List of monarchs of Scotland
The
list of monarchs of Scotland concerns the
Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the
state was created by
Kenneth I of Scotland in
843, however modern historiography would tend to see his grandson
Constantine II of Scotland as the creator of the
kingdom of Alba which became Scotland. The
independent kingdom changed in nature following the
Acts of Union in
1707, when, already having in 1603 inherited the throne of England, it became one with the
Kingdom of England to form the
Kingdom of Great Britain.
Today,
Scotland exists as one of the
constituent countries and
nations of the
United Kingdom, alongside
England,
Wales and
Northern Ireland.
From the reign of
Macbeth of Scotland, Scottish monarchs most commonly employed the style
King of Scots or
Queen of Scots, with the exception of the final three: William III, Mary II and Anne used the style "of Scotland" rather than "of Scots" (see
Style of the monarchs of Scotland). The Gaelic styles
rí Alban (King of Scotland) and
ard-rí Alban (High-King of Scotland) were probably used from the time of Constantine II.
Charles II was the last monarch to be
crowned in Scotland, at
Scone.
Although genealogists divide the monarchs of Scotland into "Houses", based on continental European ideas of
dynasties, it appears that the kings and queens of Scotland, insofar as they thought about their ultimate origins, traced their descent from
Fergus Mór, the legendary founder of
Dál Riata said to have flourished in the late 5th century, and from his grandson
Gabrán mac Domangairt and brother
Loarn mac Eirc. James VI is recorded as saying that he was a "Monarch sprunge of Ferguse race". After the Restoration of 1660, when
Jacob de Wet was commissioned to produce portraits of Scotland's past and present rulers for
Holyrood Palace, the series began with Fergus Mór.
*
Kenneth I (Modern Gaelic: Coinneach I mac Alpin; Old Gaelic: Cináed mac Ailpín) (c.
843–
858)
*
Donald I (Domhnall I; Domnall mac Ailpín) (
858–
862)
*
Constantine I (Causantín mac Cináeda) (
862–
877)
*
Aed (
877–
878)
*
Eochaid (Eochaidh; Eochu) (
878–
889)
*
Giric (Giric; Giric mac Dungail) (
878–
889)
*
Donald II (Domhnall II; Domnall mac Causantín) (
889–
890)
*
Constantine II (Causantín mac Áeda) (
900–
943)
*
Malcolm I (Calum I; Máel Coluim mac Domnaill) (
943–
954)
*
Indulf (Indulbh; Idulb mac Causantín) (
954–
962)
*
Dub (Dubh; Dub mac Maíl Choluim) (
962–
967)
*
Culen (Cuilean; Cuilén mac Iduilb) (
967–
971)
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Kenneth II (Coinneach II; Cináed mac Maíl Choluim) (
971–?)
*
Amlaíb (Amlaíbh; Amlaíb mac Iduilb) (after
973–
977)
*
Kenneth II (Coinneach II; Cináed mac Maíl Choluim) (
977–
995)
*
Constantine III (Constantín III; Causantín mac Cuilén) (
995–
997)
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Kenneth III (Coinneach III; Cináed mac Duib) (
997–
1005)
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Malcolm II (Calum II; Máel Coluim mac Cináeda) (
1005–
1034)
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Duncan I (Donnchadh I; Donnchad mac Crínáin) (
1034–
1040)
*
MacBeth (MacBeatha; Mac Bethad mac Findláich) (
1040–
1057)
*
Lulach (Lulach mac Gillai Comgain) (
1057–
1058)
|
Arms of Scotland: Or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counterflory gules |
*
Malcolm III (Calum III; Máel Coluim mac Donnchada) (
1058–
1093)
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Donald III (Domhnall III; Domnall mac Donnchada) (
1093–
1094)
*
Duncan II (Donnchadh II; Donnchad mac Maíl Choluim) (
1094)
*
Donald III (Domhnall III; Domnall mac Donnchada) (
1094–
1097)
*
Edgar (Eagar/Eadgar; Etgair mac Maíl Choluim) (
1097–
1107)
*
Alexander I (Alasdair I; Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim) (1107–1124)
* Saint
David I (Daibhidh I; Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim) (
1124–
1153)
*
Malcolm IV (Calum IV; Máel Coluim mac Enric) (
1153–
1165)
*
William I (Uilleam I; Uilliam mac Enric) (
1165–
1214)
*
Alexander II (Alasdair II ) (
1214–
1249)
*
Alexander III (Alasdair III) (
1249–
1286)
*
Guardians of Scotland **
William Fraser,
Bishop of St Andrews**
Duncan Macduff, 8th
Earl of Fife**
Alexander Comyn, 2nd
Earl of Buchan**
Robert Wishart,
Bishop of Glasgow**
James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland**
John Comyn''
Margaret, Maid of Norway, granddaughter of Alexander III, is sometimes considered to have been heiress or Queen from 1286 until her death in 1290, although she never set foot in Scotland and was never crowned at Scone.
*
John (Iain) (
1292–
1296)
*
Guardians of Scotland**
Andrew de Moray (
1297)
**
William Wallace (
1297–
1298)
**
Robert the Bruce,
Earl of Carrick (
1298–
1300)
**
John Comyn (
1298–
1301)
**
William Lamberton,
Bishop of St Andrews (
1299–
1301)
**
Sir Ingram de Umfraville (
1300–
1301)
**
John de Soules (
1301–
1304)
**
John Comyn (
1302–
1304)
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Robert I the Bruce (Raibeart I) (
1306–
1329)
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David II (Daibidh II) (
1329–
1371)
*
Edward Balliol (Eideard) (Antiking
1329 –
1363)
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Robert II (Raibeart II) (
1371–
1390)
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Robert III (Raibeart III) (
1390–
1406)
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James I (Seumas I) (
1406–
1437)
*
James II (Seumas II) (
1437–
1460)
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James III (Seumas III) (
1460–
1488)
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James IV (Seumas IV) (
1488–
1513)
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James V (Seumas V) (
1513–
1542)
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Mary I (Mairi) (
1542–
1587)
*
James VI (Seumas VI) (
1587–
1625),
Union of the Crowns with
Kingdom of England from (
1603)
*
Charles I (Teàrlach I) (
1625–
1649)
*
Charles II (Teàrlach II) (
1649–
1685) (See also
English Interregnum)
*
James VII (Seumas VII) (
1685–
1689)
*
Mary II (Mairi II) (
1689–
1694), co–monarch
*
William II (Uilleam II) (
1689–
1702), co-monarch until 1694
*
Anne (Anna) (
1702–
1714), though the Scottish throne was replaced with that of the
Kingdom of Great Britain in
1707From
1707, the titles
King of Scots and
Queen of Scots are incorrect. Hence, this list runs up to 1707; for monarchs after that date, see
List of British monarchs.
The inheritance of the kingship was contested in Scotland until well after the death of King MacBeth - it was basically elective, except that the choice of candidates was only from among the derbfine (those whose great-grandfather had been king), but in practice the winner was chosen by the biggest battalions (until, after 1296, Edward Longshanks concentrated minds - and it was English claims of overlordship which finally drove Scotland to accept the certainty of primogeniture as the basis of succession to the crown).
A highly detailed presentation of succession patterns of this realm is given at
competitors for the Crown of Scotland. Many quirks of the succession rights are there.
The Scottish-Gaelic tradition followed that of the Irish-Gaels, i.e choosing from among the derbfine, agnates of the royal family, using the precautionary practice of
tanistry. Others claim, quoting Bede, who says he's quoting others ("alii dicunt"), that the Pictish tradition favoured matrilineal descent. That is, the head of the kingdom, as well as of sub-kingdoms and chieftaincies, etc., always inherited the crown through his mother, as a ranking princess royal, not through his father. (See, e.g.,
The Lion in the North: A Personal View of Scotland's History, by John Prebble ISBN 0140036520 ; among other works.) Thus, you, as king, would not be succeeded by your own son but would normally be succeeded by your mother's other sons; then by your sisters' sons; then, your maternal aunt's sons; and so on, travelling through the female line of the royal house. This combination of male succession through matrilineal descent produced a cumbersome system under which the throne passed cyclically from brother to brother, then uncle to nephew, and then cousin to cousin, before starting over as brother to brother, uncle to nephew, etc. {See, e.g.,
The Lion in the North: A Personal View of Scotland's History, by John Prebble; among other works.}
On the other hand, the whole idea of matrilinear descent is thoroughly exposed as an unnecessary complication, by Alfred P. Smyth wielding Occam's razor in "Warlords and Holy Men" ISBN 0 7486 0100 7, which argues for a more down-to-earth interpretation of the succession (such as we know it) to the crown of Alba. The Gaels and the Cruithne ("Prydyn", "Picts") had been contesting for years for control of Albania - Scotland north of the Forth-Clyde; the Britons of Strathclyde had by no means been subdued after Degsastan, and were still able to put an occasional king into Pictavia - in fact, the Britons of Dumbarton (AlClutha - the Rock of the Clyde) enjoyed overlordship in several periods, imposing kings on the Picts, their near-cousins. One of history's biggest "What-if"s argues that if the later Vikings hadn't needed the Clyde-Forth nexus between Dublin and York (believe it!) then the diocese of Glasgow might have become the religious centre of northern Britain, as it indeed was of Greater Cumbria - Kentigern vs Cuthbert.
The later status of Strathclyde as the tanist's toy kingdom suggests that at times Pictavia had been so used by the Gaels when in ascendancy - perhaps given to a British son-in-law as a sop.
Malcolm II tried to get around this system by killing off all of the agnate heirs between himself and his grandson, Duncan; except for Prince
Lulach of Moray, who was just five years old at the time and - more importantly - was rumoured to be half-witted (thus, he survived).
Duncan I did become king, but Lulach's step-father, Mac Bethad - rendered "
Macbeth" in English - successfully claimed the throne in his own right and on Lulach's behalf. Lulach and Macbeth were from the most Pictish regions of the realm, basing their rights on the matrilineal Pictish order of succession - or so some say.
Duncan I's son,
Malcolm III Canmore, ultimately returned from exile in England and took the throne from Macbeth (1040-1057) and Lulach (the latter reigning 1057-1058, after the death of Macbeth in battle against Malcolm). Malcolm, married to Margaret Athelingsdaughter, whose womb carried the right-by-primogeniture to the throne of England, was succeeded by his brother, as Duncan II Bàn, who was deposed by his nephew, a fan of primogeniture, but then took the throne again from the youngling, until the youngster got the big battalions. So Malcolm Canmore was succeeded by four of his own sons - one of whom,
Edgar (1097-1107), changed the official language of Scotland from Gàidhlig (then still a Scottish dialect of Old Irish) to Inglis (then a language more similar to Northern English (Anglian) than the southern, "Saxon" dialects of English; the Viking invasions would soon re-write the dialect map). Gaelic dominance of Scotland ended during the reign of
Alexander I (Alasdair I)(1107-1124), and the old Celtic system of derbfine + tanistry finally gave way to the more "European" system of primogeniture when Edward I of England began swashing his buckler, because it was seen how easily anyone with a claim to the throne through being of the derbfine could be corrupted by foreign gold; as the kings of Scots had married beyond their borders, so had their ideas of succession been adapted to foreign patterns.
In later medieval era, feudal succession patterns emerged in Scotland in succession patterns of fiefs, real estates and some hereditary territorial officces, and the royal succession floowed suit. Feudal
primogeniture or
proximity of blood was strongly as a basis of succession then. Daughters had a relatively high success when claiming the succession when there were no sons.
Edward I's decision in 1292 case supported the principle of primogeniture, in its cognatic form.
There have been alleged medieval renunciations to the crown of Scotland, validity of which were contested.
Illegitimate birth apparently left descendants with some sort of rights to succession, though not very strong. Obviously, legitimate birth was preferred.
When in fully Gaelic realms, inheritance through women was difficult, it was quite accepted in Scottish succession. After the accession of
Duncan I of Scotland (the
House of Dunkeld), in all subsequent succession twists, grandsons and nephews from female descent were accepted candidates. In 1292
Patrick de Dunbar, 7th Earl of Dunbar claimed the crown as the
agnate of the House of Dunkeld, being (a) the closest agnate, and (b) a candidate based on
tanistry of agnates of the house where Alexander III belonged to. He descended, in an allegedly legitimate unbroken male line, from a younger brother of King
Duncan I of Scotland (who allegedly also was a younger son of
Bethoc of Scotland, the male line being that of Lords of Dunbar, originally Earls of Northumbria, later Earls of Dunbar (see
Earl of March). He however did not win the contest, as heirs who descended through female line but were genealogically closer, were preferred over him.
John Balliol, son of
John Balliol by his wife Devorguilla, daughter of
Alan, Lord of Galloway by his wife Margaret, eldest daughter of
David, Earl of Huntingdon, son of
Henry, Earl of Huntingdon, son of King
David I was the primogenitural heir in legitimate, cognatic line. Adjudication deemed his right as the strongest, and accordingly he was crowned as the king.
Robert de Brus, Lord of Annandale, son of Robert de Brus the Lord of Annandale by his wife Isabella, second daughter of
David, Earl of Huntingdon, son of
Henry, Earl of Huntingdon, son of King
David I, who had been Regent of Scotland sometime during minority of King and was occasionally recognized as a Tanist of the Scottish Throne, pleaded
tanistry and
proximity in degree of kinship to the deceased King. His right apparently was regarded as the second strongest.
From the advent of feudal era in Scotland, the kingship of Scots evolved together with their right to succession of England inherited from the Anglosaxon royal dynasty through
St Margaret of Scotland. After the Balliols, the rights, reckoned on basis of feudal primogeniture, continued to counts of Coucy and then to Bourbons of Vendome, uniting with the Navarrese crown in person of the future Henry IV of France. Currently it is held by
Alice, Duchess of Calabria - as advertised in her son's website.
The
Jacobite claim, based on feudal primogeniture (the prevalent Scottish succession order) descent from Stewarts, namely from Charles I, is detailed in a separate article and currently belongs to
Franz, Duke of Bavaria. They happen to represent also the claim from king
Stephen of England.
When
Robert II of Scotland, the first
Stewart on the throne, had succeeded, he made the parliament to confirm the succession order due to several reasons. First, his eldest children's legitimacy was questionable due to his problematic marital alliances. secondly, the Bruce succession set by force of arms was still something to get settled against competitors.
That succession order was Semi-Salic and stipulated all children of his two marriages eligble, despite any controversy in their births outside matrimony. First, all the male-line descent from him was entitled to succession (as in agnatic primogeniture) before any female or descendant through female descent could succeed. Then, after exhaustion of all males, female succession became allowed.
Indeed, in decades before the birth of the future
Mary, Queen of Scots, there existed at least two and possibly more male-line branches of Robert II's dynasty. The longest-surviving of them was the main royal line up to
James V of Scotland, but the second-longest survivor line, that of
Duke of Albany of the second creation, went extinct only some seven years prior (
John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany and count-consort of Auvergne, died as late as in 1536). Had they provided one more generation, Mary would have not succeeded her father, and the throne would have passed to Albany branch of Stewarts.
However, James V being the last-surviving male-line Stewart descended from Robert II, he was entitled to leave the kingdom to his daughter, in absence of other agnates.
At the time of Mary's birth, the next heir were Hamiltons, Earl of Arran and his family, all of them already from female descent.
After Mary's accession, it is unclear whether any Salic provision was any longer in force. That became never a practical issue, since the junior royal Stuart dynasty never developed any agnate cadet branch in a way that a female would have been before it in the order of succession. However, if the provision were left and Scotland yet a separate kingdom, Victoria's accession in England would have separated Scotland - as would have Elizabeth II's, too. They both had uncles of male line who would have been more entitled to succession in pattern devised by Robert II.
An ancient, but useful work of reference for this article up to the year 1383 is
John of Fordun's Chronicle of The Scottish Nation edited by W.F. Skene (Edinburgh, 1872)
*
Scottish monarchs family tree*
List of Kings of the Picts*
List of regnal numerals of future British monarchs*
Idi Amin, who claimed to be King of Scotland
*
Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland*
List of Queens of Scotland
