Alexander III Flashcards
Who was Alexander III?
Alexander:
- was King of Scotland from 1249 until 1285.
- His unexpected death left Scotland without any heir to the throne. Nobody knew what would happen next.
- Took control of the Western Isles. Before Alexander, a lot of Scottish islands belonged to Norway. In 1263 the Norwegian navy attacked Scotland at Largs but the Scots fought them off.
Later the King of Norway sold the islands to Alexander. Orkney and Shetland still belonged to Norway, though.
How did Alexander die?
Alexander and his first wife, Margaret, had three children together. Margaret died in 1275. By 1284, all three of their children had died too.
This meant there was no heir to the throne to take over after Alexander died. In 1285 Alexander married again. His new wife was called Yolande.
On March 18th 1286, Alexander rode his horse to Kinghorn, Fife, to meet Yolande to celebrate her birthday. It was a dark, stormy night.
Alexander never made it. The next day he was found dead on the beach with a broken neck. He had fallen from his horse.
Scotland now had no ruler. The next person in line to rule Scotland was a three-year-old girl who lived in Norway - Alexander’s granddaughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway
Alexander III facts:
- He was born at Roxburgh in 1241
- He was only seven when he became king in 1249
- He married Margaret of England in 1251 when he was 10
- He defeated a Norwegian fleet at Largs in 1263
- He gained control of the Western Isles in 1266 at the Treaty of Perth
- He died in 1286 and was buried in Dunfermline Abbey
Who was Margaret, Maid of Norway?
Margaret, Maid of Norway was chosen to be Queen of Scotland when she was only three years old.
She was the granddaughter of King Alexander III, the King of Scots.
Her unfortunate death left Scotland without a King or Queen
Margaret, Maid of Norway facts:
- Margaret was born in Norway in 1283
- She was the daughter of King Erik II of Norway and Margaret of Scotland
- Her grandfather was King Alexander III of Scotland
- It was arranged that Margaret would marry Prince Edward of Caernarvon, son of King Edward I of England
The marriage was meant to join Scotland and England together - She died in Orkney in 1290
- She was buried in Bergen, Norway
How did Margaret, Maid of Norway die?
Margaret’s father, King Eric II of Norway and the Scottish lords agreed with the King of England, Edward I, that Margaret should marry Edward’s son.
In 1290 Edward I arranged a ship to bring Margaret from Norway to Scotland. She was to be crowned Queen of Scotland before travelling to England to marry his son.
On the way Margaret became very ill. The ship stopped in Orkney and while there Margaret died. She was seven years old.
It is though that she died of seasickness.
Scotland now had a big problem. It no longer had a queen or king to rule it
Claimants to the throne….
In the absence of a king or queen of Scotland, the Guardians of Scotland looked to King Edward. He had been Alexander’s brother-in-law (his sister had been married to Alexander) and the Guardians believed he had the wisdom to make the right decision and the military might (strength) to enforce it.
Claimants to the throne…
In June 1291, 13 claimants to the Scots throne heard Edward’s conditions; he would investigate and decide upon the next King of Scots…but only after every candidate agreed to recognise him as their Overlord. This they quickly did, each thinking that it would improve their chance of success
What is a Guardian?
Six men were appointed to help rule the kingdom. They were called the Guardians of the Realm
What is a Claimant?
Those who claimed they had a right to the throne
What is an Overlord?
An overlord is someone who rules over another.
For example, Edward I was overlord to King John and made him swear allegiance to him and follow his orders.
Who was John Balliol?
John Balliol was made King of Scots by King Edward I of England, only to have Edward take his throne taken away by force
How did John Balliol become king?
Before John became king, Scotland had been left without a ruler. The search for a new king would lead to war:
- In 1286 King Alexander III died.
- In 1290 the next in line, Alexander’s granddaughter Margaret, Maid of Norway, died aged only seven
- In 1291 the Scottish nobles asked King Edward I of England to help choose a new king
- In 1292 John Balliol was picked as the new King of Scotland
What happened to King John?
Before he made John king, Edward I, King of England, forced John to recognise him as his superior. Edward expected John to be loyal to him.
England was at war with France. Edward demanded that the Scots took his side against the French. The Scottish nobles were so angry at this that they made John stand up to Edward.
In 1295, John signed a treaty of friendship and support with the King of France. The two countries promised to defend each other against England. The treaty became known as the Auld Alliance.
How did Edward punish John Balliol?
Edward was furious about the treaty between Scotland and France. In 1296 he marched a large army into Scotland and beat a Scottish army at the Battle of Dunbar.
John surrendered. To punish him, Edward stripped John of his royal status - he was no longer king!
He even ripped the royal insignia from John’s tunic. As a result John got the nickname ‘Toom Tabard’ - meaning empty jacket.
Edward took the Stone of Destiny to England. This was the stone on which all Scottish kings were crowned. Without it the Scots could not make another king. The Wars of Independence had started!
