Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the people of France whose magnificent cathedral of Notre Dame was severely damaged by a terrible fire on 15 April. The cathedral, opened in 1345, has played a significant role in the history of France and also, during the 16th century, in the history of Scotland. It was there on 1 January 1537 that King James V of Scotland married Medeleine de Valois, daughter of François I and Claude de France. And it was there, on 24 April 1558, that Queen Mary of Scotland married François the dauphin, son of Henri II and Catherine de Medici. If the people of France have lost something of their history, then so too have the people of Scotland.