Episode 232 of the Renaissance English History Podcast was all about The Black Dinner.
In this episode of the Renaissance English History Podcast, Heather delves into one of Scotland’s darkest historical events: the Black Dinner of 1440. This chilling episode, which inspired the infamous Red Wedding in Game of Thrones, took place when young King James II of Scotland was only a child, leaving the kingdom vulnerable to ambitious nobles.
Heather explores the brutal power struggles that led Sir William Crichton and Sir Alexander Livingston to lure the young Earl of Douglas and his brother to a dinner in Edinburgh Castle, where a dark symbol—a black bull’s head—foreshadowed their tragic fate. Betrayed and executed in cold blood, the Douglas brothers’ deaths marked a haunting moment of betrayal and foreshadowed a pattern of violence in Scottish politics. Through rich storytelling, Heather unpacks the motives, alliances, and aftermath of the Black Dinner, highlighting its lasting impact on Scottish society and its grim resonance with other historical betrayals, like the princes in the Tower.
Listen below, or read the Very Rough Transcript on Episode 232: The Black Dinner.
A very rough transcript on Episode 232: The Black Dinner
Hey, hey, hey, hello, friend, and welcome to the Renaissance English History Podcast, a part of the Agora Podcast Network, and the original Tudor History Podcast, telling stories of Tudor England since 2009. I’m your host, Heather, and I’m a storyteller who makes history accessible because I believe it’s a pathway to understanding who we are.
our place in the universe, and being much more deeply in touch with our own humanity. Welcome to episode 232, my friend. Today we are talking about the Black Dinner in Scotland. So I’m branching out a little bit here. This is a little bit before our time. It is also in Scotland, not England, but of course everything is all related.
and names will be familiar to you from later centuries. And I think this is an interesting event in British history, in Scottish history, because we, of course, are familiar with the murder of the princess in the tower. This is another, um, pretty violent, very violent episode that involved children. And I think just kind of underscores this period of just harshness, um, and warfare that England was going through, that Scotland was going through, shifting allegiances in the 15th century.
And, you know, we look at it and we might think, wow, life, life was cheap. Uh, so this is, you know, kind of a parallel story to the princes in the tower. And, uh, it also was the inspiration for the red wedding in Game of Thrones. I have actually never seen Game of Thrones, you guys. One of those things, you know, it got really popular when I had a baby.
So I was in this kind of like black hole of babydom for a long time. And I, I just never found myself wanting to get caught up with it because I’ve always heard it was based on the Wars of the Roses. I don’t know. What do you think? Should I watch Game of Thrones? Let me know. I’m I’m not really into, like, the whole violin thing, although I will say Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Last Kingdom.
I love, love, loved that series. So, I don’t know, should I watch Game of Thrones? Tell me, tell me. But this episode that we’re going to talk about today actually inspired a famous scene called the Red Wedding. So, those of you who are familiar with Game of Thrones might recognize it. So, let’s get right into it.
In the timeless words of the Bible, Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child. These ancient words eerily foreshadowed the turmoil that engulfed Scotland in the tumultuous 15th century, a land thrust into a whirlwind of intrigue and power struggles following the abrupt demise of a monarch and the ascension of a child to the throne.
The saga begins with the tragic fate of James I of Scotland, a king whose reign was cut brutally short, Not in the heat of battle or from a sickness, but by a conspiracy woven in the shadows of his own kingdom. James I was a king known for his efforts to strengthen the judiciary, and for his patronage of the arts.
And he met a grim end far from the battlefield, far from his home. or his own court. On February 20th, 1437, he was in Blackfriars Monastery in Perth, and a group of dissatisfied nobles, led by Sir Robert Graham, and with the clandestine support of the Aethal family, launched a daring and bloody coup. The king had been forewarned of treachery afoot, and had attempted to hide.
Within the drainage system of the monastery, a desperate bid for survival. However, fate and the monastery’s construction were not in his favor. The exit of the tunnel had been blocked just days prior, turning what might have been a means of escape into a dead end. The conspirators, when they found the king, they did not hesitate.
James was assassinated in a frenzied attack, a king brought down not on the open field, but in the cramped confines of the monastery. of a sewer. Interestingly, the reason that the door had been blocked off was because the tennis balls kept getting lost in the sewer, so they blocked off the door. Uh, so that, of course, would come back to haunt James.
So this brutal act did not merely end a reign, it plunged Scotland into a maelstrom of instability. With James I’s assassination, the crown passed to his son, James II. Now, James was only six years old, James II. The kingdom, now with a child at its helm, faced the daunting prospect of navigating the treacherous waters of 15th century politics where power was often seized by the sword and held by sheer force of will.
The young king’s ascension marked the beginning of a regency dominated by ambitious nobles and fractured by competing interests. Queen Joan Beaufort, James II’s mother, alongside the formidable Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas, initially steered the ship of state as co regent. Yet, this period was anything but stable.
The sudden death of the Earl of Douglas in 1439 only deepened the crisis, leaving a power vacuum that various factions sought to exploit. So the tale of the Black Dinner becomes not just a stand alone episode of brutality, but a symptom of the broader chaos that enveloped Scotland being led by a child king.
It is within this context, a kingdom reeling from the shock of regicide, teetering on the brink of collapse, that the stage is set for one of the most infamous and chilling chapters in Scottish history. So, James II, a boy king, only six years old, is ill prepared for the weight of the crown, and the labyrinth of the Scottish nobility’s power plays.
The early years of his reign were not his own, but were instead commandeered by regents, who vied to steer the course of the kingdom, each with their own agenda, under the guise of stewardship. At the forefront of this regency was Queen Joan Beaufort, the widow of James I, and her lineage was as noble as it was influential.
She was born into the Beaufort family of Lady Margaret Beaufort, all of these Beauforts we hear about. These were the legitimized offspring of John of Gaunt and Catherine Swinford. Joan was a figure of considerable pedigree and political acumen. James I had met her when he was in prison in England. The story goes that he saw her from his tower and fell madly in love with her.
He was inspired by her beauty and grace as much as by her political expediency. Their marriage had been a union meant to bolster the ties between Scotland and England. However, in the wake of her husband’s assassination, her role transcended to that of a grieving widow. She was thrust into the political mess as a regent for her son, navigating the treacherous waters of Scottish politics marred by factions and feuds.
Alongside Joan in the Regency initially was Archibald Douglas, the fifth Earl of Douglas, a man of formidable power and influence. The son of the fourth Earl of Douglas and Margaret Stuart, Archibald was a scion of the mighty Clan Douglas, a family whose tentacles of power spread wide across the Scottish landscape, and would continue.
We know Lady Margaret Douglas. And we talk about the Douglas family all the time in the Tudor and Elizabethan period. So they were already this powerful, you know, a hundred years before. His marriage to Euphemia Graham only further cemented his status among the Scottish nobility. As regent, Douglas wielded considerable influence, his decisions shaping the early years of James II’s reign.
However, the political landscape of Scotland was as volatile as it was dangerous. In 1439, the death of Archibald Douglas from a fever created a power vacuum that sent ripples throughout the kingdom. His titles and influence passed to his young son, William Douglas, the 6th Earl of Douglas. A boy, similarly to the king, suddenly thrust into the vortex of Scottish nobility’s cutthroat politics.
William’s ascension to the earldom marked a critical juncture. His youth made him both a pawn and a target in the ongoing struggle for supremacy. So this period saw an intricate dance of power. Alliances were forged and broken. Nobles were jockeying for position and influence. The death of Archibald Douglas left a void that others were all too eager to fill, setting the stage for the series of events that would culminate in the Black Dinner.
The young Earl of Douglas, bereft of his father’s guiding hand, was about to enter a fray that would test the mettle of even the most seasoned warriors of nobility. So hey, quick interruption, do you know that you can join this podcast on Patreon, become a patron, for as little as a dollar an episode, and you get early episodes, extra episodes, author chats, depending on what level you come in at, you get extra online mini courses, every month.
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Again, you can join for as little as a dollar an episode. You get that warm, feel good feeling of knowing that you’re supporting an independent podcast. Plus, you get all kinds of extra episodes and extra stuff. So, thank you so much. Alright, let’s get right back to it. So, out of this maelstrom of politics and intrigue, there are two figures emerging with a plan that would alter the course of history.
Sir William Crichton and Sir Alexander Livingston. These men are driven by ambition and the quest for power, and they orchestrated the series of events that would lead to the Black Dinner. Creighton was the Chancellor of Scotland and the custodian of Edinburgh Castle. He was a man whose ambition was as vast as the castle he commanded.
His family, having constructed the formidable Creighton Castle in the 14th century, was well entrenched in the machinations of power, but it was the rising influence of his rivals in the Douglas family that threatened to overshadow the Crichton’s authority. In a bid to curb the Douglas’s burgeoning power, Crichton concocted a plan that would lure the young Earl of Douglas William and his brother to their doom.
Now, Livingston was the guardian of James II and the Lord of Calendar, and he was no less ambitious. His lineage and prowess had secured him a pivotal role in the regency of the young king. With a keen understanding of the precarious balance of power, Livingston saw in the Douglases a threat not just to his position, but to the stability of the realm itself.
The strategic abduction of Queen Joan and James II, relocating them to Stirling for protection, was a masterstroke that placed the young king firmly under his influence. The alliance between Crichton and Livingston was one of convenience, born out of a mutual recognition of the threat posed by the Douglases.
Their plan was set in motion when they extended an invitation to the Earl of Douglas, the young Earl of Douglas, and his brother to dine with the king at Edinburgh Castle. Now, unbeknownst to the young earls, this dinner was not going to be a very social, happy dinner. This was actually going to be their last dinner.
They accepted the invitation, unaware of the treacherous undercurrent swirling beneath the veneer of cordiality. As they crossed the threshold of the castle, they stepped into a carefully laid trap, their fates sealed not by the clasp of friendship, but by the cold calculus of political maneuverings. The banquet that unfolded was a spectacle of royal hospitality, with the young King James II, a mere puppet in the hands of his regents, playing the gracious host.
Laughter and merriment filled the hall. The air was thick with camaraderie and with nobles and the clinking of goblets. Yet, then this façade of fellowship was shattered, when a dish, cloaked in ominous portent, was brought forth. So, in Scotland, the head of a black bull is a dire symbol of death, and this black bull’s head was brought out and placed before the young earl, its dark eyes staring up, a silent herald of doom.
The revelry died as the meaning of this macabre token became clear. Despite desperate pleas of King James, A mere child confronted with the tableau of impending slaughter, the Douglas brothers were seized. The castle, which had been a haven of feigned fraternity, transformed into a stage for a grim farce.
A mock trial, where the verdict of treason was a foregone conclusion. Legend and history collide in the telling of their execution. Some people say it was done within view of the dinner table itself, a brutal coda to the feast, while others say that the brothers were led to Castle Hill, where the executioner’s blade awaited.
The elder brother, in a final act of brotherly love, implored that the younger should be spared the horror of witnessing his death. A request granted with a grim sense of mercy. The swift and ruthless beheadings of William and his brother were not just the extinguishing of two young lives, but a calculated strike in the game of power.
The black dinner was not merely a betrayal. It was a chilling message to all who had challenged the region’s authority. So apparently there are spectral rumors that surround Crichton Castle, where the ghost of a horseman believed to be Sir William Crichton himself rides up to the castle. serving as a haunting reminder of the treachery that took place.
Livingston’s role in this saga was also pivotal. His maneuverings, including the forcible restraint of Queen Joan and the subsequent power sharing arrangement with Crichton, underscored his own political acumen and willingness to engage in the most Machiavellian of tactics to achieve his ends. The orchestrators behind the Black Dinner and the extent of their involvement remain a subject of historical debate and speculation.
Sir William Creighton and Alexander Livingston are often cited as the principal architects of the affair, but of course the murky waters of 15th century Scottish politics suggest a broader conspiracy. Some historians argue that James Douglas, the seventh Earl of Douglas, may have played a more significant role than previously thought, potentially standing to gain from the elimination of his rivals within the Douglas clan.
The intricate web of alliances and enmities that characterized the Scottish nobility at the time makes it difficult to pinpoint a single mastermind behind the plot. Suggesting a confluence of interests that found a common solution in the tragic fate of the young Douglases. As for the young King James II, the monarch’s thoughts and feelings about the events of the Black Dinner are shrouded in the silence of history.
Contemporary accounts do not provide direct insight into his reactions, leaving historians to speculate based on the broader context of his reign. It’s plausible that James, still a child at the time, was largely shielded from the machinations leading to the dinner. and might have been completely unaware of the planned outcome.
The legend that James II protested against the execution of the Douglas brothers suggests a degree of innocence and horror at the unfolding events. However, the absence of explicit records means that any assertions about his sentiments are speculative. The true impact on the Black Dinner, on the young king’s psyche, and his subsequent rule can only be inferred from the shadow it cast over his reign A reign that would later be marked by its own brutal efforts to curb the power of the Douglas clan.
The long term consequences of the Black Dinner were profound, setting a precedent for the brutal lengths to which the crown and its regents would go to suppress dissent and consolidate power. The event foreshadowed a dark pattern within Scottish governance, one that would repeat itself in 1452 with the murder of William Douglas, The 8th Earl of Douglas by James II himself.
This act was carried out by a king who was no longer a child, but shaped by the shadows of his youth. And it signified the crown’s intent to break the power of the Douglas clan, culminating in a civil war that would eventually lead to the clan’s diminished influence. Following the Black Dinner, Sir William Creighton and Alexander, Sir Alexander Livingston managed to navigate the tumultuous aftermath with a combination of political savvy and strategic alliances.
Despite the initial outrage and the siege of Edinburgh Castle by the Douglas clan, both Creighton and Livingston retained their positions of power and influence for a time, further entrenching themselves in the complex web of Scottish politics. Sir William Creighton, as Chancellor of Scotland and Keeper of Edinburgh Castle, continued to play a significant role in the governance of Scotland during the minority of James II.
His ability to survive the political fallout of the Black Dinner underscores his adeptness at maneuvering through the landscape of Scottish nobility. However, his influence waned over time as new power dynamics emerged and the young king began to assert his own authority. Sir Alexander Livingston’s fate was intertwined with the shifting allegiances and power struggles that characterized this period.
After the Black Dinner, he continued to exercise control over the young king, leveraging his position to strengthen his own standing. His role as one of the guardians of James II placed him at the center of Scottish politics, but like Crichton, his prominence was subject to the ebb and flow of royal favor and the changing tides of noble alliances.
Sir Alexander Livingston also maintained his political influence for years after the Black Dinner. But, he began to fade as well. There’s records of him later when he was 70 years old, uh, being imprisoned, but then let go, and living out the rest of his life in obscurity. But both of these men did survive the, the Black Dinner, and their planning of it.
Which also could suggest a broader conspiracy, too. That it wasn’t just these two people, and so they Uh, they didn’t want to punish just these two people, so who knows. The aftermath of the Black Dinner rippled through the fabric of Scottish society, igniting a series of events that would further entrench the divisions within its nobility.
The immediate response from the Douglas clan was outrage and a thirst for retribution. The clan, wielding considerable power and influence, laid siege to Edinburgh Castle a bold move that underscored the deep fissures the event had carved within the realm. However, the political acumen of Crichton and Livingston saw them navigate these treacherous waters, like we said, with a degree of cunning that ensured their survival and indeed their continued influence over the young James II.
The historical and cultural significance of the Black Dinner extends beyond its immediate impact, echoing through time, finding resonance in similar events across histories and cultures. For example, the parallels drawn between the Black Dinner and the mystery of the princes in the tower in England underscore a recurring theme in medieval European history, the vulnerability of youthful nobility caught in the web of adult conspiracies.
Both events serve as stark reminders of the innocence lost and the ruthlessness of power struggles During this period were the lives of the young and the noble were often collateral in the games of their elders. The legacy of the Black Dinner has been immortalized in Scottish lore, notably by Sir Walter Scott, who wrote of it, Edinburgh Castle, town and tower, God grant thou sink for sin.
And that e’en for the Black Dinner, Earl Douglas got therein. And like we said, it has inspired modern narratives like the Red Wedding in George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. So there we have it, a very dark period in Scottish history. But one that is similar to some of the things we talk about in English history as well.
So, that was interesting. Hey, thank you so much for listening. Thank you for spending the last 20 or so minutes with me. I sure do appreciate it. Remember, you can join my Patreon at patreon. com slash englandcast. Or, if you’re listening to this on YouTube, just click, uh, join this channel. If you’re not subscribed already, make sure you’re subscribed so you never miss an episode wherever you’re listening to this.
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast,  the original Tudor history podcast, started in 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. In 2019 she created Tudorcon, which is now a yearly event, in addition to writing books, and running TudorFair.com - a whimsical Tudor Merch shop.
She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 30 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history (how exciting when she got to interview Alison for the first time!). In addition to history, she is passionate about travel, and has lived in 3 countries and 4 states (not counting her perpetual state of confusion), and her family (who help her host her YouTube channel occasionally).
