February 22 1371 – Robert II becomes King of Scotland

On February, 22, 1371, Robert II became King of Scotland and the first Stuart king. Robert II was born in 1316 to the 6th High Steward of Scotland, Walter Stewart, and to Marjorie Bruce. Marjorie was the daughter of Robert the Bruce (Robert I), the King of Scotland, who had secured Scottish independence from England and his first wife Isabella of Mar. Robert II became the King of Scots in 1371 and reigned to his death in 1390. He took on the last name ‘Stewart’ thus establishing the House of Stewart (Gallicized to House of Stuart). The Stuart monarchs ruled England between 1603 and 1714 (James I to Queen Anne). They did not turn out to be successful, since the staunch monarchical legacy of Scotland turned out to be incompatible with the fine-tuned democratic thought of England. During the reign of Robert I, the question of the heir apparent became an urgent one. Robert’s brother, Edward of Bruce, was deemed the heir to the throne of Scotland while he was alive. Edward, however, was killed in battle by Sir John de Bermingham in a battle near Dundalk (Ireland) in 1318. The vacuum created by Edward’s death would have been filled by Robert II, and indeed the Scottish Parliament had decreed that Marjorie’s son would be the heir to the throne. On March 5, 1924, however, a son was born to King Robert and his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh. This child, David, now became the heir presumptive. With the death of Walter Stewart in April, 1326, Robert II became the 7th High Steward of Scotland and remained second in line to the throne of Scotland. King Robert I died in 1329, and David, still a child became king with the Earl of Moray, Thomas Randolph, assisting the reign as the Guardian of Scotland. King John Balliol (Toom Tabard) had been the King of Scots between 1292 and 1296. Owing to pressure from the English forces, John was forced to abdicate leaving the throne of Scotland free for Richard I to occupy. John’s son, Edward Balliol, rose in rebellion during the reign of young David. Edward Balliol was assisted by the English in his rebellion. The English troops, headed by Edward launched a series of assaults through 1332 and 1333 causing much loss to the Scottish troops. Bruce-loyal troops suffered heavily in the August 1332 battle at Dupplin Moor and in the July 1333 outbreak at Halidon Hill. Robert fought valiantly at Halidon but lost most of his estates in the west to Balliol. Disvested of his lands and troops, Robert sought refuge in the fortress of Dumbarton Castle, where the young King David stayed hidden. By May 1334, David fled to France and Robert was eventually forced to submit to Edward Balliol and the English troops. Following the death of Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell in 1338, however, he came to be appointed the Guardian of Scotland. King David returned from France and reclaimed his throne in June 1341. Another series of battles broke out with the English and Robert was forced to half-heartedly fight for David. In the 1346 Battle at Neville’s Cross David was caught and imprisoned by the English while Robert II managed to escape. After almost a year’s negotiations, in 1357, King David was freed for a ransom amount of 100,000 marks. This was to be paid over the next decade. Robert did not enjoy cordial relations with David. With David’s death in 1371, Robert ascended the throne at the age of 54. Most of his reign was marred by skirmishes with England in an effort to regain lost territory. Robert placed a trade embargo on England and went on to befriend France. Recognizing that the Anglo-French peace talks did not bode well for Scotland, Robert II made an attempt to turn the agreement into a tripartite treaty. This made the king very unpopular and Robert lost all control over Scotland to his son Robert III. Robert II died in 1390 at the Dundonald Castle and was buried at Scone Abbey. Robert II initially married Elizabeth Mure in 1348and later married Euphemia de Ross in 1355. He had 21 children, eight of whom were illegitimate. This served as basis of an inheritance dispute in the years to come. You may also like : February 22 1909 – The Great White Fleet Returns from a Journey Around the World February 22, 1997 – Birth of Dolly the sheep announced