Competitors for the Crown of Scotland facts for kids
When the Scottish throne became empty in September 1290, a big problem arose. The young Queen Margaret, who was only seven years old, had died. This meant there was no clear ruler for Scotland. Suddenly, 13 different people stepped forward, each claiming they should be the next king!
The strongest claimants were John Balliol, Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, John Hastings, and Floris V, Count of Holland. Scotland's leaders, called the Guardians of Scotland, worried about a civil war. They asked Edward I of England, the King of England, to help them decide.
Edward I agreed, but he wanted something in return. He wanted the Scots to accept that he was their "overlord," meaning he had some power over Scotland. After this, a special group of 104 "auditors" was chosen. Edward picked 24 of them, and the rest were chosen by Bruce and Balliol. In November 1292, this group decided that John Balliol should be king. His claim was based on a rule called primogeniture, which means the firstborn son (or their line) inherits. Most powerful Scots accepted this decision, and John Balliol ruled as King of Scots until 1296.
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Why the Throne Was Empty
When King Alexander III died in 1286, his only living grandchild, Margaret, became queen. She was just three years old. The Guardians of Scotland were chosen to rule Scotland while she was young.
In 1290, the Guardians made a plan called the Treaty of Birgham. This was a marriage contract between Queen Margaret and Edward of Caernarfon, who was the five-year-old son of the English king. The treaty said that if they had children, those children would rule both England and Scotland. But it also clearly stated that Scotland would remain "separate, apart and free." This meant Scotland would stay an independent country.
Sadly, Margaret died on September 26, 1290, in Orkney, while on her way to Scotland. This left the throne empty again. The Guardians asked Edward I, Margaret's fiancé's father, to help choose the next king. This process became known as the Great Cause (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Adhbhar Mòr).
Two of the main claimants, John Balliol, Lord of Galloway and Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, started gathering support. There were rumors of armies being raised. Scotland looked like it was heading for a civil war.
King Edward I Steps In
To stop a war between the Bruce and Balliol families, the Scottish Guardians and other important nobles asked Edward I to help. Edward saw this as a chance to get something he had always wanted. He wanted Scotland to legally recognize that it was a "feudal dependency" of England. This meant Scotland would be like a smaller kingdom under England's rule.
English kings had often claimed to be overlords of Scotland. For example, Scotland was a "vassal state" (a state controlled by another) of Henry II for 15 years. But Edward's claim in the 13th century was not very strong. When King Alexander III had paid respect to Edward, he was very careful with his words. He said he was Edward's man for the lands he held in England, "saving my Kingdom" of Scotland.
In May 1291, Edward demanded that his claim of overlordship be accepted before he would help. He told the Scots to prove he was not their overlord, instead of him proving he was. The Scots replied that without a king, no one had the authority to agree to such a big claim. This made Edward very angry, and he refused to write their reply in the official records.
Even so, the Guardians and claimants still needed Edward's help. He managed to get them to agree to some important terms. Most of the competitors and Guardians agreed to accept Edward as their overlord. They also agreed to let Edward temporarily control Scotland's main royal castles. Edward promised to return control of the kingdom and castles to the new king within two months. The Scots kept referring to the Treaty of Birgham, showing they still wanted Scotland to be independent.
After getting these agreements, Edward set up a court to choose the next king. It had 104 auditors, plus Edward himself as the president. Edward chose 24 auditors, and the two strongest claimants, Bruce and Balliol, were allowed to pick 40 each.
Who Wanted the Throne?
When Queen Margaret died, there were no close family members to easily take the throne. Many people claimed the right to be king. Here are some of the most important ones:
- John Balliol, Lord of Galloway: His claim was strong because he was descended from the eldest daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon. He argued for primogeniture, meaning the right of the firstborn child's line to inherit.
- Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale: He was descended from the second daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon. He argued for proximity of blood, meaning the closest living relative should inherit.
- John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings: He was descended from the third daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon.
- Floris V, Count of Holland: He claimed that David, Earl of Huntingdon, had given up his rights to the throne a long time ago.
Other people who claimed the throne included:
- John "the Black" Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
- Nicholas de Soules
- Patrick Galithly
- William de Ros, 1st Baron de Ros
- William de Vesci, Baron de Vesci
- Patrick Dunbar, 7th Earl of Dunbar
- Roger de Mandeville
- Robert de Pinkeney
- Eric II, King of Norway (Queen Margaret's father)
The Arguments for the Crown
Only four of the claimants had serious arguments: John Hastings, John Balliol, Robert de Brus, and Floris V. Out of these, Bruce and Balliol had the most realistic chances. The others mostly wanted their claims to be officially recorded.
John Hastings argued that Scotland wasn't a "true kingdom" and should be divided among the descendants of David I. The Scottish nobles quickly rejected this idea.
John Balliol had the simplest and strongest claim. Based on primogeniture, he was the rightful heir. This rule meant the eldest child's line inherited, and it was becoming a common law in both England and Scotland. Balliol also argued that the Kingdom of Scotland could not be divided.
Robert de Brus (also spelled Bruce) argued that he was the closest relative by proximity of blood. He said this was a better way to choose a king than primogeniture. His lawyers also mentioned that King Alexander III might have named Bruce as his heir when he had no children. Edward I eventually decided that primogeniture, not proximity of blood, should be used.
Floris V claimed that David, Earl of Huntingdon, had given up his rights to the throne in exchange for land. If this were true, it would rule out Balliol, Bruce, and Hastings. Floris asked for time to find documents proving this, but none were found. He later tried again with Bruce's support, but his claim was rejected due to lack of evidence.
In the end, Bruce even tried to argue that if primogeniture applied, the kingdom should be divided, like Hastings had suggested. But this argument was also quickly rejected.
The New King is Chosen
On November 17, 1292, Edward I announced the decision: John Balliol was chosen as the new King of Scotland. His son, Edward Balliol, became the next in line to the throne.
Most Scottish nobles and important leaders supported this decision, even some who had been chosen by Bruce as auditors. A very important supporter was John II Comyn, who was married to Balliol's sister. The Comyn family remained strong supporters of the Balliol claim for many years.
