James II of Scotland was killed by a fragment of an exploding artillery piece.

The Scottish King, James II, was present at the Siege of Roxburgh when he met his end on 3 August 1460. Stood close to the artillery bombarding the walls, he was struck by a fragment when one of the bombards exploded. The wound was to kill the King.

James’ son, James III, took the throne upon his father’s death. However, the new King was a child, and a council was to rule on his behalf during his minority. The Minority Council was dominated by the Dowager Queen, Mary of Gueldres. Mary chose to continue fighting against the English. It made sense to take advantage of the political turmoil south of the border, with the Yorkists having landed and Henry VIs government in tatters.

So, she not only continued with the Siege of Roxburgh but also that of Wark. Mary also had an eye on seizing the border town of Berwick for the Scots. Her taking control of the Scottish Council worked very much in favour of those wanting to expand Scotland. As the situation in England worsened, the chances of negotiating with one or other of the factions rose.

This allowed Mary to negotiate with Margaret of Anjou from late 1460. The negotiations resulted in Berwick being ceded to the Scots in return for Scottish support of the Lancastrian army.

Related Links

History Scotland – King James II killed in the Siege of Roxburgh Castle (1460)

Scottish Castles Association – Siege of Roxburgh Castle (1460)

Image of Roxburgh Castle

By Snapshots Of The Past – Ruins of Roxburgh Castle Kelso Scotland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia.