William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas
William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas (* around 1424, † November 24, 1440 in Edinburgh ) was a Scottish nobleman and French titular Duke of Touraine .
Life
He was the eldest son of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas and his wife Euphemia, daughter of Patrick Graham and Euphemia Stewart, 2nd Countess of Strathearn and Caithness . He followed his father in 1439 as 6th Earl of Douglas , 3rd Duc de Touraine and 2nd Comte de Longueville .
The young earl fell victim to an intrigue at the court of ten-year-old King James II. William and his younger brother David, who was a child at the time, were invited to Edinburgh Castle . There both were served a black bull's head for dinner, which was to be interpreted as a sign of impending death. They were immediately beheaded. This episode went down in Scottish history as the "Black Dinner".
William died unmarried and left no children. His great-uncle James the Gross, 1st Earl of Avondale , inherited the title of Earl of Douglas , his French title lapsed.
Web links
- William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas, on thepeerage.com , accessed September 1, 2016.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Archibald Douglas |
Earl of Douglas 1439-1440 |
James Douglas |
| Archibald Douglas |
Duc de Touraine Comte de Longueville 1439-1440 |
Title expired |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Douglas, William, 6th Earl of Douglas |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | William of Touraine |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Scottish nobleman, Earl of Douglas, Duke of Touraine |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1424 |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 24, 1440 |
| Place of death | Edinburgh |