Alexander III

Alexander III was King of Scots from his father’s death in 1249 until his own death in 1286. He was born at Roxburgh, the only son of Alexander II and Marie de Coucy. Crowned at Scone at the age of seven, his early reign was marked by a power struggle between Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith, and Alan Durward, Justiciar of Scotia. He married Margaret of England in 1251 and resisted demands for homage from Henry III. After regaining control from Comyn’s faction, Alexander focused on the Western Isles, which led to the Treaty of Perth and the acquisition of sovereignty over these territories after the Battle of Largs.

His later reign was troubled by the lack of a male heir, leading to his second marriage to Yolande de Dreux. His unexpected death resulted from a fall from his horse. The throne passed to his granddaughter Margaret, Maid of Norway, who died en route to Scotland, precipitating a succession crisis. Alexander’s death ushered in a period of instability that culminated in the Scottish Wars of Independence.