by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2017

James IV, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

James IV, King of Scots was the eldest of the three sons of James III, King of Scots and Margaret of Denmark. He was born on March 17, 1473, probably at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland. At his birth, he was the heir apparent to the throne of Scotland and became Duke of Rothesay and Prince and Steward of Scotland.  James had two younger brothers

• James Stewart, Duke of Ross (1476 – 1504), unmarried
• John Stewart, Earl of Mar (1479 – 1503), unmarried

James IV’s father, James III, King of Scots, was not a popular king and faced two major rebellions during his reign. The final rebellion occurred in 1488.  Disgruntled nobles set up an army, with the young James as its nominal head, to overthrow the hated king. On June 11, 1488, James III was killed in the Battle of Sauchieburn.  James III’s 15-year-old eldest son succeeded to the throne as James IV, King of Scots. James IV was crowned at Scone Abbey on June 24, 1488, by William Scheves, Archbishop of St. Andrews.  Throughout his reign, James IV wore a heavy iron chain around his waist as penance for his role in his father’s death.

James IV secured his position as king by allowing the rebel lords to have power in the government. He quickly proved an effective ruler and a wise king. James IV defeated another rebellion in 1489, took a direct interest in the administration of justice, and finally brought the Lord of the Isles under control in 1493. For a time, he supported Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the English throne, and carried out a brief invasion of England on his behalf in September 1496. James IV saw the importance of building a fleet that could provide Scotland with a strong maritime presence. He founded two new dockyards for this purpose and acquired a total of 38 ships for the Royal Scots Navy.

James IV was the last Scottish monarch to speak fluent Gaelic. He was well educated and was said to have spoken ten languages fluently: Scots, English, Gaelic, Latin, French, German, Italian, Flemish, Spanish, and Danish. His interest in Gaelic culture was shown by the fact that he often invited bards and musicians from the Scottish Highlands to the court. His court became a center of art and culture, where Latin and Scottish literature were specifically promoted.

In 1474, James IV had been betrothed to Cecily of York, a daughter of King Edward IV of England. The marriage never occurred but an interest in an English marriage remained. On January 24, 1502, England and Scotland concluded the Treaty of Perpetual Peace, agreeing to end the warfare between England and Scotland that had occurred over the previous two hundred years. As part of the treaty, a marriage was arranged between 28-year-old King James IV of Scotland and twelve-year-old Margaret Tudor, the eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch, and Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV of England.

A proxy marriage was held on January 25, 1503, at Richmond Palace in England with Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell standing in for King James IV. Margaret was exactly the same age as her paternal grandmother Margaret Beaufort had been when she married Edmund Tudor. Margaret Beaufort was determined that her granddaughter not consummate her marriage at such an early age and insisted that Margaret must remain in England until she was older. After the proxy marriage, Margaret was officially Queen of Scotland and received the precedence and honor due to a Queen.

King James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1503, just a few months after the childbirth death of her mother Elizabeth of York, Margaret left London with her father to make the journey to Scotland. Her formal court farewell was held at her paternal grandmother’s home Collyweston Palace near Stamford, Northamptonshire, England. After two weeks of celebrations, Margaret rode out to her new life with only one relative, Sir David Owen, the illegitimate son of her great-grandfather Owen Tudor. On August 3, 1503, at Dalkeith Castle in Midlothian, Scotland, Margaret first met King James IV. The couple was married in person on August 8, 1503, at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Margaret and James had four sons and two stillborn daughters. Only one of their children survived infancy.

• James, Duke of Rothesay (1507 – 1508)
• Stillborn daughter (1508)
• Arthur, Duke of Rothesay (1509 – 1510)
• James V, King of Scots (1512 – 1542), married (1) Madeleine of Valois, no issue; married (2) Mary of Guise, had issue including his successor Mary, Queen of Scots
• Stillborn daughter (1512)
• Alexander, Duke of Ross (1514 – 1515)

Margaret and James IV’s only surviving child King James V of Scotland by Corneille de Lyon, circa 1536; Credit  – Wikipedia

James IV also had several illegitimate children. Five are known to have reached adulthood:

With Margaret Boyd:

• Alexander Stewart, Archbishop of St Andrews (c. 1493 – 1513), died at the Battle of Flodden
• Catherine Stewart (c. 1495 – 1554), married James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton, had three daughters

With Lady Margaret Drummond:

• Margaret Stewart (born c. 1497), married (1) John Gordon, Lord Gordon  (2) Sir John Drummond.

With Janet Kennedy:

• James Stewart, Earl of Moray (circa 1500 – 1544), married Lady Elizabeth Campbell, had one daughter

With Isabel Stewart, daughter of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan:

• Lady Janet Stewart (1502 – 1562), married Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming, had eight children including Mary Fleming, one of Mary, Queen of Scots’ “Four Marys”.

In 1509, Margaret’s father King Henry VII of England died and was succeeded by his son King Henry VIII. Despite the great hopes of peace between England and Scotland as symbolized by the marriage of Margaret and James IV, Margaret’s brother Henry VIII did not have his father’s diplomatic patience and was heading toward a war with France. James IV was committed to his alliance with France and invaded England. Henry VIII was away on campaign in France and Flanders in 1513 and he had made his wife Catherine of Aragon regent in his absence. It was up to Catherine to supervise England’s defense when Scotland invaded. Ultimately, the Scots were defeated at the Battle of Flodden near Branxton, Northumberland, England on September 9, 1513, and 30-year-old King James IV was killed in the battle. Catherine sent Henry VIII the blood-stained coat of his defeated and dead brother-in-law. James IV’s seventeen-month-old son succeeded his father as James V, King of Scots.

Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre discovered the body of James IV on the battlefield. Dacre took the body to Berwick-upon-Tweed, where according to Hall’s Chronicle, it was viewed by captured Scottish courtiers who acknowledged it was King James IV. The body was then embalmed and placed in a lead coffin. It was taken to Newcastle upon Tyne and then to York. Eventually, the body was brought to Sheen Priory near London where it was supposedly buried. Sheen Priory was destroyed in 1539 following the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Ashley, M. and Lock, J. (2012). The mammoth book of British kings & queens. London: Constable & Robinson.
• De.wikipedia.org. (2017). Jakob IV. (Schottland). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakob_IV._(Schottland) [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Battle of Flodden. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Flodden [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). James IV of Scotland. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_IV_of_Scotland [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].
• Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/margaret-tudor-queen-of-scotland/ [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].
• Williamson, D. (1996). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

James III, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

James III, King of Scots was the eldest of the four sons and the eldest of the six children of James II, King of Scots and Mary of Guelders. His birth date and birthplace are uncertain: either May 1452 at St. Andrew’s Castle or July 10, 1451 or July 20, 1451 at Stirling Castle. At birth, James was heir to the throne and became Duke of Rothesay and Prince and Steward of Scotland.

James had six siblings:

• Unnamed son (born and died May 19, 1450)
• Mary Stewart (1453 – 1488), married (1) Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran, marriage annulled, had two children (2) James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, had three children, great-great-grandparents of Henry, Lord Darnley (the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots)
• Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany (circa 1454 – 1485), married (1) Lady Katherine Sinclair, had two sons, marriage annulled (2) Anne de la Tour d’Auvergne, had two children; Alexander was killed in a duel by the Duke of Orléans (the future King Louis XII of France)
• Margaret Stewart (born circa 1455), mistress of and possibly married William Crichton, 3rd Lord Crichton of Auchingoul, had one daughter
• David Stewart, Earl of Moray (circa 1456 – 1457), died young
• John Stewart, 1st Earl of Mar and Garioch (circa 1459 – 1479), unmarried, accused of treason, died under suspicious circumstances

In 1460, James II, King of Scots besieged Roxburgh Castle near the English border in support of King Henry VI. On August 3, 1460, 29-year-old James II, King of Scots was accidentally killed when a cannon nearby where he was standing exploded. As with the start of the reigns of James I and James II, Scotland once again had a child king. Mary of Guelders served as the regent for her nine-year-old son until her death three years later. The later Scottish Stuarts, James IV, James V, Mary, Queen of Scots, and James VI, would also be child monarchs. James II’s death also continued the violent deaths of the Scottish Stuarts which started with the assassination of his father James I and continued with the deaths in battle of James III and James IV and the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots.

James III was crowned on August 10, 1460, at Kelso Abbey by James Kennedy, Bishop of St. Andrews.  Bishop Kennedy and his brother Gilbert Kennedy, 1st Lord Kennedy served as regents with Mary of Guelders, the young king’s mother. The Kennedys’ mother had been a daughter of Robert III, King of Scots. After the death of Mary of Guelders in 1463 and Bishop Kennedy in 1465, Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd became regent.

In 1466, while James III was at Linlithgow Castle, he was taken by force to Edinburgh Castle in a conspiracy with Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd and Boyd’s brother Sir Alexander Boyd. The 14-year-old king was forced to state to Parliament that he had given his royal assent to the abduction. Parliament then made Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd Governor of the Realm, Great Chamberlain, and Lord Justice General. Robert Boyd also arranged the marriage of his eldest son Thomas Boyd, created Earl of Arran for that occasion, and Mary, elder sister of James III. The marriage aroused the jealousy of the other nobles and James III considered the marriage an insult he could not forgive.

A marriage between James III and Margaret of Denmark, the only daughter of King Christian I of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, and Dorothea of Brandenburg had been suggested as a way to end the conflict between Denmark and Scotland that had been going on since 1426. In 1266, Scotland and Norway signed the Treaty of Perth which ended military conflict over the sovereignty of the Hebrides and the Isle of Man. The treaty recognized Scottish sovereignty over the disputed territories in return for a lump sum of 4,000 marks and an annual payment of 100 marks to Norway. Scotland had stopped the annual payment in 1426.

Map showing the location of the Hebrides, Isle of Man, Orkney Islands, and the Shetland Islands; Credit – By © Sémhur / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2918974

The marriage contract was signed on September 8, 1468. King James III pledged to Margaret a third of the royal possessions and income, including Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, and Doune Castle. King Christian I of Denmark pledged a dowry of 60,000 Rhenish florins with a payment of 10,000 florins due before Margaret left Copenhagen. However, King Christian I was only able to raise 2,000 florins. The Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands were pledged by King Christian in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the dowry. However, the money was never paid, and the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands were annexed by the Kingdom of Scotland in 1472.

James III and Margaret of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 13, 1469, at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland, 13-year-old Margaret of Denmark married 17-year-old James III, King of Scots.

James and Margaret had three sons:

• James IV, King of Scots (1473 – 1513), married Margaret Tudor, had issue
• James Stewart, Duke of Ross (1476 – 1504), unmarried
• John Stewart, Earl of Mar (1479 – 1503), unmarried

At the time of his marriage, James III assumed all the powers of the crown. He never forgot his abduction by the Boyds and his sister’s marriage to a Boyd. The Boyds were found guilty of treason. Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd fled to England and died within the year. His son Thomas Boyd was warned by his wife Mary and fled to the European continent. Their marriage was annulled. Lord Boyd’s brother Sir Alexander Boyd was not so fortunate. He was arrested and executed.

From 1471 to 1473, James III pursued unrealistic plans for territorial expansion on the European continent. He proposed the conquest or annexation of the Duchy of Brittany, Saintonge, a French province on the west-central Atlantic coast, and the Duchy of Guelders. These planned projects led to violent criticism in the Scottish Parliament, mainly because the king was more inclined to devote himself to art and occultism rather than domestic politics.

In 1474, James III allied with the English King Edward IV. James III’s son, the future King James IV, was to be married to Edward IV’s daughter Cecily of York. This alliance with the enemy of Scotland and the taxes raised for financing the wedding were just some of the reasons that made James III very unpopular with the nobles. The marriage never happened.

In 1479, James III’s two brothers Alexander, Duke of Albany and John, Earl of Mar caused trouble and were imprisoned. The Earl of Mar died under suspicious circumstances, possibly killed on orders of James III. The Duke of Albany escaped to France having been accused of treason. In 1479, the alliance with England collapsed, and from 1480, there were intermittent border wars. King Edward IV of England launched an invasion of Scotland in 1482 led by his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later King Richard III ), and James III’s brother Alexander, who had ambitions to seize the throne of Scotland as Alexander IV.

As James III was planning a defense against the invasion, he was arrested in July 1482 by dissatisfied nobles, most likely allies of his brother Alexander.  James III was imprisoned at Edinburgh Castle. In the autumn of 1482, a new government under Alexander, as Lieutenant-General, took power. In the meantime, the English army had run out of money, was unable to take Edinburgh Castle, and returned to England.

James III regained power by bringing members of Alexander’s interim government over to his side with bribery. Alexander unsuccessfully attempted to claim his dead brother’s earldom of Mar. In January 1483, Alexander retired to his lands in Dunbar. After the death of his patron, King Edward IV, in April 1483, Alexander no longer had any influence and fled to England. From there he undertook another invasion of Scotland in 1484, which failed. In 1485, Alexander left Scotland for good. Later in the same year, Alexander was killed in a duel by the Duke of Orléans, the future King Louis XII of France.

Although James III could have been murdered or executed during his imprisonment in Edinburgh Castle, he did not change his behavior. He was still convinced he could form an alliance with England and favored a group of friends who were unpopular with the more powerful nobles. He refused to travel through the country to exercise the necessary judicial power and instead remained in Edinburgh.

James was alienated from his wife Margaret, who lived in Stirling Castle, and increasingly also from his eldest son. Margaret was a popular queen and was described as beautiful, gentle, and reasonable. Many later historians called her far better qualified to rule than her husband. During the crisis of 1482, when her husband was deprived of power for several months, Margaret showed a greater interest in the welfare of her children than that of her husband, leading to the couple’s alienation. Margaret died on July 14, 1486, at the age of 30, and was buried at Cambuskenneth Abbey. After her death, there were suspicions that she had been poisoned by John Ramsay, 1st Lord Bothwell, a confidant of James III, although no evidence was found to support the charge.

The political quarrels reached their climax in 1488. Disgruntled nobles set up an army to overthrow the hated king. On June 11, 1488, James was killed in the Battle of Sauchieburn. The circumstances of James III’s death were greatly exaggerated and romanticized by the 16th-century chroniclers. Supposedly, he was murdered when he went to seek refuge in a cottage shortly after the battle in Milltown near Bannockburn. Most likely, James III, King of Scots had already died on the battlefield. He was then buried in Cambuskenneth Abbey. James III’s eldest son succeeded to the throne as James IV, King of Scots, and reigned for 25 years until he was killed in the Battle of Flodden. Throughout his reign, James IV wore a heavy iron chain around his waist as penance for his role in his father’s death.

Memorial of Margaret and James III, King of Scots marking the site of their graves, funded by Queen Victoria; Photo Credit – By Adtrace at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Ashley, M. and Lock, J. (2012). The mammoth book of British kings & queens. London: Constable & Robinson.
• De.wikipedia.org. (2017). Jakob III. (Schottland). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakob_III._(Schottland) [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). James III of Scotland. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_III_of_Scotland [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_of_Denmark,_Queen_of_Scotland [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].
• Williamson, D. (1996). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Credit – Wikipedia

Mary of Guelders, wife of James II, King of Scots was born around 1434, the eldest of the five children of Arnold, Duke of Guelders and Catherine of Cleves. The Duchy of Guelders was located in the present Dutch province of Gelderland (in English Guelders), the present Dutch province of Limburg, and parts of the present German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Mary’s mother Catherine was the daughter of Adolph I, Duke of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy. Adolph and Marie were the great-great-grandparents of Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of King Henry VIII of England.

Mary had four siblings:

• William (born circa 1434), died young
• Margaret of Guelders (1436–1486), married Friedrich I, Count of Palatine-Simmern, had ten children
• Adolf, Duke of Guelders (1438–1477), married Catherine of Bourbon, had two children
• Catherine of Guelders (1439–1496), Regent of Geldern in 1477–1481, unmarried

Mary was educated in the court of her great uncle Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy and his third wife Isabella of Portugal, who was a granddaughter of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III of England. Isabella, who had been well educated by her parents, King João I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster, was known for her intelligence, her patronage of the arts, and her political influence on her husband and son. She was a great influence on Mary and helped arrange Mary’s marriage to James II, King of Scots.

Mary’s great uncle Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy; Credit – Wikipedia

Philip and Isabella had planned to betroth Mary to Charles, Count of Maine, but her father could not pay the dowry. Negotiations for a marriage to James II, King of Scots began in July 1447 when a Burgundian envoy went to Scotland and were concluded in September 1448. Philip promised to pay Mary’s dowry, while Isabella paid for her trousseau. Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy settled a dowry of 60,000 crowns on his great-niece and Mary’s dower (given to a wife for her support in the event that she should become widowed) of 10,000 crowns was secured on lands in Strathearn, Athole, Methven, and Linlithgow in Scotland. William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton, Lord Chancellor of Scotland came to Burgundy to escort Mary to Scotland, where they landed at Leith on June 18, 1449. 15-year-old Mary married 19-year-old James II, King of Scots, at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 3, 1449. Immediately after the marriage ceremony, Mary was dressed in purple robes and crowned queen.

James II, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary and James had seven children:

• Unnamed son (born and died May 19, 1450)
• James III, King of Scots (1451 – 1488), married Margaret of Denmark, had three sons
• Mary Stewart (1453 – 1488), who married (1) Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran, marriage annulled, had two children (2) James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, had three children, great-great-grandparents of Henry, Lord Darnley (the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots)
• Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany (circa 1454 – 1485), married (1) Lady Katherine Sinclair, had two sons, marriage annulled (2) Anne de la Tour d’Auvergne, had two children; Alexander was killed in a duel by the Duke of Orléans (the future King Louis XII of France)
• Margaret Stewart (born circa 1455), mistress of and possibly married William Crichton, 3rd Lord Crichton of Auchingoul, had one daughter
• David Stewart, Earl of Moray (circa 1456 – 1457), died young
• John Stewart, 1st Earl of Mar and Garioch (circa 1459 – 1479), unmarried, accused of treason, died under suspicious circumstances

On August 3, 1460, 29-year-old James II, King of Scots was accidentally killed when a cannon nearby where he was standing exploded. Mary became the regent for her nine-year-old son King James III.

Mary indirectly participated in the English Wars of the Roses when she gave refuge in Scotland to  Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England and Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, the wife and son of the Lancaster King Henry VI of England, keep them out of the hands of the Yorkists. Mary even arranged to give Margaret Scottish troops and the two queens arranged a preliminary betrothal between Margaret’s son and Mary’s youngest daughter Margaret. However, any arrangements the two queens made came to naught. Mary’s uncle Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy made an alliance with the Yorkist King Edward IV of England. Edward IV even proposed a marriage with Mary which Mary rejected. Mary’s uncle pressured her to call off the betrothal of her daughter and Prince Edward, to Margaret’s disappointment. In 1462, Mary paid the Lancastrian royals to leave Scotland and made peace with Edward IV.

Before his death, James II had been involved in the planning of a new castle, Ravenscraig Castle, as a home for Mary. After her husband’s death, Mary began the construction of the castle as a memorial to him and as a dower house for herself. Mary lived in the castle until her death, when only the east tower and the basement of the central section had been built.

Ravenscraig Castle; Photo Credit – By Ian Mitchell, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9167584

Mary of Guelders survived her husband by only three years, dying on December 1, 1463, at the age of thirty. She was buried in Trinity College Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland which she had founded three years before in memory of her husband. In 1848, despite a formal protest from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Trinity College Kirk was demolished to allow for the construction of the Waverley Railroad Station. At the time of the demolition, Mary’s remains were moved to Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh.

Vault containing the remains of Mary of Guelders at Holyrood Abbey; Photo Credit  – www.findagrave.com

Plaque on the vault containing the remains of Mary of Guelders at Holyrood Abbey; Photo Credit – Connie Nissinger – www.findagrave.com

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Ashley, Michael, and Julian Lock. The Mammoth Book Of British Kings & Queens. London: Constable & Robinson, 2012. Print.
• “Guelders”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.
• “James II Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 June 2017.
• “Mary Of Guelders”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 6 June 2017.
• “Scottish Royal Burial Sites”. Unofficial Royalty. Web. 27 May 2017.
• Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

James II, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

James II, King of Scots was born on October 16, 1430, at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland. He had an elder twin brother named Alexander who died before his first birthday, making James the heir to the throne of Scotland and the holder of the titles Duke of Rothesay and Steward of Scotland. James was then the only son of James I, King of Scots and Lady Joan Beaufort, a granddaughter of John of Gaunt who was a son of King Edward III of England. James II had six sisters, three older and three younger. He was nicknamed “Fiery Face” because of a birthmark on his face.

James II had seven siblings:

• Margaret Stewart (1424 – 1445), married the future King Louis XI of France, she died before her husband became king, no issue
• Isabella Stewart (1426 – 1494/ – 1499), married François I, Duke of Brittany, had issue
• Joan Stewart (1428 – circa 1486), married James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton, had issue
• Alexander Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (born 1430, died before his first birthday), elder twin of James II
• Eleanor Stewart (1433 – 1480), married Sigismund, Archduke of Austria, no surviving issue
• Mary Stewart, Countess of Buchan (1434/35 – 1465), married Wolfert VI of Borselen, no surviving issue
• Annabella Stewart (1436 – 1509), married (1) Louis of Savoy, Count of Geneva, marriage annulled, no issue (2) George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly, marriage annulled, had issue

During the reign of James I, there were lingering doubts about the validity of the first marriage of his grandfather Robert II, King of the Scots and this raised questions about James I’s own right to the throne of Scotland. James I faced challenges from descendants of his grandfather’s second marriage.

On February 20, 1437, plotters supporting the claim to the throne of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, a son of Robert II’s second marriage, broke into the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth where James I and his wife Joan were staying. The conspirators reached the couple’s bedroom where Joan tried to protect her husband. James I then tried to escape via an underground passage but was cornered and hacked to death by Sir Robert Graham.  There was no strong support for the conspiracy and James I’s assassins were soon captured and brutally executed. Thus, James I’s six-year-old son succeeded him to the throne as James II, King of Scots. He was crowned at Holyrood Abbey on March 25, 1437, by Michael Ochiltree, Bishop of Dunblane.

After Douglas’ death, the power of the regency was shared uneasily by William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton, Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar, who was the custodian of the young King James II as the warden of Stirling Castle. Stewart and his Douglas allies planned to abduct the young James II from Stirling Castle. However, Livingston placed Joan and her new husband under house arrest at Stirling Castle. They were only released by making a formal agreement to relinquish custody of King James II in favor of Livingston, by giving up Joan’s dowry for her son’s maintenance, and by agreeing that Livingston’s actions were only to ensure the king’s safety. From then on, Joan had no participation in matters of state.

In 1440, in the name of James II, King of Scots, regents William Crichton and Alexander Livingston invited the two sons of the recently deceased former regent, Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas to dinner at Edinburgh Castle. While 16-year-old William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas and his 10-year-old brother David Douglas ate their dinner, a black bull’s head, the symbol of death, was brought in and placed before the young Earl. The two brothers were then dragged out to Castle Hill, given a mock trial, and beheaded in the presence of a protesting 10-year-old King James II. This brutal incident of murder and betrayal of hospitality, done to break up the power of the Black Douglases, has become known as the “Black Dinner” and was an inspiration for the infamous “Red Wedding” massacre in The Game of Thrones.

The Black Dinner; Credit – http://www.stewartsociety.org/

Negotiations for a marriage to Mary of Guelders, the eldest of the five children of Arnold, Duke of Guelders and Catherine of Cleves began in July 1447 when an envoy from  Burgundy went to Scotland and were concluded in September 1448. Mary’s great uncle Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy promised to pay Mary’s dowry, while his wife Isabella of Portugal paid for her trousseau. Mary had been educated in their court. After negotiations were concluded, Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy settled a dowry of 60,000 crowns on his great-niece and Mary’s dower (given to a wife for her support should she become widowed) of 10,000 crowns was secured on lands in Strathearn, Athole, Methven, and Linlithgow in Scotland. William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton, Lord Chancellor of Scotland came to Burgundy to escort Mary to Scotland, where they landed at Leith on June 18, 1449. 15-year-old Mary married 19-year-old James II, King of Scots, at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh on July 3, 1449. Immediately after the marriage ceremony, Mary was dressed in purple robes and crowned queen.

James II and Mary of Guelders; Credit – Wikipedia

James and Mary had seven children:

• Unnamed son (born and died May 19, 1450)
• James III, King of Scots (1451 – 1488), married Margaret of Denmark, had three sons
• Mary Stewart (1453 – 1488), who married (1) Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran, marriage annulled, had two children (2) James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, had three children, great-great-grandparents of Henry, Lord Darnley (the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots)
• Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany (circa 1454 – 1485), married (1) Lady Katherine Sinclair, had two sons, marriage annulled (2) Anne de la Tour d’Auvergne, had two children; Alexander was killed in a duel by the Duke of Orléans (the future King Louis XII of France)
• Margaret Stewart (born circa 1455), mistress of and possibly married William Crichton, 3rd Lord Crichton of Auchingoul, had one daughter
• David Stewart, Earl of Moray (circa 1456 – 1457), died young
• John Stewart, 1st Earl of Mar and Garioch (circa 1459 – 1479), unmarried, accused of treason, died under suspicious circumstances

After the murders at the “Black Dinner”, the Douglases became the sworn enemies of Lord Chancellor Crichton and James II. They formed an alliance with Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar despite Livingston being a conspirator in the “Black Dinner” murders. During the 1440s, the nobles of Scotland battled for power. By 1449, the Livingston family held much power including holding government offices and many castles. That same year, James II came of age and assumed the full powers of the king. He arrested most of the Livingstons who held office, imprisoned them, and executed two members of the family.

William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas left Scotland to avoid capture. He returned in 1450 and had a distant, but cordial relationship with James II. However, in 1452, James II learned that Douglas had allied with John of Islay, Earl of Ross and Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford.  Angry about the alliance, James II invited Douglas to dinner at Stirling Castle. He asked Douglas to break the alliance and when Douglas refused, James stabbed him as did the several men with him. According to the Auchinleck Chronicle, Sir Patrick Gray “struck out his brains with a pole ax”, and his body was thrown out of a window. The brother of the 8th Earl, the new 9th Earl of Douglas, James Douglas, attempted to continue the struggle with his brothers. However, they were defeated at the Battle of Arkinholm in 1455. Shortly after the battle the Black Douglases were attainted, the last few castles they held fell, and they ceased to be a serious force in Scotland.

James II of Scotland depicted in the diary of Jörg von Ehingen, 15th century; Credit – Wikipedia

James II supported the House of Lancaster in the English Wars of the Roses. His mother had been Lady Joan Beaufort, a granddaughter of John of Gaunt, from whom the House of Lancaster originated. The Lancaster King Henry VI of England was James II’s second cousin. In 1460, James II besieged Roxburgh Castle near the English border in support of King Henry VI. On August 3, 1460, 29-year-old James II, King of Scots was accidentally killed when a cannon nearby where he was standing exploded. Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie stated in his The Historie and Chronicles of Scotland, 1436–1565: “…as the King stood near a piece of artillery, his thigh bone was dug in two with a piece of misframed gun that brake in shooting, by which he was stricken to the ground and died hastily.” His remains were taken to Edinburgh and buried at Holyrood Abbey. His tomb, like so many others, has not survived.

As with the start of the reigns of James I and James II, Scotland once again had a child king in James III, King of Scots, the son of James II and Mary of Guelders. Mary served as the regent for her nine-year-old son until her death three years later. The rest of the Scottish Stuarts, James IV, James V, Mary, Queen of Scots, and James VI, would also be child monarchs. James II’s death also continued the violent deaths of the Scottish Stuarts which started with the assassination of his father James I and continued with the deaths in battle of James III and James IV and the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Ashley, M. and Lock, J. (2012). The mammoth book of British kings & queens. London: Constable & Robinson.
• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Clan Douglas. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Douglas [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
• Unofficial Royalty. (2017). James II, King of Scots. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/james-ii-king-of-scots/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). James II of Scotland. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_II_of_Scotland [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
• Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Lady Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/lady-joan-beaufort-queen-of-scots/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
• Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Mary of Guelders, Queen of Scots. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/mary-of-guelders-queen-of-scots/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
• Williamson, D. (1996). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

James I, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

James I, King of Scots, along with his elder twin brother Robert who died in infancy, was born July 25, 1394, at Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, Scotland. He was the second surviving son of Robert III, King of Scots and Anabella Drummond. In 1388, two years before he became king, James’ father had been kicked by a horse and became an invalid. James’ grandfather Robert II, King of Scots died in 1390 and James’ father became King of Scots. At the time of his birth, James’ much older brother David was the heir to the throne of Scotland.

James had six siblings:

• David, Duke of Rothesay (1378 – 1402), married (1) Marjory Douglas, daughter of Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas, no issue
• Elizabeth, married James Douglas, 1st Lord Dalkeith, had issue
• Mary, married (1) George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus, had issue  (2) Sir James Kennedy the Younger, had issue (3) Sir William Graham of Kincardine, had issue (4) Sir William Edmonstone of Culloden and 1st Thane of Duntreath, had issue
• Egidia, unmarried, died young
• Margaret (died 1450 – 1456), married Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, had issue
• Robert (born 1394, James I’s twin, died young)

Several events occurred during James’ childhood that would eventually affect him. As time went by, Robert III’s disabilities worsened and he fell into a state of depression. There were disputes among the children of his two marriages as to who was the legitimate heir. Queen Anabella knew she had to take matters into her own hands to protect the rights of her elder son David, the heir to the throne. In 1398, Anabella arranged a tournament in Edinburgh at which her eldest surviving son 19-year-old David was knighted. Later that same year, he was created Duke of Rothesay and Lieutenant of the Realm. However, serious problems began to emerge between David and his uncle Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, who was the third in line to the throne after David and James.

Anabella, Queen of Scots died in October 1401. With the loss of his mother’s protection and his father too incapacitated to protect him, David, Duke of Rothesay fell prey to his uncle Robert’s machinations. David was accused unjustifiably of appropriating and confiscating funds and was arrested in 1402. He was imprisoned at Falkland Palace and died on March 26, 1402, at the age of 22, probably of starvation.

Eight-year-old James, now heir to the throne, was the only one in the way of transferring the royal line to the Albany Stewarts. In 1402 Albany and his close Black Douglas ally Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas were absolved of any involvement in David’s death, although it is surely likely that they were to blame This cleared the way for Albany’s re-appointed as the Lieutenant of the Realm. Eventually, fearing for the safety of his only surviving son James, Robert III sent him to France. However, the ship 12-year-old James was sailing on was captured on March 22, 1406, by English pirates who delivered James to King Henry IV of England. Robert III, King of Scots, aged 68, died at Rothesay Castle on April 4, 1406, after hearing of his son’s captivity.

12-year-old James was now the uncrowned King of Scots and would remain in captivity in England for eighteen years. Back in Scotland, his uncle Robert, Duke of Albany consolidated his power and ruled as regent in his nephew’s absence. Unsurprisingly, Albany made little effort to secure James’ ransom and return to Scotland, focusing instead on securing his power and interests. Albany died in 1420 and was succeeded as Duke of Albany and regent by his son Murdoch Stewart.

In England, James had a small household of Scots nobles. King Henry IV treated the young James well and provided him with a good education and James was able to observe Henry IV’s kingship and political control. During his captivity, James used personal visits from his nobles and letters to important people to maintain his connection to his kingdom. King Henry IV died in 1413 and his son King Henry V immediately ended James’s relative freedom, first holding him in the Tower of London with the other Scots prisoners. One of these prisoners was James’s cousin Murdoch Stewart, Albany’s son, who had been captured in 1402 at the Battle of Homildon Hill. Initially, they were held apart, but from 1413 until Murdoch’s release in 1415, they were together in the Tower of London and at Windsor Castle.

By 1420, 26-year-old James’ standing went from hostage to more of a guest. James accompanied Henry V to France where his presence was used against the Scots fighting on the French side during the Hundred Year’s War. He attended the coronation of Henry V’s wife Catherine of Valois in February 1421 and was honored by sitting on the queen’s left at the coronation banquet. In March 1421, James accompanied Henry V on a tour of important English towns. During this tour, James was knighted on Saint George’s Day. By July 1421, Henry V and James were back campaigning in France. Henry appointed his brother John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford and James as the joint commanders of the Siege of Dreux. After Henry V died of dysentery in France on August 31, 1422, James was part of the escort taking the king’s body back to London.

While in England, James met his future wife Lady Joan Beaufort. She was the third of the six children and the first of the two daughters of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland. Her mother was the daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, the eldest son of Joan, 4th Countess of Kent, known as “The Fair Maid of Kent” from her first marriage to Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent, 2nd Baron Holland. Joan of Kent later married Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and was the mother of King Richard II of England.

Joan Beaufort’s father John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset was the eldest of the four children of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III, and his mistress Katherine Swynford. Their children were given the surname “Beaufort” after a former French possession of John of Gaunt. John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford married on January 13, 1396, at Lincoln Cathedral in England. After the marriage of John and Katherine, their four children were legitimized by both King Richard II of England and Pope Boniface IX. After John of Gaunt’s eldest son from his first marriage to Blanche of Lancaster deposed his first cousin King Richard II in 1399, the new King Henry IV inserted a phrase excepta regali dignitate (“except royal status”) in the documents which legitimized his Beaufort half-siblings which barred them from the throne.

As Joan was related to the English royal family, she was often at court. Joan is said to be the inspiration for The Kingis Quair  (“The King’s Book”), a poem supposedly written by James after he looked out a window and saw Joan in the garden. Although there may have been an attraction between Joan and James, their marriage was political as it was a condition for James’ release from captivity.

James I, King of Scots and Joan Beaufort; Credit – Wikipedia

Joan was well-connected. She was a great-granddaughter of King Edward III, a first cousin once removed of King Richard II, a niece of King Henry IV, and a first cousin of King Henry V. Her paternal uncle Henry Beaufort was a Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester, and Chancellor of England. The English considered a marriage to a Beaufort gave the Scots an alliance with the English instead of the French. Joan’s dowry of £6,000 was subtracted from James’ ransom of £40,000. The couple was married on February 12, 1424, at St. Mary Overie Church, now known as Southwark Cathedral in Southwark, London, England. James was released from his long captivity on March 28, 1424, and the couple traveled to Scotland. On May 21, 1424, James and Joan were crowned King and Queen of Scots at Scone Abbey by Henry Wardlaw, Bishop of St. Andrews.

The entrance, the only remaining part of Scone Abbey; Photo Credit – By Patrick Gruban from Munich, Germany – IMG_3910Uploaded by Kurpfalzbilder.de, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9553070

James and Joan had eight children:

• Margaret Stewart (1424 – 1445), married the future King Louis XI of France, she died before her husband became king, no issue
• Isabella Stewart (1426 – 1494/ – 1499), married Francis I, Duke of Brittany, had issue
• Joan Stewart (1428 – circa 1486), married James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton, had issue
• Alexander Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (born and died October 16, 1430), elder twin of James II
• James II, King of Scotland (1430 – 1460), married Mary of Guelders, had issue
• Eleanor Stewart (1433 – 1480), married Sigismund, Archduke of Austria, no surviving issue
• Mary Stewart, Countess of Buchan (1434/35 – 1465), married Wolfert VI of Borselen, no surviving issue
• Annabella Stewart (1436 – 1509), married (1) Louis of Savoy, Count of Geneva, marriage annulled, no issue (2) George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly, marriage annulled, had issue

Upon returning to Scotland after an absence of 18 years, James found that Scotland was in horrible condition, with much poverty and lawlessness. He vigorously set about transforming his kingdom, and made him many enemies. In addition, there were still doubts about the validity of the first marriage of Robert II, James’ grandfather, and this raised questions about James’ right to the throne of Scotland. James found himself facing challenges from descendants of his grandfather’s two marriages. He knew he had to crush the power of his cousin Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany to strengthen the crown’s power and restrain the power of the lawless nobles. A Parliament held in Perth in 1425 issued orders for Murdoch’s arrest, and in May 1425 a trial was held at Stirling where Murdoch, his sons Alexander and Walter Stewart, and his father-in-law Duncan, Earl of Lennox were all found guilty of treason and immediately executed. Murdoch’s third son James fled to Ireland, where he would spend the rest of his life in exile.

James ruled Scotland with a strong hand and made numerous financial and legal reforms. He tried to reshape the Scottish Parliament on the English model, and in 1428 renewed the Auld Alliance with France. On this occasion, James arranged for the marriage of his eldest daughter Margaret to the French Dauphin, the future King Louis XI of France. However, Margaret died before Louis became king. Although James’ measures were effective, he created many enemies.

On February 20, 1437, plotters supporting the claim to the throne of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, a son of Robert II’s second marriage, broke into the Blackfriars Priory in Perth, Scotland where James and Joan were staying. The conspirators reached the couple’s bedroom where Joan tried to protect James but was wounded. James then tried to escape via an underground passage but was cornered and hacked to death by Sir Robert Graham. There was no strong support for the conspiracy and James’ assassins were soon captured and brutally executed.

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of James I, King of Scots

James was buried in the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth, which he had founded. On May 11, 1559, following a sermon by John Knox, a leader of the Scottish Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, a mob of Protestant reformers attacked the Carthusian Charterhouse in Perth. Everything was destroyed including the royal tombs and remains.

A monument now marks the site of the Carthusian Charterhouse in Perth; Photo Credit – By kim traynor, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29398897

James I, King of Scots was only 42 years old when he was killed and left a 7-year-old son to succeed him as King James II. James I’s wife Joan served as regent for her son for a few short months and then was forced to give up the regency and the custody of her son. Joan made a second marriage, had three more children, died in 1445, and was buried with her first husband.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Ashley, Michael, and Julian Lock. The Mammoth Book Of British Kings & Queens. London: Constable & Robinson, 2012. Print.
• “James I Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 27 May 2017.
• “Joan Beaufort, Queen Of Scots”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 27 May 2017.
• “Scottish Royal Burial Sites”. Unofficial Royalty. Web. 27 May 2017.
• Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Robert III, King of Scots and his wife Annabella Drummond as depicted on the 1562 Forman Armorial; Credit – Wikipedia

Anabella Drummond, born circa 1350 at Dunfermline Abbey in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, was the daughter of Sir John Drummond of Stobhall, 11th Thane of Lennox and Chief of Clan Drummond and Mary de Montfichet, daughter and co-heiress with her sisters of Sir William de Montfichet, of Stobhall, Cargill, and Auchterarder. Sir John’s sister Margaret Drummond was the second wife of David II, King of Scots.

Anabella had at least seven siblings:

• Dougal Drummond
• Sir Malcolm Drummond (circa 1351 – 1402), married Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar, no issue, he was murdered by men from the Clan Stewart of Appin
• Margaret Drummond (born circa 1354), married Sir Colin Campbell of Lochow
• Sir John Drummond, 12th Thane of Lennox (1356 – 1428), married Elizabeth Sinclair
• Mary Drummond (born 1357)
• William Drummond, 1st Thane of Carnock (born 1358), married Elizabeth Airth
• Jean Drummond (born 1362)

In 1367, Anabella married John Stewart, Earl of Carrick (the future Robert III, King of Scots), the eldest son of Robert II, King of Scots and his first wife Elizabeth Mure. The couple had seven children:

• David, Duke of Rothesay (1378 – 1402), married (1) Marjory Douglas, daughter of Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas, no issue
• Elizabeth, married James Douglas, 1st Lord Dalkeith, had issue
• Mary, married (1) George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus, had issue  (2) Sir James Kennedy the Younger, had issue (3) Sir William Graham of Kincardine, had issue (4) Sir William Edmonstone of Culloden and 1st Thane of Duntreath, had issue
• Egidia, unmarried, died young
• Margaret (died 1450 – 1456), married Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, had issue
• Robert (died young)
• James I, King of Scots (1394 – 1437), married Lady Joan Beaufort, daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, had issue

In 1388, two years before he became king, Anabella’s husband had been kicked by a horse and became an invalid. Robert II, King of Scots died in 1390 and Anabella’s husband John Stewart, Earl of Carrick became King of Scots. John decided to use Robert as his regnal name. He thought John was an unlucky name as evidenced by John Balliol, King of Scots, King John of England and Kings Jean I and II of France. Anabella was crowned with her husband Robert III, King of Scots at Scone on August 14, 1390, by William Trail, Bishop of St. Andrews.

As time went by, Robert III’s disabilities worsened and he fell into a state of depression. Supposedly, Robert told Anabella that he should be buried in a dung heap with an epitaph that read, “Here lies the worst of kings and the most miserable of men.” Anabella knew she had to take matters into her own hands to protect the rights of her son David, the heir to the throne. In 1398, Anabella arranged a tournament in Edinburgh at which her eldest surviving son 19-year-old David was knighted.  Later that same year, he was created Duke of Rothesay and Lieutenant of the Realm. Prior to David gaining more power, his paternal uncle Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany had held the power as protector of the kingdom.

In 1400, King Henry IV of England invaded Scotland and was able to reach Edinburgh where he laid siege to the castle, but eventually had to retreat because of the lack of supplies. The Scots had seemed powerless to respond to the English invasion. Anabella, Queen of Scots died in October 1401 at Scone Palace and was buried at Dunfermline Abbey. With the loss of his mother’s protection and his father too incapacitated to protect him, David, Duke of Rothesay fell prey to his uncle Robert’s machinations. David was accused unjustifiably of appropriating and confiscating funds and was arrested in 1402. He was imprisoned at Falkland Palace and died on March 26, 1402, at the age of 22, probably of starvation.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• “Anabella Drummond”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
• Ashley, Michael. British Kings & Queens. 1st ed. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1998. Print.
• “Clan Drummond”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
• “David Stewart, Duke Of Rothesay”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
• “Person Page”. Thepeerage.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
• “Robert III Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
• Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Robert III, King of Scots and his wife Anabella Drummond; Credit – Wikipedia

John Stewart, later Robert III, King of Scots, was born around 1337. He was the eldest child of Robert II, King of Scots and his mistress Elizabeth Mure. The couple married in 1346, but the marriage was not in agreement with the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church. After receiving a papal dispensation, the couple remarried. The children born before their marriage were legitimized. Despite the legitimization of Elizabeth’s children, there were family disputes over her children’s right to the crown. John’s mother Elizabeth died before May 1355 when John was between 18 and 21 years old.

John had at least nine siblings:

• Walter Stewart, Lord of Fife (c.1338–1362), married Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Fife, no issue
• Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (c. 1340 – 1420), married (1) Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith, had issue (2) Muriella Keith, had issue
• Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan (1343 – 1405), married Euphemia I, Countess of Ross, no issue
• Margaret Stewart, married John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, had issue
• Marjorie Stewart, married (1) John Dunbar, Earl of Moray  (2) Sir Alexander Keith
• Jean Stewart, married (1) Sir John Keith, (2) Sir John Lyon, Lord of Glamis, had one son (3) Sir James Sandilands
• Isabella Stewart, married (1) James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas, no issue (2) David Edmonstone
• Katherine Stewart, married Sir Robert Logan of Grugar and Restalrig, Lord High Admiral of Scotland
• Elizabeth Stewart, married Sir Thomas Hay, Lord High Constable of Scotland

John had four half-siblings from his father’s second marriage in 1355 to Euphemia de Ross:

• David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn (1357 – circa 1386), married a sister of David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford, whose first name is unknown, had one child Euphemia Stewart, Countess of Strathearn
• Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl (circa 1360 – 1437), married Margaret Barclay, Lady of Brechin, had issue, beheaded for his involvement in the assassination of James I, King of Scots
• Elizabeth Stewart, married David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford, had issue
• Egidia Stewart, married William Douglas of Nithsdale, had issue

John was created Earl of Carrick by his great uncle David II, King of Scots in 1368. In 1371, John’s father succeeded his uncle David II as Robert II, King of Scots, the first king of the House of Stewart (later Stuart). John was declared heir to the crown soon after his father’s accession.  In order to dispel all conflict among the children of his two marriages, Robert II had a succession act passed in Parliament in 1373. If the heir apparent John, Earl of Carrick died without sons, the succession would pass to his brother Robert, Duke of Albany, and then to his younger brothers from Robert II’s two marriages in order of birth. As his reign progressed, Robert II delegated more power to his three eldest sons, John, Earl of Carrick and heir to the throne; Robert, Duke of Albany and Alexander, Earl of Buchan, who became his lieutenant in the north of Scotland.

In 1367, John married Anabella Drummond, daughter of Sir John Drummond of Stobhall, 11th Thane of Lennox and Chief of Clan Drummond and Mary de Montfichet, the daughter and co-heiress with her sisters of Sir William de Montfichet, of Stobhall, Cargill, and Auchterarder. Sir John’s sister Margaret Drummond was the second wife of David II, King of Scots.

The couple had seven children:

• David, Duke of Rothesay (1378 – 1402), married (1) Marjory Douglas, daughter of Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas, no issue
• Elizabeth Stewart, married James Douglas, 1st Lord Dalkeith, had issue
• Mary Stewart, married (1) George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus, had issue  (2) Sir James Kennedy the Younger, had issue (3) Sir William Graham of Kincardine, had issue (4) Sir William Edmonstone of Culloden and 1st Thane of Duntreath, had issue
• Egidia Stewart, unmarried, died young
• Margaret Stewart (died 1450 – 1456), married Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, had issue
• Robert Stewart (born 1394), twin of James, died young
• James I, King of Scots (1394 – 1437), married Lady Joan Beaufort, daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, had issue

In 1388, two years before he became king, John was kicked by a horse and became an invalid. Robert II, King of Scots died in 1390 and John Stewart, Earl of Carrick became King of Scots. John decided to use Robert as his regnal name. He thought John was an unlucky name as evidenced by John Balliol, King of Scots, King John of England and Kings Jean I and Jean II of France. Robert III, King of Scots and his wife Anabella were crowned at Scone on August 14, 1390, by William Trail, Bishop of St. Andrews. Because of his disability, Robert III delegated most of his power to his brother Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany.

As time went by, Robert III’s disabilities worsened and he fell into a state of depression. Supposedly, Robert told Anabella that he should be buried in a dung heap with an epitaph that read, “Here lies the worst of kings and the most miserable of men.” Anabella knew she had to take matters into her own hands to protect the rights of her son David, the heir to the throne. In 1398, Anabella arranged a tournament in Edinburgh at which her eldest surviving son 19-year-old David was knighted. Later that same year, he was created Duke of Rothesay and Lieutenant of the Realm.

Anabella, Queen of Scots died in October 1401 at Scone Palace and was buried at Dunfermline Abbey. With the loss of his mother’s protection and his father too incapacitated to protect him, David, Duke of Rothesay fell prey to his uncle Robert’s machinations. David was accused unjustifiably of appropriating and confiscating funds and was arrested in 1402. He was imprisoned at Falkland Palace and died on March 26, 1402, at the age of 22, probably of starvation.

Fearing for the safety of his only surviving son James (the future James I, King of Scots), Robert III decided to send him to France. However, the ship 12-year-old James was sailing on was captured on March 22, 1406, by English pirates who delivered James to King Henry IV of England. Robert III, King of Scots, aged 68, died at Rothesay Castle on April 4, 1406, after hearing of his son’s captivity and was buried at Paisley Abbey.

Paisley Abbey; Photo Credit – By © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28719655

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Robert II, King of Scots from the Forman Armorial produced for Mary, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the House of Stewart, had two wives. Elizabeth Mure died before Robert became king and Euphemia de Ross was his only Queen Consort.

Elizabeth Mure

The first wife of Robert II, King of Scots, Elizabeth Mure was probably born at Rowallan Castle near Kilmaurs, a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Her parents were Sir Adam Mure of Rowallan and Janet Mure of Pokellie. Elizabeth died before her husband became king.

Rowallan Castle; Photo Credit – By VERNON MONAGHAN, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9552921

Robert Stewart, the future Robert II, King of Scots, was born in 1316. He was the only child of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland and Marjorie Bruce, the daughter of Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots. Marjorie died in childbirth at age 19. She was thrown from her horse and went into premature labor and died soon after delivering her son Robert. Robert was heir presumptive to the throne of Scotland as his uncle David II, King of Scots, the son of Robert I’s second marriage, was childless. Upon the death of his father in 1327, Robert Stewart became the 7th High Steward of Scotland.

At first, Elizabeth was the mistress of Robert Stewart. The couple married in 1346, but the marriage was not in agreement with the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church. After receiving a papal dispensation, the couple remarried. The children born before their marriage were legitimized. Despite the legitimization of Elizabeth’s children, there were family disputes over her children’s right to the crown.

Elizabeth and Robert’s daughter Jean Stewart and her second husband Sir John Lyon, Lord of Glamis had one son Sir John Lyon. Through him, Jean, and therefore Elizabeth Mure and Robert II, are ancestors of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.  The elder Sir John was a courtier and diplomat, who was appointed Keeper of the Privy Seal upon the accession of Robert II in 1371. The following year, Robert II granted him “the free barony of Glamuyss in the sheriffdom of Forfar.” Glamis has remained the seat of the family ever since. See Wikipedia: Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne for more information.

Elizabeth and Robert had at least ten children:

• Robert III, King of Scots; born John Stewart, Earl of Carrick (c.1337/40 – 1406), married Anabella Drummond, had issue
• Walter Stewart, Lord of Fife (c.1338–1362), married Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Fife, no issue
• Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (c. 1340 – 1420), married (1) Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith, had issue (2) Muriella Keith, had issue
• Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan (1343 – 1405), married Euphemia I, Countess of Ross, no issue
• Margaret Stewart, married John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, had issue
• Marjorie Stewart, married (1) John Dunbar, Earl of Moray  (2) Sir Alexander Keith
• Jean Stewart, married (1) Sir John Keith, (2) Sir John Lyon, Lord of Glamis, had one son (3) Sir James Sandilands
• Isabella Stewart, married (1) James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas, no issue (2) David Edmonstone
• Katherine Stewart, married Sir Robert Logan of Grugar and Restalrig, Lord High Admiral of Scotland
• Elizabeth Stewart, married Sir Thomas Hay, Lord High Constable of Scotland

Elizabeth Mure died before May 1355 and was buried at Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Her eldest son, John Stewart, Earl of Carrick would eventually succeed to the throne upon the death of his father as Robert III, King of Scots.

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Euphemia de Ross, Queen of Scots

King Robert II of Scotland and Euphemia de Ross from the Forman Armorial produced for Mary, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

Euphemia de Ross was the daughter and probably the only child of Hugh, 4th Earl of Ross and his second wife Margaret de Graham, daughter of Sir David de Graham of Montrose. Hugh’s first wife was Marjorie (or Matilda) Bruce, the sister of Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots. Hugh was a favorite of Robert I who granted him Cromarty Castle, a third of the lands of Kirkcudbright and lands in Skye, Strathglass, and Strathcona. Hugh was also one of the Scots nobles responsible for negotiating the marriage contract of David II, King of Scots, son and successor of Robert I, and Joan of the Tower, daughter of King Edward II of England. Hugh, 4th Earl of Ross was killed along with many other Scottish nobles at the Battle of Halidon Hill on July 19, 1333

Euphemia had at least three half-siblings from her father’s first marriage:

• William de Ross, 5th Earl of Ross (died February 9, 1372), married Mary Macdonald, daughter of Angus Óg  Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, had issue
• Matilda de Ross, also known as Marjory (died about 1350) married Malise, 8th Earl of Strathearn, Caithness and Orkney, had issue
• John Ross (died May 27, 1364), no issue

Arms of Euphemia de Ross; Credit – By Sodacan – Own work, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38494578

Euphemia was first married to John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray. He was the son of Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, a supporter of Robert the Bruce. John Randolph was an important figure in the reign of David II, King of Scots, and served as joint Regent of Scotland along with Robert Stewart, 7th High Steward of Scotland, Euphemia’s second husband. John was killed on October 17, 1346, at the Battle of Neville’s Cross leaving Euphemia a young, childless widow.

Nine years later, on May 2, 1355, Euphemia married Robert Stewart, 7th High Steward of Scotland. In 1357, Robert was granted the title Earl of Strathearn, so Euphemia was then the Countess of Strathearn. On February 22, 1371, upon the death of his childless nephew David II, King of Scots, Euphemia’s husband became Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the House of Stewart, and Euphemia became Queen of Scots.

Euphemia and Robert had four children. The children of Robert II from both his marriages considered themselves the rightful heirs to the throne of Scotland, causing considerable family conflict.

• David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn (1357 – circa 1386), married a sister of David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford, whose first name is unknown, had one child Euphemia Stewart, Countess of Strathearn
• Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl (circa 1360 – 1437), married Margaret Barclay, Lady of Brechin, had issue, beheaded for his involvement in the assassination of James I, King of Scots
• Elizabeth Stewart, married David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford, had issue
• Egidia Stewart, married William Douglas of Nithsdale, had issue

Euphemia Stewart, Countess of Strathearn, granddaughter of Euphemia and Robert through their son David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn, is an ancestor of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As an only child, Euphemia Stewart was heir to her father’s earldoms. She married Patrick Graham and their daughter Elizabeth married Sir John Lyon, 1st Master of Glamis, the son of Sir John Lyon who had married Jean Stewart, daughter of Robert II and Elizabeth Mure (see above). See Wikipedia: Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne for more information.

Euphemia de Ross, Queen of Scots died in 1386 and was buried at Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Her husband Robert II, King of Scots survived her by four years, dying on April 19, 1390.

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Works Cited

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• “David II, King Of Scots”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
• “Elizabeth Mure”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
• “Euphemia De Ross”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
• “Hugh, Earl Of Ross”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
• “Person Page”. Thepeerage.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
• “Robert I, King of Scots”.Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
• “Robert II Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.