Alexander III (king of Scotland)

Alexander III, nicknamed the Glorious ( born Alexander III ; senior gel. Alaxandair mac Alaxandair ; modern gel. Alasdair mac Alasdair ; September 4, 1241 , - March 19, 1286 , near , Fife ) - king Scotland . The only son of King Alexander II and his second wife, Maria de Coucy . Representative of the Dankeld Dynasty .

Alexander III of Scotland
English Alexander III , Gaelic. Alasdair mac alasdair
Coronation of Alexander III at Mouth Hill, Skoon. He is greeted by ollamh rígh , a royal poet who addresses him with a speech blessing the king of Scotland; then read out the royal lineage.
King of scotland July 6, 1249 - March 19, 1286
Coronation	July 13, 1249
Predecessor	Alexander II of Scotland
Successor	Margaret Norwegian Virgo
Birth	September 4, 1241 ( 1241-09-04 ) Roxborough , Scottish Kingdom
Death	March 19, 1286 ( 1286-03-19 ) ( aged 44) near Kinghorn , Fife , ibid.
Burial place	Dunfermline Abbey
Kind	Dankeld
Father	Alexander II of Scotland
Mother	Maria de Coucy
Spouse	1st: Margarita English 2nd: Yolanda de Dreux
Children	From 1st marriage: sons: Alexander of Scotland , David daughter: Margaret of Scotland From 2nd marriage: stillborn baby
Battles

Alexander's father died on July 6, 1249 , and he became king at the age of eight, having been crowned in Skoon on July 13, 1249 .

The years of his youth were marked by a power struggle between two rival parties, one of which was led by Walter Comin , Earl of Mentate , and the other by Alan Dorward , Justiciary of Scotland. The latter, married to the half-sister of Alexander Marjorie (illegitimate daughter of Alexander II), played a dominant role at the very beginning of the reign of the young king. During the marriage ceremony of Alexander and Margaret of England in 1251 , Henry III saw an opportunity to force his son-in-law to bring homage for the Scottish kingdom, but Alexander refused. In 1255, negotiations between the Scottish and English kings in Kelso led to the earl of Mentate and his party being removed by the Dorward party. But despite this, they continued to retain great influence, and, two years later, capturing the king, forced their rivals to agree to create a joint regency council.

In 1262, having reached the age of majority at 21, Alexander proclaimed the continuation of his father's policy towards the Western Isles . He claimed his rights to the Norwegian King Haakon IV . He rejected the claims of Alexander, and the next year organized an invasion . Rounding the west coast of Scotland, he stopped at the Isle of Arran , where he began to negotiate, which Alexander delayed, waiting for the onset of autumn storms. Haakon, weary of delays in negotiations, struck. But only in order to meet with a terrifying storm that significantly scattered and damaged his ships. The result of the battle of Largs ( October 2, 1263 ) was uncertain, but made Haakon's position hopeless. In desperation, he turned home and died in the Orkney Islands on December 15, 1263 .

Now the islands lay at the feet of Alexander, and in 1266, the successor of Haakon concluded the Perth Treaty , according to which he ceded the Isle of Man and the Western Isles of Scotland in exchange for money. Only Orkney and Shetland Islands remained behind Norway. In 1284, Alexander granted the title of Lord of the Islands to the head of the MacDonald family - Angus MacDonald. After this, for more than two centuries, the MacDonalds ruled the islands like kings, constantly confronting the Scottish monarchy.

Alexander married Princess Margaret of England , daughter of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence , December 26, 1251 . She died on February 26, 1275 , having given birth to three children:

1. Margaret of Scotland ( February 28, 1261 - April 9, 1283 ), who married King Eric II of Norway .
2. Alexander of Scotland ( January 21, 1264 , Jedborough - January 17, 1284 , Lindoris Abbey); buried in Dunfermline Abbey .
3. David ( March 20, 1272 - June 1281 , Sterling Castle ); buried in Dunfermline Abbey .

Towards the end of Alexander’s reign, the death of all three of his children raised the question of succession to the order of paramount importance. In 1284, he forced the Estates of the Kingdom to recognize Margaret’s granddaughter, the Norwegian Virgin, as his heir. The need for a male heir led him to a second marriage with Yolanda de Dreux , which took place on November 1, 1285 .

Memorial obelisk at the site of the death of King Alexander III

But the unexpected death of the king destroyed all hopes. Alexander died, falling from a horse during a night trip to his queen in Kinghorn (Fife) on March 19, 1286 . Alexander separated from his guides and, apparently, in the darkness his horse stumbled. The 44-year-old king was found dead on the shore in the morning. Some sources say that he fell on the rocks. And although there are no rocks in the place where he was found, nevertheless, there is a steep embankment, the fall from which turned out to be fatal in the dark. After the death of Alexander, his strong state plunged into the dark period, which as a result led to a war with England. If Alexander, who was a strong king, had survived, everything could have been otherwise. He was buried at Dunfermline Abbey .

Since Alexander did not leave the children, the unborn child of Queen Yolanda began to be considered the heir. When Yolanda’s pregnancy ended in nothing in November 1286, his granddaughter Margaret of Norway became the heiress of Alexander. She died, without being crowned, on her way to Scotland in 1290 . The coronation of John Balliol November 30, 1292 put an end to the six-year interregnum, during which the country was ruled by the Keepers of Scotland.