Robert III.

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Although the Parliament in 1389 appointed the younger Brother Robert as heir to the Throne, after the Death of his Father Robert II. John Stewart ascended the Throne. Since his name was probably associated with John Balliol he changed his Name with the consent of the Parliament and called himself from now on Robert III.

Although he attended several parliamentary sessions, he was only nominally king of Scotland.
In fact, Power was in the hands of his Brother, the Earl of Fife. In 1393, Robert III decided. to exercise the Rule itself in the future, which, however, did not lead to an improvement of the situation in the Country and to Family problems. In 1389, Robert III. his Son David became the Lieutenant of the Realm and Duke of Rothesay, his Brother Robert the Duke of Albany, and sent them both on a campaign against Donald MacDonald, the Lord of the Isles.

The internal crises were not hidden even the english Neighbors.
In August 1400, Henry IV. -who deposed his Cousin Richard II. in 1399- invaded Scotland to renew the Claim of the english Crown to suzerainty. The defense of the Borders was mainly the responsibility of the powerful Douglas Family.

The experiments of Robert III. to help his son David (at the expense of Douglas and his brother Robert) to a power Position in the South, proved to be a wrong decision, because David had no sense of responsibility. When Robert III. saw his mistake, he had him imprisoned in 1401 in his Castle in Falkland, where David died a year later. Whether it was a natural Death or starvation is still unclear.
Cause of the defeat of a scottish Army in the Battle of Humbleton in September 1402, the political situation became more complicated as the Country was robbed of its political Elite by the capture of Count Douglas and other important Nobles. Fortunately, an insurrection prevented Henry IV. from capitalizing on it.
While the Kingdom was again led by his Brother Robert, Robert III. undertook another attempt for one of his Sons to create a solid foundation for future rule, and in December 1404 handed over to his son James all the estates of the Stewarts.
Again his plans went awry.

In early 1406, he sent James to France at the Age of ten.
Whether the Reason was that he should grow up in a cultivated environment until he comes of age, or fear in threat of danger, is unclear. On the way to France, however, James was captured and taken to the english Court. Shortly thereafter, Robert III died. Before he should have expressed the desire that is written on his Tombstone:

“Here lies the worst of kings and the most wretched of men in the whole kingdom.”

Presumably, however, it is an invention of the Chronicler Walter Bower.

Robert was buried in Paisley because he did not feel worthy enough to be buried in Scone.

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Robert II.  | Robert III. | James I.  | James II.  | James III.  | James IV.  | James V.  | Mary I.  | James VI.  | Charles I.