Page "James III of Scotland" Paragraph 12

In 1474 a marriage alliance was agreed to with Edward IV of England by which the future James IV of Scotland was to marry Princess Cecily of York, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.

It might have been a sensible move for Scotland, but it went against the traditional enmity of the two countries dating back to the reign of Robert I and the Wars of Independence, not to mention the vested interests of the border nobility.

The alliance, therefore ( and the taxes raised to pay for the marriage ) was at least one of the reasons why the king was unpopular by 1479.