Stirling Castle - Court Life - Francois the Fool

Francois the Fool

It was the task of the fool to inject some humour into the sophisticated royal court. You can get an idea of the level of that humour from the antics of the jester figure on one of the Stirling Heads – he is shown clutching at one of his buttocks and sticking out his tongue.

The work was richly rewarded, though. Some fools, like James V’s jester John Bute – ‘gentil John ye Inglise fule’ – could even afford assistants.

When Curry, who was a jester for 11 years in James IV’s court, fell ill, the king paid for his care and later looked after his widow, “Daft Anne”.

But when a joke fell flat, there was a price to pay. Archy Armstrong, jester to James VI, was sacked for daring to mock the humourless Archbishop William Laud.