Robert III (Scotland)
Robert III (actually John Stewart ; * 1337 ; † April 4, 1406 in Rothesay ) was King of Scotland from 1390 until his death . He was the eldest son of Robert II and his first wife Elizabeth Mure of Rowallan, a former mistress. John Stewart was not legitimized until his parents' second formal wedding in 1349. They had married in 1336, but many believed the marriage to be illegal at the time.
In 1368, great-uncle, King David II , awarded him the title of Earl of Carrick . He participated in government affairs until around 1387, when he was partially paralyzed by a horse kick. This is probably why his brother Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany , rather than the Crown Prince himself, was elected regent in 1389. Nevertheless, he succeeded his father to the throne in May 1390.
At this time he changed his maiden name John - unpopular because of the association with John Balliol - in Robert and was on August 14, 1390 in Scone as King Robert III. crowned. Although he probably attended a few parliamentary sessions, he ruled only nominally as King of Scotland; the real power was in his brother's hands.
Because of the "frailty" of the king, his eldest son David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, was appointed governor of Scotland in 1399. As a result, he assumed almost sole responsibility for government affairs. But soon afterwards he fell out with his uncle, the Duke of Albany, and was imprisoned by him in the Falkland Palace in 1402 for unknown reasons . The governor is said to have starved to death there.
Fearing for the safety of his surviving son James (Jacob), the king hid him at Dirleton Castle with the intention of taking him to France from there. But a month later, in April 1406, young James was captured by the English on the way there. King Robert died shortly afterwards at Rothesay Castle , allegedly from grief over the capture of his son. He had even asked to be buried under a pile of dung. The following should have been written on his tombstone: "Here lies the worst of all kings and the most miserable of all men". Instead he was buried in Paisley Abbey . He did not consider himself worthy enough to be buried in Scone , the traditional burial place of the Scottish kings.
family
Robert III married Annabella Drummond (approx. 1350–1402) in 1367 , daughter of John Drummond of Stobhill, with whom he had the following children:
- David Stewart, 1st Duke of Rothesay (1378-1402);
- Robert Stewart († young);
- James I , King of Scotland (1394–1437);
- Margaret Stewart, Lady of Galloway († 1456), ⚭ Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas ;
- Maria Stewart († 1458), ⚭ (1) 1397 George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus , ⚭ (2) 1405 Sir James Kennedy of Dunure, ⚭ (3) 1413 Sir William Graham of Kincardine, ⚭ (4) 1425 Sir William Edmondstone, 1st Laird of Duntreath;
- Elizabeth Stewart († 1411), ⚭ 1387 James Douglas, 1st Lord of Dalkeith;
- Egidia Stewart († young).
He also had an illegitimate son named James Stewart of Kilbride.
See also
Literature and web links
- Alison Weir: Britain's Royal Families. The Complete Genealogy. The Bodley Head, London 1999, p. 226 ff.
- Robert III Stewart, King of Scotland on thepeerage.com
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| New title created |
Earl of Carrick 1368-1390 |
Title merged with the crown |
| Robert II |
King of Scotland 1390–1406 |
Jacob I. |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Robert III |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Stewart, John, 1st Earl of Carrick |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | King of Scotland |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1337 |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 4, 1406 |
| Place of death | Rothesay |