Medieval murder mystery: who killed King James III?

Gordon McKelvie explores the death of a 15th-century Scottish king and asks: could the killer have been his own son?

Published: March 5, 2025 at 8:00 AM

Save

On 11 June 1488, King James III of Scotland was hunted down and slain as he fled the field of battle. And more than 500 years later, the identity of his killer remains shrouded in uncertainty. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, historian Gordon McKelvie explores this most enduring of royal murder mysteries. How, he asks, had James made so many enemies – and could the killer have been his own son?

Ad

Authors

James OsborneSenior content producer

James Osborne is a senior content producer at HistoryExtra

Ad

Ad

Loading...

Ad

Loading...