Editing David Beaton (section)

==Life==
David Beaton was said to be the fifth son of fourteen children born to John Beaton (Bethune) of Balfour (d. 1532) in the county of [[Fife]], and his wife Isobel Monypenny (d. 1541).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sanderson |first=Margaret H. B. |title=Cardinal of Scotland |date=1986 |publisher=John Donald Publishers Ltd |isbn=0 85976 522 9 |location=Edinburgh}}</ref> The Bethunes of Balfour were part of [[Clan Bethune]], the Scottish branch of the noble French [[House of Bethune]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Anderson|first1=William|title=The Scottish Nation: Or the Surnames, Families, Literature, Honours, and Biographical History of the People of Scotland|date=1867|publisher=Fullarton|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_3sZPAAAAcAAJ/page/n309 288]|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_3sZPAAAAcAAJ|access-date=29 September 2017|language=en}}</ref> The Cardinal is said to have been born in 1494.<ref name=hunter>{{cite CE1913|wstitle=David Beaton|first=David Oswald|last= Hunter-Blair|volume=2}}</ref> He was educated at the universities of [[University of St Andrews|St Andrews]] and [[University of Glasgow|Glasgow]], and in his sixteenth year was sent to Paris, where he studied civil and [[canon law (Catholic Church)|canon law]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Beaton, David|volume=3|pages=582–583}}</ref> In 1519 King [[James V of Scotland]] named him ambassador in France.{{cn|date=May 2021}}

In 1520, his uncle, [[James Beaton]], [[Archbishop of Glasgow]], named David Beaton [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|Rector]] and [[Prebendary]] at [[Cambuslang#David Beaton|Cambuslang]]. After his uncle became [[Archbishop of St. Andrews]] in 1522, he resigned the position of Commendator of [[Arbroath]] in favour of his nephew. In 1525 David Beaton returned from France and took a seat as Lord Abbot of [[Arbroath Abbey]] in the [[Parliament of Scotland|Scottish Parliament]]. In 1528 the King named him [[Lord Privy Seal]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

Between 1533 and 1542 he acted several times as [[James V of Scotland|King James V of Scotland]]'s ambassador to France. He took a leading part in the negotiations connected with the King's marriages, first with [[Madeleine of Valois|Madeleine of France]], and afterwards with [[Mary of Guise]].<ref name=hunter/> In 1537 he was made coadjutor to his uncle at St. Andrews, with right of succession.{{cn|date=May 2021}}

In December 1537 Beaton was made [[Bishop of Mirepoix]] in [[Languedoc]] on the recommendation of [[Francis I of France|King Francis I]], and consecrated the following summer. Presumably he was ordained around that time. Also in 1538 he was appointed a [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] by [[Pope Paul III]], under the title of St Stephen in the [[Caelian Hill]].<ref name="EB1911"/> In February 1539 Cardinal Beaton succeeded his uncle as Archbishop of St. Andrews. In 1544, he was made [[Papal legate]] in Scotland.{{cn|date=May 2021}}

Politically, Beaton was preoccupied with the maintenance of the Franco-Scottish alliance, and opposing Anglophile political attitudes, which were associated with the clamour for Protestant reform in Scotland.{{cn|date=May 2021}}

Relations became strained between James V and his uncle, [[Henry VIII]] of England, who sought to detach the [[Catholic Church in Scotland]] from its allegiance to the [[Holy See]] and bring it into subjection to himself. Henry sent two successive embassies to Scotland to urge James to follow his example in renouncing the authority of the Pope in his dominions. King James declined to be drawn into Henry's plans and refused to leave his kingdom for a meeting with Henry. Hostilities broke out between the two kingdoms in 1542. The Cardinal was blamed by many for the war with England that led to the defeat at [[Battle of Solway Moss|Solway Moss]] in November 1542.<ref name=hunter/>