born May 1452
died June 11, 1488, near Stirling, Stirling, Scot.
King of Scotland (1460–88).
He succeeded his father, James II . Unlike the latter, he was unable to restore strong central government after his long minority. A weak monarch, he was confronted with two major rebellions. He evidently offended his nobles by his interest in the arts and by taking artists for his favourites. In 1488 two powerful border families raised a rebellion and won to their cause his son, the future James IV ; James III was captured and killed at age 36.