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The death of the King of Scotland and the Duke of Ross in March of 1498 was such a blow to Anglo-Scottish relations that it would take 50 years before they would once again stabilize. Now, that isn’t to say Henry VII of England had his recent allies killed, but that that narrative would be used by their real killer, their younger brother.

John Stewart, Earl of Mar is a mystery to history prior to this major historical event that thrust him into power, but all evidence points to the murders having been his doing. He stood to inherit the throne, he would actively oppose good relations with England throughout his reign, instilling an anti-English sentiment so effectively that it would take his grandchildren to extend the olive branch. In the letter that most damns him, William Stanley, the man who claimed to have killed the King and his brother, he claimed a “Sir Robert”, not an Englishman, had ordered the killings, and considering the Earl of Mar would sign himself Robert from 1498 forwards, it’s entirely possible he used his future royal name as one to hide his identity.
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