James III of Scotland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids James III |
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James III in the Trinity Altarpiece, around 1480
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| King of Scots | |
| Reign | 3 August 1460 – 11 June 1488 |
| Coronation | 10 August 1460 |
| Predecessor | James II |
| Successor | James IV |
| Regents |
See list
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| Born | 10 July 1451 or May 1452 Stirling Castle or St Andrews Castle |
| Died | 11 June 1488 (aged 36) Sauchieburn, Stirlingshire, Scotland |
| Burial | Cambuskenneth Abbey |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | James IV of Scotland James, Duke of Ross John, Earl of Mar |
| House | Stewart |
| Father | James II of Scotland |
| Mother | Mary of Guelders |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
James III (born 10 July 1451 or May 1452 – died 11 June 1488) was the King of Scots from 1460 until his death. He died at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488.
James became king as a child after his father, King James II, died. His rule began with a period called a "minority," which lasted almost ten years. During this time, different groups fought to control the young king and Scotland. James began to rule on his own in 1469.
James III was not a very popular or effective king. He faced two big rebellions during his time on the throne. People criticized him for focusing on grand plans abroad instead of his duties at home. However, his reign did see Scotland grow to its largest size. This happened when Orkney and Shetland became part of Scotland through his marriage to Margaret of Denmark.
He also upset many nobles and bishops by favoring his "low-born" friends in government. This caused problems with his brothers, his wife, and even his own son. In 1482, his brother, Alexander, Duke of Albany, tried to take the throne with help from an English army. This led to Scotland losing Berwick-upon-Tweed. James was even put in prison for a while before he got his power back.
James III was killed at the Battle of Sauchieburn. This battle happened during a rebellion where his own son was the leader of the rebels. His son then became King James IV.
Contents
Early Life of King James III
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James was the first son of King James II and his wife, Mary of Guelders. His mother was the daughter of Arnold, Duke of Guelders.
James III became king on August 3, 1460, after his father died during a siege at Roxburgh Castle. The new king was brought to Kelso with his mother. He was crowned at Kelso Abbey just a week after his father's death. This was two days after Roxburgh Castle fell.
Early Years of His Reign
The Queen Mother as Regent
In the first few years of James III's rule, his mother, Mary of Guelders, led the government as the regent. A regent is someone who rules for a child king. James was taught by Archibald Whitelaw, a classical scholar.
In March 1461, the first Parliament of James's reign chose a council to help Mary rule. This council included important bishops and earls.
Mary of Guelders was a smart and skilled ruler. She handled foreign policy well during the Wars of the Roses in England. When the Lancastrians lost a big battle in March 1461, their leaders, Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou, fled to Scotland.
Mary welcomed them but did not want to get involved in their war. She tried to gain as much as she could from them. In return for a year of safety in Scotland, the Lancastrians gave Berwick to the Scots in April 1461.
There were disagreements between Mary and Bishop James Kennedy over who should control the young king. They also disagreed on foreign policy. Bishop Kennedy wanted to support the Lancastrians. Mary, however, wanted to play both sides in England against each other.
It is believed that Kennedy and his supporters took control of the 10-year-old James III in late 1462. Mary of Guelders died in December 1463. After her death, Bishop Kennedy was in full control of the government.
The Kennedys and the Boyds
Bishop Kennedy died in May 1465. His older brother, Gilbert Kennedy, Lord Kennedy, then took charge of James III. Lord Kennedy's rule was not approved by Parliament. He also gave many important jobs to his own family members, which made him unpopular.
In July 1466, James III was taken while hunting at Linlithgow Palace. A large armed group led by Robert, Lord Boyd, and his son, Thomas, seized him. They took the king to Edinburgh Castle. The Boyds wanted to control the government by having the king in their power.
The 14-year-old king was forced to tell Parliament that he was not upset about being taken. He also said he wanted Lord Boyd to be his governor until he turned 21. The Boyd family became very unpopular. They gave themselves many lands and titles. For example, Lord Boyd’s son, Thomas, was made Earl of Arran. Thomas also married the king’s 13-year-old sister, Mary, in 1467. This angered the king and many others.
The Boyds tried to stay in power by arranging an important royal marriage. In August 1468, a group was sent to Denmark to arrange a marriage for James III. They made a deal for an alliance between Scotland and Denmark. James III would marry Margaret, the only daughter of King Christian I of Denmark and Norway.
Margaret’s dowry was 60,000 Rhenish guilders. This was a large sum of money. King Christian I could not pay most of it. So, in May 1469, he gave Orkney and Shetland to James III as security until the money was paid. James had no plans to let the Danes get these islands back. He soon gained full control over them.
The Boyds had used their power to get rich, which made them many enemies. In April 1468, some of the king’s relatives tried to free him from the Boyds.
The upcoming marriage of the 17-year-old James III meant his childhood rule was ending. The king began to plan his revenge against the Boyds in the summer of 1469. At this time, Lord Boyd was in England, and the Earl of Arran was in Denmark.
James III's Personal Rule
When Margaret of Denmark and the Scottish ambassadors arrived in Leith, the king’s sister, Mary, warned her husband, the Earl of Arran, that the king planned to arrest him. The couple quickly fled to Denmark, then to Bruges. Lord Boyd soon joined them there.
In November, Parliament found Lord Boyd, his brother, and the Earl of Arran guilty of treason. They lost their noble titles. Sir Alexander Boyd was sentenced to death and executed.
James III married 13-year-old Margaret of Denmark in July 1469 at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh. They had three sons: James, Duke of Rothesay, James, Duke of Ross, and John, Earl of Mar.
James III began his personal rule in 1469. However, he faced challenges from his adult brothers. His relationship with Parliament also became difficult. They often disagreed with his foreign and domestic policies. The king's refusal to listen to complaints or keep his promises led to two major rebellions in 1482-83 and 1488.
Foreign Plans and English Alliance
In the early 1470s, James's main goals were grand plans for Europe. He wanted to increase his own importance and expand Scotland's territory. He also wanted to make an alliance with England.
In 1471, Parliament agreed to a tax to send people to Europe. James wanted to act as a peacemaker between important European leaders. He also wanted to arrange a marriage for his sister, Margaret.
In 1472, James asked Parliament for money to send an army to Brittany. He had a weak claim to this land through his aunt. Parliament agreed to give £5,000 for this army. However, church leaders protested, saying the king should not leave the country without an heir. James eventually dropped his plans for Brittany.
James also tried to claim Guelders and Saintonge, but these plans were not realistic. Parliament criticized James for these schemes. They wanted him to focus on governing Scotland and ensuring justice at home. The king often failed to do this, which was a common complaint throughout his reign.
In October 1474, James III made a peace treaty with Edward IV of England. This treaty was to last for 45 years. It also included a marriage alliance between James's baby son, the Duke of Rothesay, and Edward's daughter, Cecily of York. Edward would pay a large dowry in yearly payments.
On February 20, 1472, Parliament officially made Orkney and Shetland part of the Scottish Crown. Although Denmark could theoretically buy them back, it was very unlikely. This treaty with England was the first alliance between the two kingdoms in the 1400s. It brought peace and money to James III. By 1479, he had collected 8,000 marks from the English dowry payments. This was almost equal to his yearly income.
James continued to seek alliances with England. However, this peace policy was not popular in Scotland. Many people opposed it because of the long history of conflict between the two kingdoms. This opposition was especially strong from James's brother, Albany, and contributed to James's unpopularity by 1479.
Dealing with the Lord of the Isles
In 1475, James III dealt with an old problem from his father's reign: the powerful John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles. John was the most powerful lord in Gaelic Scotland. He ruled over large areas in the Hebrides and the western Highlands.
In 1462, John had made a secret agreement with Edward IV of England. This agreement suggested that if England conquered Scotland, the kingdom would be divided. John MacDonald would rule part of it under the English crown.
In September 1475, John was accused of several crimes against the Crown, including dealing with England and attacking Rothesay Castle. When he did not appear for trial, he was declared a traitor. Armies were sent to invade his lands.
John MacDonald appeared before the king in Edinburgh in July 1476. He was forgiven, but he lost his earldom of Ross, which became part of the Crown. He also lost other lands and titles. He was reduced to a less powerful position.
At this time, James III was at the height of his power. He had removed the Boyds, gained Orkney and Shetland, and made peace with England. His authority now stretched across Scotland.
Parliament, Mar, and Albany
James III's unpopular policies led to growing opposition in Parliament. People criticized him for not traveling to administer justice himself. They also disliked that he made money by forgiving serious crimes and often asked for new taxes.
James III also favored "low-born" friends in his court and government. This angered many bishops and nobles. One of the most well-known favorites was William Scheves, who quickly rose from court doctor to Archbishop of St Andrews. Other unpopular favorites included John Ramsay, 1st Lord Bothwell and Robert Cochrane.
In 1479, conflict grew between the king and his two brothers, John, Earl of Mar and Alexander, Duke of Albany. The Earl of Mar was imprisoned and died mysteriously.
The reasons for James III's attack on Albany are not fully clear. Albany had helped James gain power in 1469. He was also good at defending the border with England. It is thought that Albany opposed the alliance with England. He might also have caused trouble on the border and abused his power.
In May 1479, Albany was accused of treason for arming Dunbar Castle against the king. He was also accused of helping rebels and causing trouble on the border. Albany fled to Paris, where he was welcomed by King Louis XI.
War with England
After the treaty of October 1474, relations between Scotland and England were mostly peaceful. Edward IV continued to pay the yearly dowry for his daughter's future marriage to James III's son.
However, the peace began to break down. There were several Scottish raids into England. In 1480, Edward IV sent a message to Edinburgh that was basically a declaration of war. He demanded that Scotland pay for breaking the peace. He also wanted Berwick, Roxburgh, and Coldingham returned to England.
In 1480, the Earl of Angus led a large raid into Northumberland, burning Bamburgh Castle. By October, James III asked Louis XI of France for guns to fight off attacks. In 1481, English ships attacked the Forth.
In 1482, Edward IV launched a full invasion led by the Duke of Gloucester, who would later become Richard III. James's brother Alexander, called "Alexander IV," was part of this invasion.
James tried to lead his army against the invasion. But in July 1482, a group of unhappy nobles arrested him at Lauder Bridge. The king was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle. A new government, led by Alexander, took over. Meanwhile, the English army took Berwick-upon-Tweed for the last time before returning to England.
James III Returns to Power
While imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, James was out of power from July 1482 to early 1483. His half-uncles and his brother Alexander, Duke of Albany, formed a temporary government. James was freed by late September 1482.
After his release, James slowly regained power. He did this by gaining the support of members of Albany's government. By December 1482, Albany's government was falling apart. From 1483, James steadily reduced any remaining support for Albany.
In January 1483, Albany fled to his lands at Dunbar. When his supporter, Edward IV, died in April, Albany was in a difficult spot. He fled to England, leaving an English army in his castle at Dunbar. A year later, he tried another invasion with the exiled Earl of Douglas. After the Battle of Lochmaben, he had to flee back to England. His titles and lands were taken by the Crown.
Some research suggests Albany might have returned to Scotland again in 1485. He was supposedly caught and imprisoned in the same castle where James had been held. Stories say Albany escaped Edinburgh Castle by killing his guard and climbing down the walls with a rope made of bedsheets. This was Albany's last attempt. He then returned to France, where he reportedly died in a jousting accident.
Meanwhile, James III went back to his old policies from the 1470s, especially seeking an alliance with England. In August 1484, James III suggested a peace treaty with Richard III. He also proposed a marriage between his son, the Duke of Rothesay, and Richard's niece.
In 1486, Pope Innocent VIII sent a blessed Golden Rose to James III. This was a yearly tradition for a deserving prince. In 1486 and 1487, James proposed another peace treaty with England. He also suggested a marriage for his second son, James, to Catherine of York, the sister-in-law of Henry VII of England.
Despite his narrow escape in 1482, James did not change his ways much in the 1480s. He kept trying to get an alliance with England, even though it didn't make much sense. He continued to favor a group of friends who were unpopular with the powerful nobles. He also refused to travel to administer justice and stayed mostly in Edinburgh. He was also separated from his wife, Margaret of Denmark, who lived at Stirling Castle with their sons.
Rebellion and Death at Sauchieburn
In January 1488, James III used a Parliament meeting to reward those who had been loyal to him. He tried to gain more supporters by creating four new Lords of Parliament. He also made his second son, James, Marquess of Ormond, a Duke of Ross. This was meant to make his second son a more attractive marriage prospect. However, it only made his opponents think he was favoring his second son over the heir to the throne.
Opposition to James was led by the Earls of Angus and Argyll, and the Home and Hepburn families. James's heir, the 15-year-old James, Duke of Rothesay, left Stirling Castle without his father's knowledge on February 2, 1488. This marked the start of a four-month rebellion against James III.
Prince James became the leader of the rebels, perhaps unwillingly. Their goal seemed to be to set up a new government with the Prince as its head and the king under protection. The rebels claimed they took Prince James to protect him from his father. They said James III had surrounded himself with bad advisors who liked England too much. Many rebels also feared for their safety if James III continued to rule. The king angered more nobles by firing the Earl of Argyll from his important job and replacing him with William Elphinstone, the Bishop of Aberdeen.
James III asked Henry VII of England for help. In March, he moved north from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. He likely realized his position in Edinburgh was unsafe with the rebel army nearby. The king failed to get much support in the north-east. He then made the mistake of agreeing to talk with the rebels, but then broke his promise. On the advice of his half-uncle, the Earl of Buchan, he marched south from Aberdeen to fight the rebellion. This made him lose the support of even more nobles.
After a small fight at Blackness Castle, James III went back to the safety of Edinburgh Castle. There, he rewarded his supporters and tried to gain new ones by giving out money, jewels, and land. Things came to a head in June 1488. James III left Edinburgh Castle and led his army towards Stirling. The royal and rebel armies fought south of Stirling on June 11, 1488, at the Battle of Sauchieburn.
James III was killed during the battle. The exact details of his death are unclear. It took some time to confirm that the king had died. Later writers claimed that James III was killed in a mill near the Bannock Burn. Some stories say he was thrown from his horse and found by a miller. When he asked for a priest, a passing priest (possibly a rebel) stabbed him to death. Other accounts say he fell from his horse while fleeing to a ship. There is no strong proof for these stories. Parliament later simply stated that the king "happened to be slain" due to his own poor decisions.
James III was buried next to his queen in front of the main altar of Cambuskenneth Abbey. His son and successor, James IV, attended the ceremony. To make up for his part in his father's death, James IV later appointed a chaplain to pray for their souls. This continued until the Scottish Reformation. The remains of James and Margaret were reburied under a new stone monument in 1865, paid for by Queen Victoria.
Marriage and Children
James married Margaret of Denmark at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh, in July 1469. They had three children:
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| James IV | 17 March 1473 | 9 September 1513 | James's successor as King of Scots |
| James, Duke of Ross | March 1476 | January 1504 | Archbishop of St Andrews (1497–1504) Lord Chancellor of Scotland (1502–1504) |
| John, Earl of Mar | December 1479 | 11 March 1503 |
Fictional Stories About James III
James III has appeared in plays, historical novels, and short stories. Some of these include:
- Price of a Princess (1994) by Nigel Tranter. This book is about the years 1465–1469. It features James III's sister, Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran.
- Lord in Waiting (1994) by Nigel Tranter. This book covers the years 1474–1488. It shows James III being influenced by his court astrologer, William Scheves.
- The Admiral (2001) by Nigel Tranter. This book covers the years 1480–1530. It shows James III favoring Andrew Wood of Largo and helping to create the Royal Scots Navy.
- James III: The True Mirror (2014) by Rona Munro. This play is part of a series about Scottish kings. It focuses on James's relationships with his wife, his favorite friends, and the powerful lords he angered.
- The Unicorn Hunt (1993), To Lie with Lions (1995), and Gemini (2000) by Dorothy Dunnett. These are volumes in her The House of Niccolò series.
- "Sunset at Noon" by Jane Oliver (1955). This is a fictional story about the life of James IV and the Battle of Flodden.
See also
In Spanish: Jacobo III de Escocia para niños
