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David II (5 March 1324 – 22 February 1371) was
King of Scots The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thought to have gro ...
from 1329 until his death in 1371. Upon the death of his father,
Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...
, David succeeded to the throne at the age of five, and was crowned at Scone in November 1331, becoming the first Scottish monarch to be
anointed Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body. By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, or oth ...
at their coronation. During his childhood
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
was governed by a series of guardians, and
Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...
sought to take advantage of David's minority by supporting an invasion of Scotland by
Edward Balliol Edward Balliol (; 1283 – January 1364) was a claimant to the Scottish throne during the Second War of Scottish Independence. With English help, he ruled parts of the kingdom from 1332 to 1356. Early life Edward was the eldest son of John B ...
, beginning the Second War of Scottish Independence. Following the English victory at the
Battle of Halidon Hill The Battle of Halidon Hill took place on 19 July 1333 when a Scottish army under Sir Archibald Douglas attacked an English army commanded by King Edward III of England () and was heavily defeated. The year before, Edward Balliol had seiz ...
in 1333, David, his queen and the rump of his government were evacuated to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, where he remained in exile until it was safe for him to return to Scotland in 1341. In 1346, David invaded
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
in support of France during the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...
. His army was defeated at the Battle of Neville's Cross and he was captured and held as a prisoner in England for eleven years, while his nephew, Robert the Steward, governed Scotland. In 1357 the Treaty of Berwick brought the Second War of Independence to an end, the Scots agreed to pay a ransom of 100,000 merks, and David II was allowed to return home. Heavy taxation was needed to provide funds for the ransom, which was to be paid in instalments, and David alienated his subjects by using the money for his own purposes. By 1363 it was found impossible to raise the remaining ransom, and David sought its cancellation by offering to bequeath the succession to the Scottish throne to Edward III or one of his sons. In 1364, the
Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
rejected David's proposal to make Lionel,
Duke of Clarence Duke of Clarence is a substantive title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the British Royal Family. All three creations were in the Peerage of England. The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son ...
, the next king. Despising his nephew, David sought to prevent him succeeding to his throne by marrying his mistress, Margaret Drummond, and producing an alternative heir. When his second wife failed to do so, David unsuccessfully attempted to divorce her. Although David II spent long periods in exile or captivity, he managed to ensure the survival of his kingdom, reformed the machinery of government, and left the Scottish monarchy in a strong position. The last male of the House of Bruce, David died, childless, in 1371 after a reign of 41 years, and was succeeded by his nephew, Robert II.


Early life

David II was born on 5 March 1324 at Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, one of twin sons born to Robert I, King of Scotland and
Elizabeth de Burgh Lady Elizabeth de Burgh (; ; c. 1289 – 27 October 1327) was the second wife and the only queen consort of King Robert the Bruce. Elizabeth was born sometime around 1289, probably in what is now County Down or County Antrim in Ulster, t ...
. Soon after his birth he was wet nursed at the Bishop of St Andrews' manor at Inchmurdoch in Fife. He was created Earl of Carrick by his father in 1326, and an official household was established for the prince at
Turnberry Castle Turnberry Castle is a fragmentary ruin on the coast of Kirkoswald parish, near Maybole in Ayrshire, Scotland.''Ordnance of Scotland'', ed. Francis H. Groome, 1892-6. Vol.6, p.454 Situated at the extremity of the lower peninsula within the paris ...
. Very little is known of his youth, though it is recorded that King Robert paid for Dominican
friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...
s to educate David, and also purchased books for him. David's mother died in 1327, when he was three years old.Richardson, Douglas, ''Plantagenet Ancestry'', Baltimore, Md., 2004, p. 23, In accordance with the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton's terms, Endnotes: * Andrew of Wyntoun, ''The orygynale cronykil of Scotland'', edited by D. Laing (Edinburgh, 1872–1879) * John of Fordun, ''Chronica gentis Scotorum'', edited by W. F. Skene (Edinburgh, 1871–1872) * J. H. Burton, ''History of Scotland'', vol. ii. (Edinburgh, 1905) * A. Lang, ''History of Scotland'', vol. i. (Edinburgh, 1900). on 17 July 1328, when he was four years old, David was married to seven-year-old
Joan Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *: Joan of Arc, a French military heroine *Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multip ...
, the daughter of Edward II of England and Isabella of France, at Berwick Castle. They had no issue.


Reign

David became king upon the death of his father on 7 June 1329. David II's youth and the uncertainty of the Anglo-Scottish peace meant that he was not moved from Turnberry to Scone for his coronation for two-and-a-half years. The seven-year old king and his wife were crowned at Scone Abbey on 24 November 1331. Upon David's accession,
Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas th ...
was appointed as Guardian in accordance with Robert I's orders, to govern Scotland until David reached adulthood, and the royal government of King Robert remained largely in place from 1329 to 1332. After Moray's death, on 20 July 1332, he was replaced by Donald, Earl of Mar, elected by an assembly of the magnates of Scotland at
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, 2 August 1332. Only ten days later Mar fell at the
Battle of Dupplin Moor The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of King David II of Scotland, the son of King Robert Bruce, and English-backed invaders supporting Edward Balliol, son of King John I of Scotland, on 11 August 1332. It took place a lit ...
.
Sir Andrew Murray Sir Andrew Murray (1298–1338), also known as Sir Andrew Moray, or Sir Andrew de Moray, was a Scottish military and political leader who supported King David II of Scotland against Edward Balliol and King Edward III of England during the Secon ...
of Bothwell, who was married to Christian (or Christina), the sister of King
Robert I Robert I may refer to: *Robert I, Duke of Neustria (697–748) * Robert I of France (866–923), King of France, 922–923, rebelled against Charles the Simple * Rollo, Duke of Normandy (c. 846 – c. 930; reigned 911–927) * Robert I Archbishop o ...
, was chosen as the new Guardian. He was taken prisoner by the English at Roxburgh in April 1333 and was thence replaced as Guardian by
Archibald Douglas (the Tyneman) Sir Archibald Douglas (before 1298 – 19 July 1333) was a Scottish nobleman, Guardian of Scotland, and military leader. He is sometimes given the epithet "Tyneman" (Old Scots: Loser), but this may be a reference to his great-nephew Archibald D ...
, who fell at the
Battle of Halidon Hill The Battle of Halidon Hill took place on 19 July 1333 when a Scottish army under Sir Archibald Douglas attacked an English army commanded by King Edward III of England () and was heavily defeated. The year before, Edward Balliol had seiz ...
that July. Meanwhile, on 24 September 1332, following the Scots' defeat at Dupplin,
Edward Balliol Edward Balliol (; 1283 – January 1364) was a claimant to the Scottish throne during the Second War of Scottish Independence. With English help, he ruled parts of the kingdom from 1332 to 1356. Early life Edward was the eldest son of John B ...
, a protégé of
Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...
, and a pretender to the throne of Scotland, was crowned by the English and his Scots adherents. By December, however, Balliol was forced to flee to England after the
Battle of Annan The Battle of Annan, also known in the sources as the Camisade of Annan, took place on 16 December 1332 at Annan, Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland. Edward Balliol had seized the Scottish crown three months earlier after the Battle of Dup ...
, although he returned the following year as part of an invasion force led by the English king.


Exile in France

Following the English victory at the
Battle of Halidon Hill The Battle of Halidon Hill took place on 19 July 1333 when a Scottish army under Sir Archibald Douglas attacked an English army commanded by King Edward III of England () and was heavily defeated. The year before, Edward Balliol had seiz ...
in July 1333, David and his wife were sent for safety into France, reaching
Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the C ...
on 14 May 1334. They were received very graciously by King Philip VI. Little is known about the life of the Scottish king in France, except that Château Gaillard was given to him for a residence, and that he was present at the bloodless meeting of the English and French armies in October 1339 at Vironfosse, now known as
Buironfosse Buironfosse () is a commune in the department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population Standoff of 1339 In 1339 the French and English armies, engaged in the Hundred Years War, formed battle lines near Buironfosse, and the ...
, in the Arrondissement of Vervins. By 1341, David's representatives had once again obtained the upper hand in Scotland. David was able to return to his kingdom, landing at Inverbervie in Kincardineshire on 2 June 1341. He took the reins of government into his own hands, at the age of 17.


Captivity in England

In 1346, under the terms of the Auld Alliance, David invaded England to try to draw King Edward away from the French, who had been invaded by the English and badly defeated at the Battle of Crecy. After initial success at Hexham, David's army was soundly defeated at the Battle of Neville's Cross on 17 October 1346. David suffered two arrow wounds to the face and was captured and taken prisoner by Sir John de Coupland. The king was taken to Wark on Tweed, and then to
Bamburgh Castle Bamburgh Castle is a castle on the northeast coast of England, by the village of Bamburgh in Northumberland. It is a Grade I listed building. The site was originally the location of a Celtic Brittonic fort known as ''Din Guarie'' and may h ...
, where barber-surgeons from
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
were brought to treat his serious injuries. David II was transferred to
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, where he was imprisoned in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
in January 1347. David was transferred to
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...
in Berkshire upon the return of Edward III from France. The depiction of David being presented to King Edward III in the play '' The Raigne of King Edward the Third'' is fictitious. David and his household were later moved to Odiham Castle in
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
. His imprisonment was not reputed to be a rigorous one as was typical of most royal prisoners. However, the fact that from 1355 he was denied contact with any of his subjects may indicate otherwise. He remained captive in England for eleven years. On 3 October 1357, after several protracted negotiations with the Scots' regency council, a treaty was signed at
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census re ...
under which Scotland's nobility agreed to pay 100,000 marks, at the rate of 10,000 marks per year, as a ransom for their king. This was ratified by the Scottish Parliament at Scone on 6 November 1357.


Return to Scotland

David returned at once to Scotland, bringing with him a mistress, Katherine (or Catherine) Mortimer, of whom little is known. This was an unpopular move, and Katherine was murdered in 1360 by men hired by the Earl of Angus and other nobles, according to some sources; the Earl was then starved to death. She was replaced as mistress by Margaret Drummond. After six years, owing to the poverty of the kingdom, it was found impossible to raise the ransom instalment of 1363. David then made for London and sought to get rid of the liability by offering to bequeath Scotland to Edward III, or one of his sons, in return for a cancellation of the ransom. David did this with the full awareness that the Scots would never accept such an arrangement. In 1364, the Scottish parliament indignantly rejected a proposal to make Lionel,
Duke of Clarence Duke of Clarence is a substantive title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the British Royal Family. All three creations were in the Peerage of England. The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son ...
, the next king. Over the next few years, David strung out secret negotiations with Edward III, which apparently appeased the matter. His wife, Queen Joan, died on 7 September 1362 (aged 41) at Hertford Castle, Hertfordshire, possibly a victim of the
Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
. He remarried, on about 20 February 1364, Margaret Drummond, widow of Sir John Logie, and daughter of Sir Malcolm Drummond. He divorced her on about 20 March 1370. They had no children.Dunbar (1899) p. 154 Margaret, however, travelled to
Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label= Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the commune had ...
, and made a successful appeal to the Pope Urban V to reverse the sentence of divorce which had been pronounced against her in Scotland. She was still alive in January 1375, four years after David died. From 1364, David governed actively, dealing firmly with recalcitrant nobles, and a wider baronial revolt, led by his prospective successor, the future Robert II. David continued to pursue the goal of a final peace with England. At the time of his death, the Scottish monarchy was stronger and the country was "a free and independent kingdom" according to a reliable source. The royal finances were more prosperous than might have seemed possible.


Relationships

King David II of Scotland married twice and had several mistresses, but none of his relationships produced children. 1) Joan of the Tower, the daughter of King Edward II of England and Isabella of France, was David's first wife. David and Joan were married on 17 July 1328, when he was four years old and she was seven. The marriage was in accordance with the terms of the
Treaty of Northampton A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...
. They were married for 34 years but produced no children.Dunbar (1899) p. 154 Queen Joan died on 7 September 1362 (aged 41) at Hertford Castle, Hertfordshire, possibly a victim of the Black Death. 2) Margaret Drummond was the widow of Sir John Logie, and daughter of Sir Malcolm Drummond. Margaret was David's mistress before the death of Queen Joan, from about 1361. David and Margaret married on 20 February 1364. Still producing no heirs, David attempted to divorce Margaret on 20 March 1370, on the grounds that she was infertile.Dunbar (1899) p. 154 Pope Urban V, however, reversed the divorce. When David died on 22 February 1371, Margaret and David were still actually married, according to Rome. Margaret died sometime after 31 January 1375, and her funeral was paid for by Pope Gregory XI. 3) Agnes Dunbar was David's mistress at the time of his death. He was planning to marry her, however, the marriage was delayed by the reversal of his divorce to Margaret.


Death

David II died unexpectedly of natural causes, and at the height of his power, in
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
on 22 February 1371. He was buried in
Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Ref ...
. The funeral was overseen by Abbot Thomas. He left no children and was succeeded by his nephew, Robert II, the son of David's half-sister Marjorie Bruce. David II was the last male of the House of Bruce.


Fictional portrayals

David II has been depicted in historical novels. They includeNield (1968), p. 42 *''Cressy and Poictiers; or, the Story of the Black Prince's Page'' (1865) by John George Edgar (1834–1864).Shattock (2000), p. 1785-1786 The novel depicts events of the years 1344 to 1370, with an epilogue in 1376. The events depicted cover part of the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...
and the "Scotch Border Wars" ( Second War of Scottish Independence), with the Battle of Neville's Cross (1346) being a key part of the plot. David II is one of the "principal characters", alongside
Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...
, Philippa of Hainault, and Edward, the Black Prince. *''Flowers of Chivalry'' (1988), by Nigel Tranter, covers events of the Second War of Scottish Independence from 1332 to 1339. David II is a secondary character, the protagonists being Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie and William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale."Nigel Tranter Historical Novels",timeline of events depicted
/ref> * ''Vagabond'' (2002) by Bernard Cornwell. David II also appears as a character in the Elizabethan play ''
Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
'' and also in the 2012 grand strategy game
Crusader Kings II ''Crusader Kings II'' is a grand strategy video game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. Set in the Middle Ages, the game was released on February 14, 2012, as a sequel to 2004's '' Crusader Kings''. On ...
as the monarch of Scotland in 1336.


Notes


References

*David Nash Ford (2004)
''Royal Berkshire History: David II, King of Scots (1324-1371)''
*
John of Fordun John of Fordun (before 1360 – c. 1384) was a Scottish chronicler. It is generally stated that he was born at Fordoun, Mearns. It is certain that he was a secular priest, and that he composed his history in the latter part of the 14th ...
(1871–72). ''Chronica gentis Scotorum'', edited by
W. F. Skene William Forbes Skene WS FRSE FSA(Scot) DCL LLD (7 June 1809 – 29 August 1892), was a Scottish lawyer, historian and antiquary. He co-founded the Scottish legal firm Skene Edwards which was prominent throughout the 20th century but disappeare ...
. Edinburgh. * John Hill Burton. (1905). ''History of Scotland'', vol. ii. Edinburgh. * Andrew Lang. (1900). ''History of Scotland'', vol. i. Edinburgh. * * * * Andrew of Wyntoun. (1872–79). ''The orygynale cronykil of Scotland'', edited by D. Laing Edinburgh.


Further reading

*Michael Brown. (2004). ''The Wars of Scotland, 1214–1371. The New Edinburgh History of Scotland, volume 4.'' Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. *Ranald Nicholson. (1975)., ''Scotland. The Later Middle Ages.'' Edinburgh: Mercat Press. *Michael Penman. (2003). ''David II, 1329–71: The Bruce Dynasty in Scotland.'' East Linton: Tuckwell Press. {{DEFAULTSORT:David 02 Of Scotland 1324 births 1371 deaths 14th-century Scottish earls 14th-century Scottish monarchs Burials at Holyrood Abbey Earls or mormaers of Carrick Male Shakespearean characters Medieval child rulers Monarchs taken prisoner in wartime Prisoners in the Tower of London Scottish people of Irish descent Scottish people of the Wars of Scottish Independence Scottish prisoners and detainees Sons of kings Scottish twins Children of Robert the Bruce