Janet Kennedy the first daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy

John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy

John Kennedy, PC, 2nd Lord Kennedy was a Scottish lord, the son of Gilbert Kennedy, 1st Lord Kennedy....

, became a mistress

Mistress (lover)

A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...

 of King James IV of Scotland

James IV of Scotland

James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...

.

Through her father, she was a great-great-granddaughter of King Robert III

Robert III of Scotland

Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...

. Janet Kennedy's mother, Lady Elizabeth Gordon, was a daughter of Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly

Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly

Alexander Seton , 1st Earl of Huntly was a powerful 15th century Scottish magnate. He was knighted in 1439/40 and was Lord of Badenoch, & Cluny....

.

Originally she was married to the formidable Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus , was a late medieval Scottish magnate. He became known as "Bell the Cat"...

 ("Bell the Cat"). She attracted the attention of King James IV around 1497.

She bore the King three children. They included James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (1501 creation)

James Stewart, Earl of Moray was the illegitimate son of James IV of Scotland and his mistress Janet Kennedy. He was created Earl of Moray in 1501, and was young enough to avoid fighting at the disastrous Battle of Flodden Field in 1513. He went on to have a varied relationship with his...

, Margaret and Jane Stewart.

The King had a number of mistresses, but this appears to have been his longest relationship, which continued even after his marriage to Margaret Tudor

Margaret Tudor

Margaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots. James died in 1513, and their son became King James V. She married secondly Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of...

. After James IV's marriage by proxy, he met Janet at Bothwell Castle

Bothwell Castle

Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located between Uddingston and Bothwell, about south-east of Glasgow. Construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan...

 in April 1503, then she was sent to Darnaway Castle

Darnaway Castle

Darnaway Castle is located in Darnaway Forest, southwest of Forres in Moray, Scotland. This was Comyn land, given to Thomas Randolph along with the Earldom of Moray by King Robert I. The castle has remained the seat of the Earls of Moray ever since. Rebuilt in 1810, it retains the old...

 in August just before Margaret arrived.

It is not clear if she is the same as the "Janet bair ars" who received gifts from the king in 1505-12.

She also had relationships with two other men. Two of her partners died at the Battle of Flodden Field

Battle of Flodden Field

The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...

.