1. alexander iii and the succession crisis
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Transcript of 1. alexander iii and the succession crisis
LEARNING INTENTIONS
• Describe life in Scotland under the leadership of King Alexander III, including relations with England
• Describe Alexander’s death and the issues and problems which arose from this
Alexander III became king of Scotland in 1249 when he was aged only 8. The death of his father saw the young prince take charge of his country, with help
from others.
As Alexander was only a child, the country was run by a regent, until the boy
king became a man.
Alan Durward was a powerful man and
controlled Scotland until Alexander reached the age
of 21, in 1262.
Alexander’s time as king is seen as a successful one
for Scotland.
There was increased jobs and trade in Scotland,
especially to the continent:
(wool to Flanders in Belgium for example)
Alexander was seen as a successful military leader
too.
One of his father’s goals was the return of the
Western Isles to Scottish control (instead of Norwegian rule).
Alexander’s army fought the Norwegians at the
Battle of Largs in 1263.
After the Battle of Largs, the Scots army invaded
areas to the north, eventually leading to the
Western Isles being officially transferred to
Alexander’s control.
After this, areas across Scotland benefitted from
increased trade.
Alexander (and the actions of his father) ensured that
Scotland and England enjoyed good relations.
Even when still a boy, Alexander had refused to
pay homage to King Henry III of England, who had become his father-in-
law.
Alexander saw himself as a an equal with Henry III, and the same with Henry’s successor,
Edward I.
The two men had known each other from a young age. Alexander agreed to pay
homage to Edward for his lands in England, but never
in Scotland.
Alexander’s personal life was not a happy one.
His wife, Margaret (daughter of Henry III)
died before him, and so did all three of his children.
His only remaining blood relative was his
granddaughter, Margaret (daughter of the King of
Norway).
Alexander needed to have another child to be his heir, so he married a
woman from a powerful French family, Yolande de
Dreux.
However one night, as Alexander travelled to visit his new bride in Kinghorn
in Fife, he fell from his horse and was killed.
At first it was believed that the new Queen was
pregnant, but it soon became clear she was not (some stories suggest a
miscarriage or stillbirth).
There was a strong fear of civil war or English control
if a new monarch could not be found for Scotland.
A parliament met in Scone to discuss what should happen. The king’s only living relative was his
granddaughter, Margaret.
Many were opposed because of:
• Margaret’s age• High child mortality• The need for a regent• A woman on the throne
In 1284, perhaps foreseeing potential
problems, Alexander had made his nobles promise
to accept Margaret as queen if he had no more
children.
Thus Margaret, aged only three years old and living in another country, was to
be Scotland’s queen.
Margaret was too young to run the country, so
someone had to be chosen to do so until she was old
enough to do so.
Choosing only one regent could have caused war, so a group of Guardians did
so instead. They ran Scotland based on the
concept of the Community of the
Realm.
King Edward had taken an interest in Scottish events.
He also had a solution which would further prevent civil
war in Scotland.
Edward proposed to marry his own young son, Edward
(later Edward II) to Margaret, known as the
Maid of Norway.
In 1290, the Treaty of Birgham confirmed the
marriage, but also agreed:
• The two countries would remain independent
• Nobles with Scottish land would pay homage to the Scottish king only• Scots would not pay
taxes to fund English wars
In 1290, it was agreed that Margaret should travel to Scotland to
prepare to one day become queen.
However during her sea journey, Margaret took ill
and died in Orkney. It was believed she had
pneumonia. Scotland now had no heir.
Scotland was now on the brink of civil war.
Various nobles began assembling armies to help them become the new king
of Scotland.
Something – or someone – was needed to stop this
happening.
Bishop Fraser of St Andrews saw one solution –
the intervention of King Edward.
Edward was seen by many as a friend of Scotland.
Bishop Fraser wrote to the king asking him to come north and choose a new
king for Scotland, a decision no-one could oppose.
Even at this stage, King Edward was aware that
Scotland was divided, mainly between supporters of
Robert Bruce and John Comyn/John Balliol.
He received a letter from Bruce, claiming to have the
support of Scotland’s earls, in his quest to become king.