Kings and Queens of Scotland **************************** Kings and Queens of Scotland until the Union of the Crowns in 1603 (when King James VI succeeded to the throne of England) Alpín MacEchdach 834 - *********************** Name: Alpín MacEchdach Father: Echdach Mother: unknown Relation to Elizabeth II: 34th great-grandfather House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 834 Married: unknown Children: Kenneth I and Donald I Died: 834, killed fighting the Picts in Galloway Buried at: unknown Succeeded by: his son Kenneth Gaelic King who ruled the territory of Dalriada which covered modern day Argyll, Kintyre, and various west-coast island. He may have had a Norse wife and ruled for around 3 years. He was killed in AD834 on a raiding mission in Galloway. Founder of the House of Alpin, his sons Kenneth and Duncan became rulers of the enlarged kingdom of Alba or Scotia from which the kingdom of Scotland grew over the next two centuries. Kenneth MacAlpin (834 - 859) **************************** Kenneth Mac Alpin was the son of Alpin and generally regarded as the founder of medieval Scotland. Battling against Norse (Viking) raids, he brought some unification between the Gaels and the Picts to found a united kingdom of Alba or Scotia. The Picts had been weakened by incursions from the Vikings and Irish tribes who under Fergus Mor (AD498-501) had settled in the area of Argyll. The term Scots came from the Latin Scotti which was Latin for Irish. The map of ancient Scotland comprised Scotia (known as Alba in Gaelic) covering the Pictish Fortriu region and the Dal Riada kingdom of Irish king Fergus Mor, the Norse settlements from Viking incursions around the coastal regions and islands, the Men of Moray in the Northern highlands, Strathclyde in the West and the northern Anglo-Saxon realm of Northumbria (Bernica). Kenneth transferred of some of St. Columba’s relics from Iona and made Dunkeld the new ecclesiastical capital. Iona was regularly attacked by Viking raiders. He is also credited with setting the ancient Stone of Destiny at Scone. According to legend the Stone of Destiny was brought to Scotland by Fergus Mor from Ireland, which it had reached by way of Spain and Egypt from the Holy Land. Kenneth MacAlpin is considered by some as the founding father of Scotland and often compared to Alfred the Great in England. Kenneth is believed to have died from a tumour at Forteviot near Perth and was succeeded by his brother Donald. King Donald I of Scotland (859 - 863) ************************************* Name: King Donald I of Scotland Father: King Alpin Mother: unknown Relation to Elizabeth II: 33rd great-granduncle House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 859 Married: Did not marry Children: none Died: 853, in battle at Scone, Perthshire Buried at: unknown Succeeded by: his nephew Constantine I Donald (Domnall MacAlpin) succeeded his brother Kenneth. He consolidated the gains won by his bother, and at Forteviot brought secular as well as ecclesiastical control under the emerging area of Scotia. Killed in battle, or possibly murdered, he died at Scone but had no heirs. He was buried on Iona and succeeded by his nephew Constantine. King Constantine I of Scotland (863 - 877) ****************************************** Name: King Constantine I of Scotland Father: King Kenneth I Mother: unknown Relation to Elizabeth II: 32nd great-grandfather House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 863 Married: unknown Children: Donald II Died: 877, in battle against the Danes at Inverdorat, Angus Buried at: Isle of Iona Succeeded by: his brother Aedh Constantine (Constantín mac Cináeda) son of Kenneth MacAlpin and brother of Aedh, he became king on the death of his uncle Donald. For much of his reign he was faced with repeated attacks from Vikings including the forces of Olaf the White based in Dublin who reportedly took many Albans and Britons as slaves. Olaf besieged and sacked Dumbarton. The Strathclyde king Artgal survived, but was assassinated the following year with the connivance of Constantine. In 875 Constantine was killed fighting the Vikings at Inverdovat, near Newport-on-Tay, Angus. He was buried on Iona and succeeded by his brother Aedh. King Aedh of Scotland (877 - 878) ********************************* Name: King Aedh of Scotland Father: King Kenneth I Mother: unknown House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 877 Married: unknown Children: Constantine II, Donald (king of Strathclyde) Died: 878, killed by his cousin Giric at Strathallan Buried at: probably at Maiden Stone, Aberdeenshie Succeeded by: his nephew Eochaid Aedh (Áed mac Cináeda) was the brother of Constantine I and son of Kenneth I. He was king for barely a year before he was killed by his cousin Giric at Strathallan, North of Stirling. Giric became a major influence in the reign of Aedh’s nephew Eochaid. King Eochaid of Scotland (879 - 889) ************************************ Name: King Eochaid of Scotland Father: Run Macarthagail, King of Strathclyde Mother: a daughter of Kenneth I House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 878 Married: none Children: none Died: 889 Succeeded by: his cousin Donald II Eochaid (Áed mac Cináeda) was the grandson of Kenneth MacAlpin, and son of the Strathclyde ruler Rhun whose father had been slain by Constantine. He ruled jointly with Giric until they were expelled in 889 by Duncan II, ending the influence of Strathclyde which then became a Scottish sub-kingdom. Eochaid was either killed or exiled. Some reports have his burial place as the mound of Cunning hillock near Inverurie. King Donald II of Scotland (889 - 900) ************************************** Name: King Donald II of Scotland Father: King Constantine I Mother: unknown Relation to Elizabeth II: 31st great-grandfather House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 889 Married: unknown Children: Malcolm I Died: 900, killed at Dunnottar, Aberdeen Buried at: Isle of Iona Succeeded by: his cousin Constantine Donald (Domnall mac Causantín) was the son of Constantine. He succeeded Eochaid and Giric and annexed Srathclyde, establishing himself as King of the Scots. He had some success against the Vikings in the West, but the North was dominated by Viking Sigurd the Mighty based in Orkney. Donald was killed in 900, possibly murdered, at Donnattar near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. He was buried on Iona. King Constantine II of Scotland (900 - 943) ******************************************* Name: King Constantine II of Scotland Father: King Aedh Mother: unknown House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 900 Married: unknown Children: Indulf, Cellach and a daughter Died: 952, at St Andrews, Fife Buried at: St Andrews, Fife Succeeded by: his 2nd cousin Malcolm Constantine II (Constantín mac Áeda) was king for over 40 year. He was the first Scottish King to hold power south of the Forth, but his reign was dominated by Viking raids and northern conquests of the Wessex Kings Æthelstan and Edmund of England. An alliance of Constantine, Owen of Strathclyde and Olaf the Viking king of Dublin was defeated by Æthelstan at Brunanburh in 937. In 943 Edmund established control over Northumbria and extended his rule into southern Scotland. Having been defeated twice, Constantine abdicated and lived out the rest of his life as a monk in the monastery at St. Andrews, Fife. King Malcolm I of Scotland (943 - 954) ************************************** Name: King Malcolm I of Scotland Father: King Donald II Mother: unknown Relation to Elizabeth II: 30th great-grandfather House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 943 Married: unknown Children: Dubh and Kenneth II Died: 954, at Fetteresso killed by men of Moray Buried at: Isle of Iona Succeeded by: his 2nd cousin Indulf Malcolm (Máel Coluim mac Domnaill) became king when Constantine abdicated to become monk. He concluded a deal with Edmund of England to retain sovereignty over Strathcylde and Cumbria which Edmund had conquered in return for defending northern England from the Vikings. Malcolm’s battles took him south of Newcastle against Olaf Sihtricsson who was attempting to regain Northumbria and expel Erik Bloodaxe from York. However Malcolm was killed not by Vikings but defending the North of his kingdom by men of Moray at Fetteresso, near Aberdeen. He was succeeded by his cousin Indulf. King Indulf of Scotland (954 - 962) *********************************** Name: King Indulf of Scotland Father: King Constantine II Mother: unknown House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 954 Married: unknown Children: Culen, Eochaid and Olaf Died: 962, by Vikings at the Battle of Invercullen, Aberdeen. Succeeded by: his 3rd cousin Dubh Indulf (Ildulb mac Causantín) was the son of Constantine II. Indulf was a Norse name from old Norse Hildulfr, and his sons had Norse names Olaf and Culen. He was sub-king of Strathclyde during Malcolm I’s reign and became king when Malcolm was killed. During his reign the influence of the Scots was extended into Lothian, and he briefly occupied Edinburgh from the Northumbrians. He was killed in 962 in battle at Invercullen near Aberdeen during Viking challenges for Moray. King Dubh (Duff) of Scotland (962 - 967) **************************************** Name: King Dubh (Duff) of Scotland Father: King Malcolm I Mother: unknown House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 962 Married: unknown Children: Kenneth III Died: 967, killed at Forres by supporters of his cousin Culen Buried at: unknown Succeeded by: His 3rd cousin Culen Dubh mac Mhaoil Chaluim (Duff) became king when Indulf was slain. His rule was challenged by Indulf’s son Culen in battle at Duncrub, Perthshire. Dubh was driven north where legend has him as being kidnapped by supporters of Culen and his murdered body discovered in a ditch at Forres, Kinross on the banks of Loch Leven. King Culen of Scotland (967 - 971) ********************************** Name: King Culen of Scotland Father: King Indulf Mother: unknown House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 967 Married: unknown Children: Constantine III Died: 971, in Lothian by Riderch of Strathclyde Buried at: unknown Succeeded by: his 3rd cousin Kenneth II Culen (Cuilén mac Ildulb) was a son of Indulf. He challenged his cousin King Dubh in battle at Duncrub in 965, and was believed to be subsequently responsible for his murder after which he became king in 967. Culen was killed himself in 971 in Lothian by Amdarch (Riderich), son of Donald of Strathclyde, in revenge it is said after Culen carried off and raped Amdarch’s daughter. King Kenneth II of Scotland (971 - 995) *************************************** Name: King Kenneth II of Scotland Father: Malcolm I, King of Scotland Mother: unknown Relation to Elizabeth II: 29th great-grandfather House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 971 Married: unknown, said to be a Princess of Leinster Children: 2 sons including Malcolm II, and a daughter Died: 995, killed at Fettercairn Buried at: Isle of Iona Succeeded by: his 4th cousin Constantine III Kenneth II (Cináed mac Maíl Coluim) son of Malcolm I became King when Culen was killed, but faced a challenge from Culen’s brother Olaf. The challenge was ended when Kenneth had Olaf killed in 977. Kenneth submitted to King Edgar of England at Chester in 973 and in return was granted kingship of Lothian. He pushed the borders south into territory previous occupied by the Northumbrians. He was said to be killed near Fettercairn by Fenella, daughter of the Mormar of Angus, in revenge for killing her son. King Constantine III of Scotland (995 - 997) ******************************************** Name: King Constantine III of Scotland Father: Culen, King of Scotland Mother: unknown House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 995 Married: unknown Children: none Died: 997, killed at Rathinveramon Buried at: unknown Succeeded by: his 4th cousin Kenneth III Constantine III (Causantín mac Cuiléin) the son of Culen was known as Constantine the bald. He reigned for just 18 months before he was killed at Rathinveramon near Scone by Kenneth III son of Dubh. King Kenneth III of Scotland (997 - 1005) ***************************************** Name: King Kenneth III of Scotland Father: Dubh, King of Scotland Mother: unknown House of: MacAlpin Ascended to the throne: 997 Children: 3 sons including Beoedhe, father of Gruoch, Lady Macbeth Died: March 25, 1005, at Battle of Mozievaird Buried at: unknown Succeeded by: his cousin Malcolm II Kenneth III (Cináed mac Duib) was responsible for the death of Constantine III before he became king. His son Giric took active part in rule during his 8 year reign. Kenneth and Giric were killed in battle at Monzievaird, Perth, in 1005 by his cousin Malcolm III. This rivalry contributed to the feud which resulted in Duncan, grandson of Malcolm, being killed in 1040 by Macbeth who had married Kenneth’s grand daughter Gruoch (Lady Macbeth). Celtic kings from the unification of Scotland: King Malcolm II of Scotland (1005 - 1034) ***************************************** Name: King Malcolm II of Scotland Father: Kenneth II, King of Scotland Mother: a Princess of Leinster Relation to Elizabeth II: 28th great-grandfather House of: MacAlpin Born: c. 954 Ascended to the throne: March 25, 1005 Children: Daughters Bethoc (mother of Duncan I) and Donada Died: November, 1034, from injuries at Glamis castle, Angus Buried at: Isle of Iona Succeeded by: his grandson Duncan I Malcolm (Máel Coluim mac Cináeda) son of Kenneth II became king after his predecessor Kenneth II was killed in battle. He acquired the throne by killing Kenneth III (Cinaed III) of a rival royal dynasty. His daughter Donada married Sigurd Norse king of Orkney who controlled Caithness, Sutherland and most of the Western Isles. The combined kingdom extended Scottish rule into Moray and previously Norse occupied lands. Malcolm’s early raids into Northumbria in 1016 were defeated by Uhtred the Bold at Durham, however he defeated a force of English and Vikings at Carham, and extended Scottish rule into Lothian and Northumbrian lands down to Berwick. He attempted to expand his kingdom southwards with a notable victory at the Battle of Carham, Northumbria in 1018, but was driven north again in 1027 by King Cnut. In 1032 King Cnut King of England secured the southern part of Northumbria for England settling the border between Scotland and northern England. Malcolm had no son so he had the grandson of Kenneth III murdered to ensure that his daughter Bethroc’s son Duncan became heir to the throne. Malcolm died from battle injuries at Glamis Castle in 1034. King Duncan of Scotland (1034 - 1040) ************************************* Name: King Duncan of Scotland Father: Crinan, Abbot of Dunkeld Mother: Bethoc, daughter of Malcom II Relation to Elizabeth II: 27th great-grandfather House of: Dunkeld Born: c. 1001 Ascended to the throne: November 25, 1034 Married: Sybilla, c. 1030 Children: three sons including Malcolm III and Donald III Died: August, 1040, either murdered by Macbeth or killed in battle against him near Elgin. Buried at: Isle of Iona Succeeded by: his cousin Macbeth Duncan (Donnchad mac Crínáin) was and son of Crinan, the Abbot of Dunkeld, and Bethroc daughter of Malcolm II. He was the first of the House of Dunkeld. His incursions south into England were unsuccessful including the siege of Durham in 1039, but he strengthened his hold over Strathclyde. The hereditary rights of his two sons Malcolm and Donald were threatened by Macbeth of Moray who claimed the kingdom. The feud was temporarily settled in 1040 when Duncan was either murdered by Macbeth, or more likely fatally wounded in battle at Pitgaveny near Elgin by Macbeth who then became king. Duncan’s sons escaped and both would later become kings. King Macbeth of Scotland (1040 - 1057) ************************************** Name: King Macbeth of Scotland Father: Finlay MacRory, Mormaer of Moray Mother: Donalda, daughter of Kenneth II Relation to Elizabeth II: 4th cousin 27 time removed House of: Dunkeld Born: c. 1005 Ascended to the throne: August 14, 1040 Married: Gruoch, daughter of Beoedh, son of Kenneth III , 1034 Children: one stepson Lulach Died: August 15, 1057, killed at the Battle of Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire by Malcolm III Buried at: Isle of Iona Succeeded by: his stepson Lulach Macbeth (Mac Bethad mac Findlaích) was the son of Finlay of Moray, and Donalda daughter of Kenneth II. He was king of Moray and became king of the Scots when Duncan was killed in 1040 (he actually acquired the throne after defeating Duncan I in battle following years of family feuding). Duncan’s father Crinan was killed at Dunkeld in 1045. Macbeth married Guroch (Lady Macbeth) granddaughter of Malcolm II who had a son Lulach by her previous marriage. Macbeth was immortalised in the play by William Shakespeare although the play is historically inaccurate. In Shakespeare's play, Macbeth is portrayed as a good-hearted general when he was ruler of Moray to King Duncan, but is manipulated by his wife Lady Macbeth and three witches into becoming a villainous, depressive maniac haunted by the murder of Duncan. In fact Macbeth had as much right as Duncan to the throne and ruled successfully for 17 years. He was the first Scottish king to make a pilgrimage to Rome. He was generous friend of the church and is reported to have made this pilgrimage to Rome in 1050 where he gave money to the poor. In 1054 Macbeth’s forces were defeated at Dunsinane by a combined army of English, Norse and lowland Scots under Siward, Earl of Northumberland. Malcolm eldest son of Duncan was installed as ruler of Perth and Fife. In 1057 Macbeth was killed by Malcolm in battle at Lumphanan in Mar, Aberdeenshire. It is thought he was buried at Iona, the traditional resting place of the kings of the Scots. His stepson Lulach became briefly king. King Lulach of Scotland (1057 - 1058) ************************************* Name: King Lulach of Scotland Father: Gillacomgean, Mormaer of Moray Mother: Gruoch, daughter of Beoedh, son of Kenneth III House of: Dunkeld Born: c. 1029/32 Ascended to the throne: August 15, 1057 Crowned: August, 1057 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married: Finnghuala, daughter of Sinhill, Mormaer of Angus Children: one son and one daughter Died: March 17, 1058, killed at Essie in Strathbogie by his cousin and successor Malcolm III Buried at: Isle of Iona Succeeded by: his cousin Malcolm III Lulach (Lulach mac Gille Coemgáin), also know as Lulach ‘The Fool’, was the stepson of Macbeth and son of Macbeth’s wife Gruoch by her first husband Gillacomgean. Lulach was the first Scots king to be crowned at Scone, but was a weak ineffectual king. His reigned lasted barely 8 months before he was killed at Essie, Strathbogie, by his successor Malcolm III. King Malcolm III of Scotland (1058 - 1093) ****************************************** Name: King Malcolm III of Scotland Father: Duncan I, King of Scotland Mother: Sybilla of Northumbria Relation to Elizabeth II: 26th great-grandfather House of: Canmore Born: c. 1031 Ascended to the throne: March 17, 1058 Crowned: April 25, 1058 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married: (1) Ingibiorg, daughter of Finn Arnasson of Halland, c. 1059 (2) Margaret, daughter of Edward the Ætheling son of Edmund II of England, c. 1069 Children: Duncan II by Ingibiorg, 6 sons by Margaret including Edmund, Edgar, Alexander and David, 2 daughters Edith (later called Matilda) who married Henry I of England, and Mary mother of Matilda who married Stephen, King of England Died: November 13, 1093, in battle near Alnwick, Northumberland Buried at: Tynemouth, remains later removed to Dunfermline Abbey Succeeded by: his brother Donald II Malcolm (Máel Coluim mac Donnchada), son of Duncan I, was known as Malcolm Cenn Mor or Canmore (meaning Big or Great Head). He was the first of the House of Canmore having killed both Macbeth and his son Lulach in an English-sponsored attack, and was crowned at Scone in 1058. Peace with the North was achieved through Malcolm’s marriage with Ingibiorg, daughter of Thorfinn, Jarl of Orkney. Thorfinn’s sons fought alongside Harald Hardrada and Earl Tostig at Stamford Bridge near York where they were defeated by the English King Harold in 1066. Malcolm’s second wife was Margaret, grand daughter of Edmund King of England and daughter of Edgar the Ætheling who had been deposed by William I the Conqueror. She was a devoutly Christian woman who reformed the Celtic church through her familiarity with Roman Christian practices and was sanctified as St Margaret in 1250. Malcolm gave sanctuary to Saxons fleeing the advancing Normans following the victory of William I ‘The Conqueror’ at Hastings in 1066. Malcolm attacked Northumbria in 1070 and expanded his kingdom into Cumbria, but was swept aside by the forces of King William II as they marched into Scotland in 1072 and forced Malcolm to accept the Peace of Abernethy and become his vassal. William took his son Duncan and brother-in-law Edgar Ætheling back South into England as hostages. Malcolm launched another attack the following year but was killed in battle at Alnwick, Northumberland, and was buried at Tynemouth. King Donald III of Scotland (1093 - 1094) ***************************************** Name: King Donald III of Scotland Father: Duncan I, King of Scotland Mother: Sybilla of Northumbria Relation to Elizabeth II: 25th great-granduncle House of: Canmore Born: c. 1033 Ascended to the throne: November 13, 1093 Children: one or two daughters Died: 1099, in prison at Rescobie, Forfarshire Buried at: Dunkeld Abbey, remains later removed to Isle of Iona Succeeded by: his nephew Duncan II Donald (Domnall mac Donnchada) was a son of Duncan I and younger brother of Malcolm III. He was called Domnall Bán or Donald Bane (Donald the Fair or White). He was in exile at the time of his bother’s death and rushed to claim the throne. As he seized the throne from his brother Malcolm III he made the Anglo-Normans very unwelcome at his court. He was soon challenged by his nephew Duncan, son of Malcolm, and in 1094 was driven out by Duncan who was backed by the English King William II. However a few months later Duncan II as he was known was killed at the Battle of Monthechin, Kincardine, and Donald Bane returned as King. Donald jointly ruled with his nephew Edmund but both were deposed in 1097 by Edgar, another son of Malcolm, who had Donald blinded and imprisoned. Donald died a broken man in prison at Rescobie, Forfarshire, in 1099 King Duncan II of Scotland (1094) ********************************* Name: King Duncan II of Scotland Father: Malcolm III, King of Scotland Mother: Ingibiorg daughter of Earl of Orkney Relation to Elizabeth II: 25th great-granduncle House of: Canmore Born: c. 1060 Ascended to the throne: May, 1094 Married: Octreda of Northumbria Children: one son William Died: November 12, 1094, at the Battle of Monthechin, Kincardineshire Buried at: Dunfermline Abbey, Fife Succeeded by: Donald 3 (whom he had deposed) Duncan (Donnchad mac Maíl Coluim) was the son of Malcolm III and his first wife Ingioborg. In 1072 he had been sent to the court of William I as a hostage. With the help of an army supplied by William II (Rufus) he defeated his uncle Donald III Ban, who had usurped the throne and deposed him to become Duncan II. His reign was brief as Donald engineered his murder on 12 November 1094 at the Battle of Monthechin, Kincardine. King Edmund of Scotland with Donald III Ban (restored) (1094 - 1097) ******************************************************************* Name: King Edmund of Scotland Father: Malcolm III, King of Scotland Mother: Margaret, daughter of Edward the Ætheling son of Edmund II of England Relation to Elizabeth II: 25th great-granduncle House of: Canmore Ascended to the throne: November 12, 1094 Married: Did not marry Children: none, at Montacute Abbey, Somerset Succeeded by: his brother Edgar Edmund became joint ruler in 1094 with his half-brother Donald III (Donald Bane) after Donald regained the throne on the death of his nephew Duncan II. Edmund ruled South of the Forth, and Donald the North. He and Duncan were deposed by Edmund’s brother Edgar in 1097. Duncan was imprisoned In 1097 and blinded by another of his nephews, Edgar. A true Scottish nationalist, it is perhaps fitting that this would be the last king of the Scots who would be laid to rest by the Gaelic Monks at Iona. Edmund fled to England where he became a monk at Montecute Abbey, Somerset, where he died later. The date of his death is unknown. King Edgar of Scotland (1097 - 1107) ************************************ Name: King Edgar of Scotland Father: Malcolm III, King of Scotland Mother: Margaret, daughter of Edward the Ætheling son of Edmund II of England Relation to Elizabeth II: 25th great-granduncle House of: Canmore Born: c. 1072/74 Ascended to the throne: October, 1097 Married: Did not marry Children: none Died: January 8, 1107, in Dundee or at Edinburgh Castle Buried at: Dunfermline Abbey, Fife Succeeded by: his brother Alexander Edgar (Étgar mac Maíl Choluim) was the 3rd son of Malcolm III. In 1097 King William II of England helped Edgar depose his brothers Donald and Edmund from the Scottish throne. Edgar had taken refuge in England when his parents died in 1093. Following the death of his half-brother Duncan II, he became the Anglo-Norman candidate for the Scottish throne. His treaty with Magnus ‘Barefoot’ in 1098 allowed the Norse to regain many of the Western Isles. The marriage of his sister Edith to Henry I of England in 1100 brought peace and encouraged the settlement of Anglo Normans in the Scottish lowlands. Edgar moved the royal residence from Dunfermline to Edinburgh. He died unmarried and he was buried at Dunfermline Priory in Fife. His sister married Henry I in 1100. He was succeeded by his brothers Alexander and David. King Alexander I of Scotland (1107 - 1124) ****************************************** Name: King Alexander I of Scotland Father: Malcolm III, King of Scotland Mother: Margaret, daughter of Edward the Ætheling son of Edmund II of England Relation to Elizabeth II: 25th great-granduncle House of: Canmore Born: c. 1077/78 Ascended to the throne: January 8, 1107 Married: Sybilla, illegitimate daughter of Henry I of England, c. 1107 Children: none Died: April, 1124, at Stirling Castle Buried at: Dunfermline Abbey, Fife Succeeded by: his brother David Alexander (Alaxandair mac Maíl Coluim) was the 4th son of Malcolm III and his English wife St. Margaret. He succeeded to the throne on the death of his brother Edgar, and married Sybilla, an illegitimate daughter of Henry I of England, who himself had married Alexander’s sister Edith (Matilda). Sybilla was not well received by the Scots and said to ‘lack both beauty and modesty’. Alexander helped Henry I in his campaigns in Wales, and earned the name ‘The Fierce’ for the way in which he put down an uprising in Moray. He sought to continue the work of his mother Margaret and introduced English style reforms into the Church and reform of civil government introducing the offices of chancellor and sheriffs, building his new priory at Scone near Perth. The earliest known Scottish coins dated from his reign. He appointed his mother’s biographer Turgot as see to St Andrews which was influential in her eventual canonisation. He died without legitimate children and was buried in Dunfermline. He was succeeded by his brother David I. King David I of Scotland (1124 - 1153) ************************************** Name: King David I of Scotland Father: Malcolm III, King of Scotland Mother: Margaret, daughter of Edward the Ætheling son of Edmund II of England Relation to Elizabeth II: 25th great-grandfather House of: Canmore Born: c. 1080/85 Ascended to the throne: April, 1124 Married: Matilda, daughter of Waltheof, Earl of Huntingdon, 1113/14 Children: son Henry (died 1152) Died: May 24, 1153, at Carlisle, Cumbria Buried at: Dunfermline Abbey, Fife Succeeded by: his grandson Malcolm David (Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim) was the youngest son of Malcolm III and St. Margaret. A modernising king, responsible for transforming his kingdom largely by continuing the work of Anglicisation begun by his mother. He spent his early years in England at the courts of Henry I, and was made Prince of Cumbria by his brother Edgar. He also acquired large areas of lands in Huntingdon and Bedfordshire through his marriage to Matilda a great niece of William I of England. His impact on Scottish cultural development was considerable, and he is often known as David ‘The Saint’. He continued his brother’s introduction of reforms founding monasteries at Melrose and Holyrood, and founded royal burghs of Stirling, Perth, Dunfermline and Edinburgh. He introduced a feudal system and granted land to Anglo Norman incomers who soon anglicized the lowlands in Southern Scotland. Norman English became the dominant language of court while Gaelic was spoken in the Highlands and Norse in the far North and Isles. He was the first Scottish king to issue his own coins and he promoted the the development of towns at Edinburgh, Dunfermline, Perth, Stirling, Inverness and Aberdeen. By the end of his reign his lands extended over Newcastle and Carlisle. He was almost as rich and powerful as the king of England, and has attained an almost mythical status through a 'Davidian' revolution. David became involved in the struggle for succession in England, and supported the succession of Henry I’s daughter the Empress Matilda. When Stephen usurped her and became king, David invaded England taking Carlisle and Newcastle before being defeated in the battle of the Standard near Northallerton, Yorkshire, in 1138. However Stephen faced with his own struggles in England granted David control of Northumbria under the Treaty of Durham in 1139 and recognised him as king of an independent Scotland. His only son Henry died in 1152 leaving the succession to his young grandson Malcolm King Malcolm IV of Scotland (1153 - 1165) ***************************************** Name: King Malcolm IV of Scotland Father: Henry, Earl of Northumberland Mother: Ada de Warenne Relation to Elizabeth II: 23rd great-granduncle House of: Canmore Born: March 20, 1141 Ascended to the throne: May 24, 1153 aged 12 years Crowned: May/June, 1153 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married: Did not marry Children: none Died: December 9, 1165, at Jedburgh Castle, aged 24 years, 8 months, and 20 days Buried at: Dunfermline Abbey, Fife Succeeded by: his brother William Malcolm (Máel Coluim mac Eanric), son of Henry, Earl of Northumberland. His grandfather David I had persuaded the Scottish Chiefs to recognise Malcolm as his heir to the throne, and when Malcolm was 12 years old when he became King on the death of his grandfather. He did not marry and was named ’The Maiden’ after his vows of chastity. Henry II of England, sensing weakness in the boy king, reclaimed Northern England in the Treaty of Chester in 1157, and recognising 'that the King of England had a better argument by reason of his much greater power', Malcolm surrendered Cumbria and Northumbria to Henry II. Henry settled the Scottish border on a line between the Solway and the Tweed. Somerled ‘Lord of the Isles’ led an insurrection and established his own independent kingdom but was defeated at Renfrew in 1164. Malcolm died at Jedborough Castle in 1165, and was succeeded by his brother William. King William I (The Lion) of Scotland (1165 - 1214) *************************************************** Name: King William I (The Lion) of Scotland Father: Henry, Earl of Northumberland Mother: Ada de Warenne House of: Canmore Born: c. 1142/43 Ascended to the throne: December 9, 1165 Crowned: December 24, 1165 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married: Ermengarde, daughter of Constance illegitimate daughter of Henry I, September 5, 1186 Children: one son Alexander, 3 daughters and several illegitimate children Died: December 14, 1214, at Stirling Buried at: Arbroath Abbey Succeeded by: his son Alexander II William (Uilliam mac Eanric), Second son of Henry of Northumbria. He succeeded his brother Malcolm and was named ‘The Lion’. He had a long reign but for much of it was subjugated by the English kings. William tried to win back the lands in Northumbria which had been taken back by King Henry II of England and in 1174 invaded England, but was captured at Alnwick. He was led to Northampton with his feet tied beneath his horse and imprisoned at Falaise in Normandy. He was released, but under the Treaty of York in 1175 he was forced to accept Henry as overlord of Scotland. English troops were stationed in Scotland at Roxburgh, Berwick and Edinburgh castles, English garrisons were installed throughout Scotland and the Church of Scotland was made subject to the Church of England. In 1189 on the death of Henry, William bought back the sovereignty of Scotland for 10,000 marks from King Richard I who needed to finance his crusade to the Holy Land. While Richard was away William also paid a dowry to secure the marriage of his two daughters to sons of King John but the bargain was broken by the English King. Despite his dependence on the English William governed his kingdom well and William's reign witnessed the extension of royal authority northwards across the Moray Firth, extending the foundation of burghs and establishing the Scottish system of criminal justice. Arbroath Abbey was founded. William died at Stirling in 1214. King Alexander II of Scotland (1214 - 1249) ******************************************* Name: King Alexander II of Scotland Father: William the Lion Mother: Ermengarde de Beaumont House of: Canmore Born: August 24, 1198 at Haddington, East Lothian Ascended to the throne: December 2, 1214 aged 16 years Crowned: December 6, 1214 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married:(1) Joan, daughter of King John of England, June, 1221 Married:(2) Mary de Coucy, May 15, 1239 Children: son Alexander Died: July 6, 1249, on the Isle of Kerrara in bay of Oban, aged 50 years, 10 months, and 12 days Buried at: Melrose Abbey, Roxburghshire Succeeded by: his son Alexander III Alexander (Alaxandair mac Uilliam) was the son of William The Lion. He sought to win back Scottish independence and laid claim to Cumbria and Northumberland in Northern England. He enraged King John of England who tried to smoke out ‘the little fox cub from his den’ (referring to his red hair) by burning Berwick. With the Anglo-Scottish agreement of 1217, he established a peace between the two kingdoms that would last for 80 years. Alexander encouraged Prince Louis of France claimant to the English throne to land in England. However when John died in 1216, Louis returned home and Alexander was forced to make peace with Henry III signing a peace treaty in 1217. Alexander’s expansion into England was abandoned and he cemented his ties with England by marrying Joan daughter of King John in return for some of the dowry that had been paid by his father. Renouncing his ancestral claim to Northumbria, the Anglo-Scottish border was finally established by the Tweed-Solway line. He suppressed insurrection in Moray, Galloway gradually extending the power of the crown by expanding trade and wealth. The Western Isles were still under Norse control, but leading an expedition there in 1249 Alexander died of a fever on the island of Kerrera in Oban bay. King Alexander III of Scotland (1249 - 1286) ******************************************** Name: King Alexander III of Scotland Father: Alexander II, King of Scotland Mother: Mary de Coucy House of: Canmore Born: September 4, 1241 at Roxburgh Ascended to the throne: July 8, 1249 aged 7 years Crowned: July 13, 1249 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married:(1) Margaret, daughter of Henry III of England, December 26, 1251 Married:(2) Yolande or Joletta, daughter of Robert IV, Count of Dreux, November 1, 1285 Children: Margaret (married Eric II King of Norway), Alexander, David Died: March 19, 1286, killed when his horse plunged over a cliff between Burntisland and Kinghorn, aged 44 years, 6 months, and 13 days Buried at: Dunfermline Abbey, Fife Succeeded by: Interregnum Alexander III (Alaxandair mac Alaxandair) was the son of Alexander II and a boy when his father unexpectedly died. He was married to Margaret, daughter of Henry III of England in 1251, when he was just 10 years old. His minority years were dominated by infighting between Comyn and Durward families. In 1259 Alexander assumed power and was determined to complete his father’s quest to conquer the Western Isles. Sending an army to attack the Norse in the Hebrides he provoked a Norwegian response Oct. 1263 when King Haakon sailed his fleet to the west coast port of Largs. The battle was inconclusive but Haakon died on Orkney. Following the Battle of Largs against King Haakon of Norway, Alexander secured the western Highlands and Islands for the Scottish Crown three years later at the Treaty of Perth. Relations with Norway improved when Alexander’s daughter married Haakon’s grandson Eric. Alexander maintained good and peaceful relations with his English in-laws. Scotland’s prosperity grew during his reign and with it a sense of unity of the Scottish nation. This was threatened by the death of Alexander’s wife and son, and Alexander gained acceptance that his granddaughter Margaret should succeed him. He took a new wife Yolande but died in an accident when he was thrown from his horse during a stormy night while journeying to see her across the Forth from Edinburgh to Kinghorn in Fife. Succession passed to his infant grand daughter Margaret of Norway. Margaret , Maid of Norway (1286 - 1290) *************************************** Name: Margaret , Maid of Norway Father: Eric II, King of Norway Mother: Margaret, daughter of Alexander III House of: Canmore Born: April 9, 1283 at Tonsberg, Norway Ascended to the throne: March 19, 1286 aged 2 years Crowned: Not crowned Married: Did not marry Died: September 1290, on board ship passing by the Orkneys, aged 7 years, 4 months, and 23 days Buried at: Bergen, Norway Succeeded by: John Balliol The only child of King Eric of Norway and Margaret, daughter of Alexander III, Margaret (Maighread) known as ‘The Maid of Norway’ was just 2 years old when her grandfather Alexander died in 1286 and she succeeded to the title of Queen of Scotland. She was born in Norway and had never actually set foot in Scotland. A betrothal was negotiated in 1290 with King Edward I that she would marry his young son the future Edward II. In September she sailed from Norway but never arrived, she saw neither kingdom nor husband as she died aged 7 at Kirkwall on Orkney in September 1290. Her death caused the most serious crisis in Anglo-Scottish relations for her death left turmoil as there was no clear successor to the Scottish throne. English domination King John Balliol of Scotland (1292 - 1296) ******************************************* Name: King John Balliol of Scotland Father: John Balliol Mother: Devorguilla of Galloway House of: Balliol Born: c. 1240 at Barnard Castle Ascended to the throne: November 17,1292 Crowned: November 30, 1292 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married: Isabella, daughter of John de Warenne, 1281 Died: 1313/14, in Normandy Buried at: Church of St Waast, Normandy Succeeded by: Interregnum The death of Margaret left no clear successor and the Scottish throne without a monarch for two years. King Edward I of England called a series of meetings of with claimants who included illegitimate offspring of William The Lion and three descendants of David of Huntingdon the younger brother of Malcolm IV – John Balliol, John Hastings and Robert de Bruce (father of Robert The Bruce). No fewer than 13 'competitors', or claimants eventually emerged. They agreed to recognise Edward I's overlord-ship and to abide by his arbitration. Edward decided in favour of Balliol, who did have a strong claim with links back to William the Lion. Thus John Balliol was crowned king at Scone in 1292. However he endured a short but difficult reign caught between the English King and the Scottish nobles who humiliated him. He was called Toom Tabbard (‘Empty Coat’). The Scots took power into their own hands and in 1295 allied with Philip of France. Edward's obvious manipulation of Balliol led the Scottish nobles to set up a Council of 12 in July 1295, as well as agreeing to the alliance with the King of France. This precipitated a clash with Edward who invaded Scotland in 1296 and stripped John Balliol of his power. He removed the Stone of Scone to Westminster where it remained for 700 years until 1996. After defeating Balliol at the Battle of Dunbar Edward imprisoned him in the Tower of London, but Balliol was was eventually released into papal custody in 1299 to go into retirement in Normandy where he died around 1313/14. ********************************************* 1296 -1306: annexed to England The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of Scotland in 1296, and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328. The Second War (1332–1357) began with the English-supported invasion by Edward Balliol and the "Disinherited" in 1332, and ended in 1357 with the signing of the Treaty of Berwick. The wars were part of a great national crisis for Scotland and the period became one of the most defining times in the nation's history. At the end of both wars, Scotland retained its status as an independent nation. House of Bruce King Robert the Bruce of Scotland (1306 - 1329) *********************************************** Name: King Robert the Bruce of Scotland Father: Robert de Brus Mother: Marjory Countess of Carrick Relation to Elizabeth II: 19th great-grandfather House of: Bruce Born: July 11, 1274 at Turnberry Castle, Ayrshire Ascended to the throne: February 10, 1306 aged 31 years Crowned: March 27, 1306 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married:(1) Isabella of Mar, 1295 Married:(2) Elizabeth de Burgh, 1302 Children: Marjorie, David, John, Matlida, Margaret plus several illegitimate Died: June 7, 1329, at Cardross, Dumbartonshire, aged 54 years, 10 months, and 26 days Buried at: Dunfermline Abbey (body) and Melrose Abbey (heart) Succeeded by: his son David After Balliol’s abdication in 1296 Scotland was without a monarch for 10 years and ruled remotely by King Edward I of England. Scots national resistance developed into a war of independence in which William Wallace and then Robert Bruce played a leading role. Wallace won a victory over the English at Stirling Bridge in 1297 and proclaimed himself Guardian of Scotland. The following year Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated William Wallace at Falkirk. Wallace went underground but was captured and in 1305, tried and hung in London. In 1298 Robert Bruce took over the title of Guardian of Scotland and, In 1306 at Greyfriars Church in Dumfries, he murdered his only possible rival for the throne, John Comyn. Having killed his rival John Comyn, Robert claimed the Scottish throne as the great-great grandson of David I and in 1306 had himself crowned king at Scone as Robert I. He was excommunicated for this sacrilege, but was still crowned King of the Scots just a few months later. Robert was defeated in his first two battles against the English and became a fugitive, hunted by both Comyn's friends and the English. Whilst hiding in a room he is said to have watched a spider swing from one rafter to another, in an attempt to anchor it's web. It failed six times, but at the seventh attempt, succeeded. Bruce took this to be an omen and resolved to struggle on. Independence was made easier by the death of Edward I as he set out to claim back Scotland. Bruce set about removing the English from Scotland and by early 1314 Stirling was the only castle in English hands. An English army sent to break the siege was routed by Bruce’s smaller Scottish force at Bannockburn in June 1314. Six years later in 1320 Bruce and the Scottish nobles issued the Declaration of Arbroath asserting Scottish Independence: ‘For as long as one hundred of us shall remain alive we shall never in any wise consent to submit to the rule of the English, for it is not for glory that we fight ... ... but for freedom alone’ However, a truce with Edward II of England failed to stop hostilities which continued until Edward II was deposed in 1327. The Treaty of Edinburgh between Robert I and Edward III in 1328 recognised Scotland's independence, ending the 30 years of Wars of Independence. Edward agreed to the marriage of Robert Bruce’s son David to his younger sister Joan daughter of Edward II. Robert Bruce died at his house in Cardross a year later of a serious illness described by some as leprosy. *************************************** The Second War of Scottish Independence (1332–1357) began with the English-supported invasion by Edward Balliol and the "Disinherited" in 1332, and ended in 1357 with the signing of the Treaty of Berwick. The Independence wars were part of a great national crisis for Scotland and the period became one of the most defining times in the nation's history. At the end of both wars, Scotland retained its status as an independent nation. King David II of Scotland (1329 - 1371) *************************************** Name: King David II of Scotland Father: Robert I, The Bruce Mother: Elizabeth de Burgh Relation to Elizabeth II: 18th great-granduncle House of: Bruce Born: March 5, 1324 at Dunfermline, Fife Ascended to the throne: June 7, 1329 aged 5 years Crowned: November 24, 1331 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married:(1) Joan of England, July 17, 1328 Married:(2) Margaret Drummond, February 20, 1364 Children: none Died: February 22, 1371, at Edinburgh Castle, aged 46 years, 11 months, and 18 days Buried at: Holyrood Abbey Succeeded by: his nephew Robert II The only surviving legitimate son of Robert Bruce, David succeeded his father when only 5 years of age. David was married at the age of 4 to Joan the 7 year old daughter of Edward II. He succeeded to the throne the following year on the death of his father Robert I and was crowned at Scone in 1331. Whether he would be able to keep the crown was another matter, faced with the combined hostilities of John Balliol and the 'Disinherited', those Scottish landowners that Robert Bruce had disinherited following his victory at Bannockburn. The regency was in the hands of Thomas Randolph of Moray until he and David were overthrown in 1332 by Edward Balliol (son of John Balliol) at the Battle of Dupplin Moor near Perth. David was restored to the throne the following year but again overthrown when Balliol returned with Edward III and defeated the Scots at Halidon hill. David and Joan fled to France where they were guests of King Phillip VI. In 1341 the Scottish nobles under Robert Stewart gained the upper hand and David and Joan were able to return to Scotland and were restored to the throne. Five years later in 1346 David attacked England in support of France whilst Edward III was otherwise occupied with the siege of Calais. His army was intercepted by forces raised by the Archbishop of York. The Scots were defeated at Nevillie’s Cross near Durham where David was injured and taken prisoner. He was held captive in England for 11 years until 1357 when under the Treaty of Berwick he was allowed to return to Scotland for a ransom of 100,000 marks - ‘A King’s Ransom’ - the full amount was never paid. Queen Joan died in 1362, and David married Margaret Drummond but there were no children from either marriage. David died unexpectedly and without an heir, while trying to divorce Margaret Drummond in order to marry his latest mistress. David was succeeded by his nephew Robert II. House of Stuart (Stewart) King Robert II of Scotland (1371 - 1390) **************************************** Name: King Robert II of Scotland Father: Walter Stewart Mother: Marjorie daughter of Robert Bruce Relation to Elizabeth II: 17th great-grandfather House of: Stewart Born: March 2, 1316 at Paisley Ascended to the throne: February 22, 1371 aged 54 years Crowned: March 26, 1371 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married:(1) Elizabeth Mure, 1336 Married:(2) Euphemia of Moray, 1355 Children: 10 by Elizabeth Mure including John (Robert III), 4 by Euphemia and several illegitimate. Died: April 19, 1390, at Dundonald Castle, Ayrshire, aged 74 years, 1 month, and 17 days Buried at: Scone Abbey Succeeded by: his son John who took the name Robert III Robert was the son of Walter the Steward and Marjory, daughter of Robert Bruce, and a grandson of Robert Bruce, and thus the first in the House of Stewart dynasty. The name came from his ancestor Walter Stewart who was appointed High Steward of Scotland by David I. He had escaped following the defeat of David II at Halidon Hill in 1333 and took over as Guardian of Scotland while David was in exile in France. Robert was recognised the heir presumptive in 1318, but the birth of David II meant that he had to wait 50 years before he could become the first Stewart king at the age of 54. He was a mature man of 54 when he succeeded to the throne on the death of David, but he was weak king and did not rule well over the nobles who were critical of him leading to a loss of prestige of the crown. A poor and ineffective ruler with little interest in soldiering, he delegated responsibility for law and order to his sons. Meanwhile he resumed to his duties of producing heirs, fathering at least 21 children. His heir John took over the rule to attempt to restore law and order. A truce with England in 1384 was short lived, and the border wars continued. In 1388 the Scots under James Douglas won a victory at Otterburn near Newcastle over Henry Percy ‘Hotspur’ of Northumberland. Robert had 14 legitimate children and at least 7 illegitimate. He was succeeded by his son John who took the name Robert III. King Robert III of Scotland (1390 - 1406) ***************************************** Name: King Robert III of Scotland Father: Robert II, King of Scotland Mother: Elizabeth Mure Relation to Elizabeth II: 16th great-grandfather House of: Stewart Born: 1337 Ascended to the throne: April 19, 1390 Crowned: August 14, 1390 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married: Annabella Drummond, 1366/7 Children: 3 sons and 4 daughters Died: April 4, 1406, at Dundonald Castle, Ayrshire Buried at: Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire Succeeded by: his son James I Son of Robert II, upon succeeding to the throne he decided to take the name Robert rather than his given name John because John was considered a bad omen after the hated John Balliol. As a Scots King, Robert III appears to have been as ineffective as his father Robert II, he was timid, retiring and badly injured following a kick from a horse. He told is Queen that he was ‘the worst of kings and most miserable of men’. The reign was beset by problems including rivalry between the Highlanders, his brothers and the lords of the isles. His brother Robert Duke of Albany may have been responsible for the death of Robert III’s son David. In 1402 the forces Henry IV of England invaded the lowlands and following two defeats of the Scots briefly occupied Edinburgh. Robert sent his 10 year old 2nd son James to France in 1406 for safety but he was captured at sea during the journey and taken prisoner by the English and imprisoned in the Tower of London. The news of his son’s capture was said to have hastened the death of Robert who died the following month and, according to one source, asked to be buried in a midden (dunghill) as 'the worst of kings and most wretched of men'. King James I of Scotland (1406 - 1437) ************************************** Name: King James I of Scotland Father: Robert III, King of Scotland Mother: Annabella Drummond Relation to Elizabeth II: 15th great-grandfather House of: Stewart Born: July 25, 1394 at Dunfermline, Fife Ascended to the throne: April 4, 1406 aged 11 years Crowned: May 2 or 21, 1424 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married: Joan Beaufort, February 13, 1424 Children: 2 sons and 6 daughters Died: February 21, 1437, assassinated in the Monastery of Friars Preachers, Perth, aged 42 years, 6 months, and 27 days Buried at: Perth Succeeded by: his son James II James was prisoner in England for nearly 20 years in the Tower of London. He succeeded to the crown on the death of his father in 1406, but it was not until 1423 that his release was secured. A ransom treaty of £40,000 sterling (less a dowry remittance of 10,000 marks) was agreed at Durham on 28 March 1424 to which James attached his own seal and later in may 1424 he was crowned at Scone. In his absence his uncle Robert of Albany ruled Scotland and had done little to secure James’ release hoping that he or his son Murdoch would assume the throne. James was 30 when he took over as king. He set about restoring the prestige of the monarchy and forfeited the lands of the rebellious nobles including the Dukes of Albany. He was a strong leader and introduced social and economic legislation and founded the Scottish Court of Session. On his return to Scotland, he spent much of his time raising the money to pay off his ransom by imposing taxes and confiscating estates from nobles and clan chiefs. Needless to say, such actions made him few friends and in 1427 he defaulted on payments of his ransom. He had begun spending large sums on Linlithgow palace and luxuries for the court which caused discontent among the nobles. In 1437 some supporters of Walter Lord of Atholl and son of Robert III’s second marriage, attacked and killed James in the Dominican Monastery in Perth. King James II of Scotland (1437 - 1460) *************************************** Name: King James II of Scotland Father: James I, King of Scotland Mother: Joan Beaufort Relation to Elizabeth II: 14th great-grandfather House of: Stewart Born: Oct 16, 1430 at Holyrood Ascended to the throne: February 21, 1437 aged 6 years Crowned: March 25, 1437 at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh Married: Mary of Gueldres, July 3, 1449 Children: 4 sons & 2 daughters Died: August 3, 1460, killed in a cannon explosion at the siege of Roxburgh, aged 29 years, 9 months, and 17 days Buried at: Holyrood abbey, Edinburgh Succeeded by: his son James III James II, although king since the murder of his father when he was 7, it was only following his marriage to Mary of Guelders that he actually assumed control. He was nicknamed ‘Fiery Face’ after a large birthmark on his face. He was crowned at Holyrood Abbey ending the tradition since Kenneth MacAlpin of crowning at Scone. An aggressive and warlike king, he appears to have taken particular exception to the Livingstons and Black Douglases. During his minority three rival families, William Crichton of Edinburgh, Alexander Livingstone of Stirling and William Douglas, fought for control. When James took over power of king he had Livingstone arrested, and is said to have personally killed William Earl of Douglas when he invited him in February 1452 for negotiations at Stirling castle. Having taken control of the warring factions, James created new earldoms and set about organising central government and introduced central taxation. The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451. He successfully played the Lancastrians and Yorkists in England against each other, and in 1460 besieged Roxburgh with a large army and iron cannons newly imported from Flanders. Fascinated by those new-fangled firearms, he was blown up and killed by one of his own siege guns whilst besieging Roxburgh. King James III of Scotland (1460 - 1488) **************************************** Name: King James III of Scotland Father: James II, King of Scotland Mother: Mary of Gueldes Relation to Elizabeth II: 13th great-grandfather House of: Stewart Born: May, 1452 at Either St Andrews, Fife, or Stirling Castle Ascended to the throne: August 3, 1460 aged 8 years Crowned: August 10, 1460 at Kelso Abbey Married: Margaret of Denmark, July 13, 1469 Children: 3 sons Died: June 11, 1488, assassinated at Milltown near Bannockburn, aged 36 years, 1 month, and 10 days Buried at: Cambushkenneth Abbey, Stirlingshire Succeeded by: his son James IV James III was 8 years old when he became king on the death of his father and was crowned at Kelso. His mother Marie of Gueldes ruled in his minority until her death in 1463. He married Margaret of Denmark under whose dowry Orkney and Shetland were ceded from Danish rule to Scotland. James also had several intimately close male friends... James was weak and unpopular. He faced several challenges including being kidnapped at the age of around 14 years; upon his return to power, he proclaimed his abductors, the Boyds, traitors. The Boyds of Kilmarnock were eventually exiled to Holland, and his brothers Alexander of Albany and John Earl of Mar he also had arrested in 1479 on charges of treason. Mar died in suspicious circumstances but Albany escaped from Edinburgh castle to England. With support from Edward IV of England, Albany twice invaded Scotland however the expeditions turned into a farce and Albany was exiled to France. James further attempts to make peace with the English by marrying his sister off to an English noble was somewhat scuppered when she was found to be already pregnant. Berwick was finally ceded to the English having changed hands many times over the previous centuries. The Scottish nobles became increasingly disaffected by James’ weakness and bisexuality, and when he conferred an earldom on his boyfriend John Ramsay they called for James’ 15 year old son James to be proclaimed king. Those who remained faithful to James III were routed at Sauchieburn near Bannockburn and James fled to Milltown where he was fatally stabbed on 11 June 1488 by a man dressed as a priest. King James IV of Scotland (1488 - 1513) *************************************** Name: King James IV of Scotland Father: James III, King of Scotland Mother: Margaret of Denmark Relation to Elizabeth II: 12th great-grandfather House of: Stewart Born: March 17, 1473 Ascended to the throne: June 11, 1488 aged 15 years Crowned: June 26, 1488 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married: Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England, August 8, 1503 Children: 4 sons and 2 daughters (died young) and several illegitimate children Died: September 9, 1513, killed at Battle of Flodden Field, Northumberland, aged 40 years, 5 months, and 22 days Buried at: Body taken to London, possibly buried at Sheen Abbey, Surrey, or at the Church of St Michael, London. Succeeded by: his son James V James IV was 15 when his father was assassinated. The son of James III and Margaret of Denmark, he had grown up in the care of his mother at Stirling Castle. For his part in his father's murder by the Scottish nobility at the Battle of Sauchieburn, he wore an iron belt next to skin as penitence for the rest of his life. James was a Renaissance King who spoke several languages including Gaelic, English and French and was keen on arts and learning. Aberdeen University was founded, the printing press came to Scotland and education was made compulsory for barons and wealthy landowners. He spent lavishly on the court and built new halls in Edinburgh and Stirling castles. To protect his borders he spent lavish sums on artillery and his navy. James led expeditions into the Highlands to assert royal authority and developed Edinburgh as his royal capital. Edinburgh became main burgh and centre of government and justice. He successfully settled major feuds between his nobles and between the Highland clans, and ended the hold of the MacDonald who had semi-independently ruled the Western Isles. He supported the Yorkist pretender Perkin Warbeck which provoked a military response from his Henry VII of England. However this was patched up in a truce ‘of perpetual peace‘ in 1502, and his marriage to Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, in the following year was to ultimately bring the thrones of Scotland and England together a century later. By 1513 Henry VIII was on the throne of England and fighting in France. Encouraged by Louis XII of France under the ‘Auld Alliance’ James invaded England but the Scots were massacred by the English forces under the Earl of Surrey at the Battle of Flodden Field in Northumberland on 9 September 1513. James was defeated and killed at Flodden, along with most of the leaders of Scottish society and his body was taken to London where its fate is uncertain. King James V of Scotland (1513 - 1542) ************************************** Name: King James V of Scotland Father: James IV, King of Scotland Mother: Margaret Tudor Relation to Elizabeth II: 11th great-grandfather House of: Stewart Born: April 10, 1512 at Linlithgow Palace Ascended to the throne: September 9, 1513 aged 1 years Crowned: September 21, 1513 at Stirling Castle Married:(1) Madeleine de Valois, January 1, 1537 Married:(2) Mary of Guise, June 12, 1538 Children: 2 sons (died as infants), daughter Mary and several illegitimate Died: December 14, 1542, at Falkland Palace, Fife, aged 30 years, 8 months, and 4 days Buried at: Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh Succeeded by: his daughter Mary James V was just over 1 year old when his father was killed at Flodden field and he inherited the throne. Once again the Scottish nobles fought for power during the King’s period of infancy and James's early years were dominated by struggles between his English mother, Margaret Tudor and the Scottish nobles. Albany returned from exile and was offered power but was vigorously opposed by James’ mother Margaret and her second husband Douglas Earl of Angus who took control and held James a virtual prisoner. Although king in name, James did not really start to gain control and rule the country until 1528. When he escaped from his step father’s authority, James ruled with authority but was sympathetic to the needs of the poor of Scotland. He slowly began to rebuild the shattered finances of the Crown, largely enriching the funds of the monarchy at the expense of the Church He is said to have like travelling incognito in his kingdom disguised as the ‘Gudeman (farmer) o’Ballengeich’. He brought the Borders under control and the Highlands and islands. It was a time of the rise of Protestantism in Europe and England, but James did not tolerate ‘heresy’ and strongly supported the Catholic Church. Patrick Hamilton a leading Protestant reformer was burned at the stake in St Andrews in 1528. James twice married French women - Madeleine de Valois daughter of King Francis of France who brought a large dowry but she was of frail health and died a few months later, and secondarily Mary of Guise mother of Mary who was to become Queen of Scots. The death of his mother Margaret Tudor removed his allegiance to England, and Anglo-Scottish relationships once again descended into war when James failed to turn up for a scheduled meeting with Henry VIII at York in 1542. James mobilised his army and prepared to invade England but was defeated at Solway Moss on the Scottish borders in 1542. The news of the defeat is said to have devastated him and James apparently died of a nervous breakdown after hearing of the defeat of his forces following the Battle of Solway Moss, just 6 days after his daughter Mary was born. Mary Queen of Scots (1542 - 1567) ********************************* Name: Mary Queen of Scots Father: James V King of Scotland Mother: Mary of Guise Relation to Elizabeth II: 10th great grandmother House of: Stewart Born: December 7, 1542 at Linlithgow Palace Ascended to the throne: December 14, 1542 aged 7 days Crowned: September 9, 1543 at Stirling Castle Married:(1) Francis II King of France, April 24, 1558 Married:(2) Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley , July 29, 1565 Married:(3) James, Earl Bothwell, May 15, 1567 Children: James VI (James I of England) Died: February 8, 1587, executed at Fotheringhay Castle, Northants, aged 44 years, 2 months, and 2 days Buried at: Peterborough Cathedral, removed to Westminster Abbey in 1612 Succeeded by: her son James VI (James I of England) Mary Queen of Scots daughter of James V of Scotland was born at Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian, Scotland, on 8 December 1542, and became Queen of Scots when she was six days old. She was first promised as a wife to Henry VIIIs son Edward who was born in 1553, but no sooner had the treaty been arranged than Catholic Scottish nobles opposed the plan and she was betrothed to the Dauphin, Francis, son of Henry II King of France. They were married in Paris on 24 April 1558, and Francis became King of France in 1559 but his reign was brief as he died the following year In 1561, after he died still in his teens, Mary returned to Scotland, which, although she was Catholic, had officially become protestant following the religious reforms of John Knox. She ruled successfully but extravagantly with her French styled court frowned upon by the Calvinist Scottish nobility. At this time Scotland was in the throes of the Reformation and a widening Protestant-Catholic split. A Protestant husband for Mary seemed the best chance for stability. In 1565 Mary married her second cousin Henry Lord Darnley, but he was used by her enemies against her. Her secretary David Riccio was murdered when he burst into her chamber with a group of conspirators. Mary and Darnley’s son James was born in June 1566, but their marriage was turbulent and he was found murdered at Kirk o’Field near Edinburgh on 10 February 1567. She was generally believed to be behind the crime. Her son, the future King James VI, was baptised into the Catholic faith at Stirling Castle. This caused alarm amongst the Protestants. Darnley later died in mysterious circumstances. Mary sought comfort in James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, and rumours abounded that she was pregnant by him. Her subsequent marriage to Earl Bothwell, who was possibly Darnley’s murderer, brought conflict with the Scottish nobles who imprisoned her in Lochleven Castle where she was forced to renounce the throne to her infant son James VI. Mary escaped from Lochleven, but was defeated near Glasgow at the battle of Langside in 1568. She fled South to England where she believed that Queen Elizabeth I of England would support her restoration. However, many Roman Catholic plots against Queen Elizabeth led Elizabeth's ministers to demand Mary's execution: 'so long as there is life in her, there is hope; so as they live in hope, we live in fear'. Elizabeth was reluctant to sign the death warrant, but Mary was executed at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire on 8 February 1587, at the age of 44. She was buried in Peterborough Cathedral. In 1612 her son by then James I of England and James VI of Scotland had her body exhumed and placed in the vault of King Henry VII's Chapel in Westminster Abbey. King James VI of Scotland (1567 - 1625) *************************************** Name: King James VI of Scotland Father: Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley Mother: Mary Queen of Scots Relation to Elizabeth II: 9th great-grandfather House of: Stuart Born: June 19, 1566 at Edinburgh Castle Ascended to the throne: July 24, 1567 aged 1 years Crowned: July 29, 1567 at Church of Holy Rude, Stirling, and King of England on July 25, 1603 at Westminster Abbey Married: Anne of Denmark, November 24, 1589 Children: Three sons and five daughters, of whom three survived infancy; Henry, Elizabeth and Charles Died: March 27, 1625, at Theobalds Park, Hertfordshire, aged 58 years, 9 months, and 7 days Buried at: Westminster Abbey, London Succeeded by: his son Charles King of Scotland from 1567 and England (as James I) from 1603. Became king aged just 13 months following the abdication of his mother. The son of Mary Queen of Scots and her second husband, Lord Darnley, he succeeded to the Scottish throne on the enforced abdication of his mother and assumed power in 1583. By his late teens he was already beginning to demonstrate political intelligence and diplomacy in order to control government. He established a strong centralized authority, and in 1589 married Anne of Denmark (1574–1619). As the successor to Elizabeth I in England, he alienated the Puritans by his High Church views and Parliament by his assertion of divine right, and was generally unpopular because of his favourites, such as Buckingham, and his schemes for an alliance with Spain. He was succeeded by his son Charles I. As king of Scotland, he curbed the power of the nobility, although his attempts to limit the authority of the Kirk (Church of Scotland) were less successful. Upon his accession to the English throne on the death of Elizabeth I, James acted mainly upon the advice of Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, but on the latter's death all restraint vanished. His religious policy consisted of asserting the supreme authority of the crown and suppressing both Puritans and Catholics who objected. The preparation of the Authorized Version of the Bible in English, published in 1611, was ordered by James. He thwarted Guy Fawkes's plot to blow up Parliament during its opening in 1605. The gunpowder plot, with its anti-Catholic reaction, gave James a temporary popularity which soon dissipated. His foreign policy, aimed primarily at achieving closer relations with Spain, was also disliked. James's childhood and adolescence were unhappy, abnormal, and precarious; he had various guardians, whose treatment of him differed widely. His education, although thorough, was weighted with Presbyterian and Calvinist political doctrine, and his character – highly intelligent and sensitive, but also fundamentally shallow, vain, and exhibitionist – reacted violently to this. His political philosophy turned to the theory of the divine right of kings, in striking contrast to the practical experiences of his childhood. He also sought solace with extravagant and unsavoury male favourites who, in later years, were to have a damaging effect on his prestige and state affairs. His economic opportunism, with its disastrous effects on commerce, alienated city interests. Puritan influence and political awareness were increasing fast among the rural landowners, whose influence James never appreciated. His willingness to compromise politically, even while continuing to talk in terms of absolutism, largely accounts for the superficial stability of his reign. However, the effects of many of his actions were long term, becoming fully obvious only after his death. The marriage of James's daughter Elizabeth to Frederic V, Elector Palatine and King of Bohemia, was to result in the eventual Hanoverian succession to the British throne. 1603: Union of the crowns of Scotland and England.