← Explore on the interactive map
Scottish-Yorkist Alliance
After the Battle of Towton in 1461, Lancastrian King Henry VI and Queen Margaret fled to Scotland for refuge, and James III's government initially co…
Timeline
- 1461–1463Scotland · ScotlandAfter the disastrous defeat at Towton, Henry VI and Queen Margaret found refuge in Scotland, and Scotland also allowed Lancastrian forces to launch raids from the northern border. This angered Edward IV, but earned Scotland bargaining leverage in the form of England's cession of Berwick and other places.
- 1464York · YorkshireEdward IV sent representatives including the Duke of Somerset to negotiate with Scottish envoys at York, reaching a three-year truce: Scotland would no longer openly shelter Lancastrian operations, England confirmed Berwick's possession and released some Scottish hostages. This marked Scotland's shift from allying with the Lancastrians toward rapprochement with the Yorkists.
- 1465–1470Anglo-Scottish border · ScotlandAfter the treaty, border raids still occurred from time to time. In the later 1460s, both sides consolidated relations through marriage and commercial negotiations—James III married a Danish princess in 1469, and a marriage alliance with Edward IV's family was also explored. Anglo-Scottish relations maintained a pragmatic balance between cooperation and conflict.
Sources
- Wars of the Roses https://www.britannica.com/event/Wars-of-the-Roses
- Blood and Roses: The Paston Family in the Fifteenth Century — Helen Castor (2004)