Janet Kennedy

Janet Kennedy was a Scottish noblewoman and a prominent mistress of King James IV. A member of the powerful Kennedy family, she received lands and maintained a recognised position within the king’s wider household and political network.

Their relationship produced children, including James Stewart, Earl of Moray. Janet’s life illustrates how royal mistresses could hold property, form alliances and influence dynastic connections without occupying the formal role of queen.

In Nigel Tranter’s Flame for the Fire, At the opening of the sixteenth century, David Kennedy of Carrick expects his future to be shaped by the affairs of his own family and lands.