Donald III
Donald III ( Domnall mac Donnchada ; * 1033 ; † 1099 ) was Scottish king from 1093 to 1094 and from 1094 to 1097. He was born as the second son of Duncan I and his wife, a princess of Northumberland . He was the brother of his predecessor Malcolm III. and uncle of Duncan II , who temporarily ousted him from the throne. Donald can be described as the last ruler of Scotland who was still committed to the Celtic tradition.
Donald became Mormaer (or Earl ) of Gowrie around 1060 and succeeded the Scottish royal throne after the death of his brother Malcolm. There is no evidence that he was ever crowned. He ruled with his nephew Edmund . Malcolm's English wife Margareta (later canonized for her commitment to the Church) enabled a strong English influence at the Scottish royal court. A number of clan leaders rebelled against it and were delighted with Donald's accession to the throne in 1093. Malcolm had been killed in battle and his wife a few days after him. Donald tried with moderate success to drive back English influence in Scotland.
Malcolm's son Duncan II stayed in England and laid claim to the Scottish throne. With the help of English troops, he deposed Donald and Edmund in May 1094. Duncan was king for only a few months and was killed on November 12 of the same year in the Battle of Monthechin . Donald and Edmund came back to power; Donald ruled the northern part of the empire, Edmund ruled the southern part. The policy directed against England and its new Norman rulers led to armed conflicts which in 1097 led to the renewed overthrow of Donald and Edmund.
Duncan's half-brother Edgar succeeded the throne. Donald was captured and died in Rescobie, Angus in 1099 . Edmund was able to escape and from then on lived as a monk in Somerset .
See also
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Malcolm III |
King of Scotland (with Edmund ) 1093-1094 |
Duncan II |
| Duncan II |
King of Scotland (with Edmund ) 1094–1097 |
Edgar |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Donald III |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Domnall mac Donnchada |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | scottish king |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1033 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1099 |
| Place of death | Rescobia, Angus |