As we have seen, merchants pursued Franco-Scottish commerce throughout the British Civil Wars and Interregnum via both open and covert channels. International conflict, bringing with it trade embargoes, commercial legislation and increased dangers from privateers, perhaps provided an even tougher arena in which to compete. This and the following chapter examine several of the conflicts that saw France and the British nations on opposing sides, assessing the impact of these wars on Franco-Scottish trade. Here, focus is on conflicts fought against France by the Stuart monarchy; Chapter 6 considers the impact of wider European conflict in the post-Stuart age.

With the exception of the Interregnum, the interests of the House of Stuart dominated British foreign policy until 1688, but the two conflicts considered here emerged under different circumstances. While the 1627–9 conflict was concerned with relations directly between the Houses of Stuart and Bourbon, the conflict that broke out in 1666 was a part of the wider Second Anglo-Dutch War. The marriage of Charles I to Henrietta-Maria, Louis XIII's sister, in June 1625 provided Britain with a strong ally against Spain once hostilities were officially opened in September, but the Anglo-French relationship soon began to fracture. Following the Duke of Buckingham's behaviour and Charles I's refusal to alter his religious policies at Louis's request, by April 1627 the Stuart Navy was preparing to sail to La Rochelle to assist the Huguenots against their monarch. In 1666, on the other hand, Britain and France became enemies by default as a result of broader European issues. Louis XIV was bound to assist the Dutch by a treaty of 1662, and when hostilities broke out with England the Dutch duly enlisted Louis's support, which was reluctantly offered.