Duncan II of Scotland facts for kids

Duncan II (born around 1060 – died November 12, 1094) was a King of Scots. His full name in Modern Gaelic was Donnchadh mac Mhaoil Chaluim. He was the son of Malcolm III and his first wife, Ingibiorg Finnsdottir.

Early Life: A Royal Hostage

Duncan's mother, Ingibiorg, is mentioned in an old Norse story called the Orkneyinga saga. This story says that Malcolm and Ingibiorg had a son named Duncan, who later became King of Scots. However, other Scottish and English writers from that time don't mention Ingibiorg. Some even said Duncan was Malcolm's illegitimate son. This idea might have been spread later to make his family's claim to the throne seem weaker.

In 1072, when Duncan was about 12 years old, he was sent to William the Conqueror as a hostage. This happened because Malcolm III, Duncan's father, had been fighting with William. Malcolm had given Edgar Ætheling, a member of the old English royal family, a safe place in Scotland. Malcolm also married Edgar's sister, Margaret. William the Conqueror was taking control of northern England, which Malcolm saw as a threat.

To stop the fighting, Malcolm and William signed a peace agreement called the Treaty of Abernethy. As part of this deal, Duncan was given to William as a hostage. This meant Duncan would live in the Norman court.

Duncan grew up in William I's court, learning about Norman culture and how knights were trained. He even fought in William's military campaigns. When William I died in 1087, his son Robert Curthose became Duke of Normandy. Robert set Duncan free and made him a knight. Duncan then joined the court of William II of England, Robert's younger brother. Even though his father, Malcolm, had many other sons by then, he didn't try to get Duncan back. Duncan chose to stay with the Normans, perhaps hoping to become king one day.

In 1092, Malcolm III and William II were still fighting. William captured Carlisle, an important town. In 1093, Malcolm led his last raid into northern England. He was killed in a battle near Alnwick on November 13, 1093. Duncan's older half-brother, Edward, was also badly hurt and died. Malcolm's wife, Queen Margaret, died soon after hearing the news.

After Malcolm's death, his younger brother, Donald III, took the throne. Donald wanted to get rid of the Anglo-Saxons and Normans who had come to Malcolm's court. This gave Duncan a chance to claim the throne for himself. He got help from William II of England, promising to be loyal to him.

Marriage and Family

Duncan married Ethelreda of Northumbria. She was the daughter of Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria. They had one known son, William fitz Duncan.

Reign and Death: A Short Rule

Donald III didn't have the full support of all the landowners and church leaders in the Scottish Lowlands. Duncan used this to his advantage. He made deals with these unhappy people, getting their military and financial help. William II of England didn't join the fight himself, but he lent some of his Norman army to Duncan. Duncan also gathered more soldiers from English towns and barons, promising them land and titles.

By early summer 1094, Duncan led a large army into Scotland. Donald gathered his own forces. Duncan won the first battles in June, forcing Donald to retreat. Duncan was crowned king at Scone. However, his power likely didn't reach far north of the River Forth. He relied on his Anglo-Norman allies to stay in power.

Many local people didn't like having a foreign army in their country. Duncan himself had lived most of his life abroad, so he was seen as an outsider. After only a few months, Scottish landowners and church leaders rebelled against the Normans. Duncan had to make a deal with the rebels. He agreed to send most of his foreign soldiers back to William II.

Sending away his foreign supporters turned out to be a bad idea. While the Lowland rebels stopped fighting, Donald had used the time to rebuild his army. In November 1094, Donald led his army back to the Lowlands and attacked Duncan. On November 12, Duncan was ambushed and killed in battle. He had been king for less than seven months.

Old records aren't clear about exactly how he died. Some say he was killed by Donald. Others say he was killed by his "brothers" Donald and Edmond, which probably means his uncle Donald and his half-brother Edmund. Later stories say a noble named Máel Petair of Mearns was the one who actually killed him, because of Donald's trickery.

There are also different stories about where Duncan was buried. Some say he was buried at Dunfermline Abbey, while others say he was buried on the island of Iona.

Legacy: A Family's Struggle

Duncan II as shown in a series of portraits at Holyrood Palace ordered by Charles II

Duncan's son, William fitz Duncan, became an important person during the reigns of Duncan's half-brothers, Alexander and David. William was even considered an heir to them for a while. His descendants, known as the Meic Uilleim, later led several rebellions against Scottish kings. The last known Meic Uilleim, a baby girl, was killed around 1229 or 1230.

One important document from Duncan II's short reign gave land to monks in Durham. This document was signed by someone named "Uuiget." This name was common in parts of England. Historians believe this "Uuiget" might be Uviet the White, a lord who also signed documents for later Scottish kings. This suggests that Uviet might have come to Scotland with Duncan II and continued to support his family.

Reputation: A Warrior King

The historian George Buchanan wrote that the Scottish people called Duncan to be king because Donald III had upset many good people. Buchanan described Duncan as a skilled and experienced military leader. However, he also said that because Duncan was mostly a soldier and not as good at peaceful ruling, his proud and demanding ways made his people angry.

See also

In Spanish: Duncan II de Escocia para niños