court was internationally renowned for its elaborate performances, which served both as spectacle and as a means for courtiers to negotiate status and access to the king. Overall, the court and household functioned as intertwined political, social, and cultural institutions that extended royal authority throughout Scotland.