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Tales of a Crimewriter: The Stewarts

Tales of a Crimewriter: The Stewarts: Episode 3

Factual: History

Factual: Crime & Justice

Louise Welsh

Episode 3

BBC Radio Scotland - Tales of a Crimewriter: The Stewarts, Episode 3

Louise Welsh investigates tales of murder and Scottish kings, continuing with James III.

Louise Welsh investigates famous tales of murder and the medieval Scottish kings and asks how modern writers might retell their stories, continuing with James III.

Louise Welsh explores some of the most famous tales of murder and the medieval Scots Kings and asks how modern writers might tell them today. This week James III - a prime contender for Scotland's most useless, dislikeable King. You think you've got problems with your family - just be grateful you don't have a relative like James III, jealous, skinflint and quite likely to try bumping you off. His nobles didn't like him any better than his family, and when faced with the alarming proposition of following His Royal Incompetency into pitched battle against that chap from England they found under the car-park - the future Richard III, they decided to lynch his court favourites over a handy bridge instead, and to kidnap the King. Did James learn a lesson from this? No. From here it gets worse. He ends up in a battle against rebel forces led by his own teenage son. Historians Jenny Wormald, William Hepburn and Norman MacDougall explain to Louise how you sack an underperforming king, while playwright David Greig of 'Dunsinane' fame considers how he'd take a crack at the epic rivalry of Stewart versus Stewart that finally brought James down.

BBC Radio Scotland

Crimewriter Louise Welsh investigates tales of murder and the medieval Scottish kings.

Crimewriter Louise Welsh investigates famous tales of murder and the medieval Scottish kings and asks how modern writers might retell their stories.

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