Scotland/Catalogs/Kings and Queens
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The first king of Scotland is generally considered to be Kenneth MacAlpin in the 9th century. He united two kingdoms, the Picts and Dalriada. Almost two hundred years later, Malcolm II added the kingdom of Strathclyde to form something close to the modern boundaries. The kingdoms of England and Scotland had shared the same monarch since James VI of Scotland inherited the throne of England on the death of Elizabeth I. Briefly, under Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, England and Scotland were joined as one state. This broke apart with the reinstatement of Charles II. It was not until the reign of Queen Anne at the beginning of the 18th century that England and Scotland would be joined to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
Early monarchs
| Date of Reign | Name | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| *843-859 | Kenneth I MacAlpin | United Dalriada & Picts |
| *858-862 | Donald I | |
| *862-877 | Constantine I | |
| *877-878 | Aed | |
| *878-889 | Eochaid | |
| *878-889 | Giric | |
| *889-900 | Donald II | |
| *900-943 | Constantine II | |
| *943-954 | Malcolm I | |
| *954-962 | Indulf | |
| *962-966 | Dubh the Black | |
| *966--971 | Cullen | |
| *971-995 | Kenneth II | |
| *995-997 | Constantine III | |
| *997-1005 | Kenneth III | |
| *1005-1034 | Malcolm II | Added Strathclyde. |
| *1034-1040 | Duncan I | |
| *1040-1057 | Macbeth | |
| *1057-1058 | Lulach | |
| *1058-1093 | Malcolm III Canmore | |
| *Nov 1093-May 1094 | Donald III Bane | |
| *May 1094-Nov 1094 | Duncan II | |
| *Nov 1094 -Oct 1097 | Donald III Bane | |
| *1097-1107 | Edgar | Gave western isles to Norway for peace. |
| *1107-1124 | Alexander I | |
| *1124-1153 | David I | |
| *1153-1165 | Malcolm IV the Maiden | |
| *1165-1214 | William I the Lion | |
| *1214-1249 | Alexander II | |
| *1249-1286 | Alexander III | |
| *1286-1290 | Margaret Maid of Norway | |
| *1292-1296 | John Baliol |
House of Bruce
| Date of Reign | Name | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| *1306-1329 | Robert I/Robert VIII de Bruce | Confirmed independence at Northampton 1328. |
| *June 7, 1329-Feb 22, 1371 | David II |
House of Stewart (Scotland)
| Date of Reign | Name | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| *1371-1390 | Robert II | First of the Stewart sovereigns. |
| *April 19, 1390-1406 | Robert III/John Stewart | |
| *1406-1437 | James I | |
| *1437-1460 | James II | |
| *1460-June 11, 1488 | James III | |
| *1488-1513 | James IV | |
| *1513-1542 | James V | |
| *1542-1567 | Mary I Queen of Scots | Forced to abdicate. Executed in England in 1587. |
| *1567-1625 | James VI | (James I/Eng.) |
| *1625-1649 | Charles I | |
| *1649-1651 | Charles II |
Commonwealth/protectorate
| Date of Reign | Name | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| *1651-1653 | Commonwealth | |
| *1653-1658 | Oliver Cromwell | Protectorate |
| *1658-1659 | Richard Cromwell | Protectorate |
House of Stuart restored
| Date of Reign | Name | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| *1660-1685 | Charles II | |
| *1685-1689 | James VII | James II of England until 1688 |
| *1689-1694 | William and Mary | (jointly) |
| *1694-1702 | William II | (sole monarch) William III of England |
| *1702-1714 | Anne |
Notes
The dates of many early monarchs are uncertain by a year or so.
The situation in the period 878-89 is uncertain. The throne may have been occupied by Eochaid, or Giric, or both, either jointly or successively.
In 1290, the death of Queen Margaret ended the legitimate descendants of her great-great-grandfather. Twelve distant and/or illegitimate cousins, as well as her father, Eric X of Norway, claimed the throne. To avoid a civil war, it was agreed the matter should be referred to Edward I of England, as nominal overlord. He in turn referred it to his judges, who eventually decided in favour of John Baliol. This explains the interregnum.
In 1296, Edward I of England invaded Scotland, deposed King John, and annexed Scotland to the English crown. Over the ensuing period, there were a number of rebellions, and English power in Scotland was effectively ended by the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
In 1332, Edward Baliol was proclaimed and crowned king in opposition to David II. He ruled varying amounts of Scotland for various periods from then till 1356.
After the English army executed Charles I in 1649, Charles II was proclaimed king of Scots. In 1650, England declared war and invaded Scotland. In 1651, Charles II was crowned king of Scots and counter-invaded England. He was defeated and escaped to the continent. The remaining Scottish armies were mopped up by the end of the year, and Scotland was annexed by the English republic ("commonwealth").
In 1689, after King James had been removed from the English throne and replaced by William and Mary, the Scottish Parliament declared he had forfeited the Scottish throne.
His son may have been crowned as James VIII in 1716, and his forces controlled most of Scotland in 1745-6.
The first Scottish monarch known to have used a number is David II. The numbering of earlier monarchs is retrospective. Monarchs do not usually call themselves "the First", such designations being added retrospectively when another monarch of the same name succeeds. It should also be noted that the old Celtic names have not recurred since numbering was introduced, so their numbering is not established by precedent. The convention followed here is that used by recent generations of Scottish historians, and by the royal website, which starts from the union of the Picts and Scots.
Spellings of some early monarchs have been modernized.