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Personal data Robert Stewart III, King of Scotland 

• He was born about 1337 in Dundonald Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland.
• (note1) .Source 1

  Source: Lois Voisine, Zackary Butler, Gordon Stewart Greig, et al.

• He died on April 4, 1406 in Rothesay, Buteshire, Scotland.
• He is buried in the year 1406 in Paisley Abbey, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
• A child of Robert Stewart and Elizabeth Mure
• This information was last updated on January 17, 2025.

Household of Robert Stewart III, King of Scotland

He is married to Anabella Drummond.

They got married at fortasse, Scotland.

Child(ren):

1. Elizabeth Stewart  1372-1411 
2. James Stewart  1394-1437 

Notes about Robert Stewart III, King of Scotland

King Robert III of Scotland

Sources: Author: Voisine, Lois; Butler, Zackary; Greig, Gordon Stewart; et al.; Title: "King Robert III of Scotland," (Publicatioan site: Salt Lk. City UT, Publisher: Family Search, Publication date: xvii Jan MMXXV)

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZ86-T6V

"... King Robert III of Scotland ... Last Changed: December 13, 2024 [NN-anonymous] Sex Male Last Changed: December 13, 2023 NN-anonymous]

Birth about 1337 Dundonald Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland ... Reason: Britannica for date Last Changed: January 10, 2025 Malachi Robertson

Death 4 April 1406 Rothesay, Buteshire, Scotland Reason: Britannica Last Changed: January 10, 2025 Malachi Robertson

Burial 1406 Paisley Abbey, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland ...
https://gentrekker.com/getperson.php?personID=I19849&tree=Dickinson Last Changed: October 12, 2024 Paul Atchison

Alternate Name Also Known As Earl of Carrick John Stewart
Alternate Name Birth Name Prince John of Scotland
Alternate Name Also Known As King of Scots
Alternate Name Also Known As King RoberI III
Alternate Name Also Known As High Steward of Scotland
Alternate Name Also Known As Earl of Atholl
Alternate Name Also Known As Robert of Scots
Alternate Name Also Known As Earl of Carrick

Legitimacy 1347 Scotland

BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK BUT 'LEGITIMIZED' IN 1349 BY PAPAL DISPENSATION
1349
Scotland
Parents married in 1336 by traditional marriage recognized as legally binding but not recognized by the Church. The marriage was criticized as uncanonical, so they married a 2nd time in 1349 after receiving a papal dispensation in 1347. This 'legitimized' their marriage and their children 10 children.

BECAME EARL OF ATHOLL 31 May 1367 Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl (and later King Robert II), resigned the earldom of Atholl in favor of his oldest son John Stewart (later King Robert III)

CREATED EARL OF CARRICK 22 June 1368 King David created his great-nephew John Stewart the Earl of Carrick on 22 June , 1368.

First Earl Carrick 22 June 1368 Scotland

HEIR APPARENT OF SCOTLAND 22 February 1371 On 22 February 1371, John's father became King Robert II of Scotland and John Stewart became Heir Apparent.

Styled Earl of Atholl 17 October 1379

Lame due to injury during a Tournament 1388 Scotland

King of Scotland 19 April 1390 Dundonald Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland

SUCCESSION TO THRONE OF SCOTLAND AND CORONATION 19 April 1390 Old Scone, Perthshire, Scotland

John Stewart succeeded to the throne of Scotland on April 19, 1390, upon the death of his father Robert II. He assumed the regnal name of Robert III in May 1390 and was crowned at Scone on 14 August 1390.

John becoming King Robert III 19 April 1390 Scotland On 19 April 1390, Robert II died and was succeeded by John, Earl of Carrick. Because of the bad press associated with the only King John that Scotland had ever had, John Balliol, becoming "John II" was thought politically undesirable, so the Earl of Carrick became Robert III of Scotland instead.

REGINAL NAME APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT May 1390 Edinburgh, Scotland In May 1390 parliament granted John permission to change his regnal name to Robert, probably in part to maintain the link back to Robert I but also to disassociate himself from King John Balliol.

Office 1390/1406 King of Scotland

King without Power 1390 John Carrick's father died, as heir apparent, he became king and changed his name to Robert III to honor Robert the Bruce. Politically, Robert, the Earl of Fife had already had more authority than now King Robert III and he remained in control after Robert took the crown (at age 53).

Title 1390 King of Scotland

Crowned 14 August 1390 Scone Priory, Old Scone, Perthshire, Scotland

Crowned King 14 August 1390 Old Scone, Perthshire, Scotland

King with Power 1393 Power was officially returned to Robert III in conjunction with his son David.

Reigned from 1390 to 1406 Scotland King

Too Sick to Reign 1399 At a council meeting, it was determined that Robert III was too sick to rule. He was approximately 59 years old, and had been badly injured by a horse kick around the time of the Battle of Otterburn. His son David took over the power, but not the crown

ELDEST SON DAVID, DIED UNDER "MYSTRIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES" 26 March 1402 Falkland, Fife, Scotland

In February 1402 David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (King Robert III's oldest son and heir to the throne) was arrested under contrived pretexts and imprisoned. David starved to death on 26 March 1402 at Falkland Palace, while in the custody of his Uncle Robert, the Duke of Albany.

JAMES CAPTURED BY THE ENGLISH 22 March 1406 English Channel, At Sea

Wanting him out of reach of his brother Robert, Duke of Albany, King Robert III sent his only remaining son James to safety in France, Unfortunately James was intercepted by the English and taken hostage by King Henry IV.

DIED OF DESPAIR 4 April 1406 Rothesay Castle, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland

Shortly after learning of his son James capture by the English, King Robert III died on 4 April 1406, some say of despair.

first-communion 1406 Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland

Occupation King Of Scotland 1390-1406

Reigned 1390-1406 but to injured by a kick from a hores to rule.

Title of Nobility Earl of Catherness
Title of Nobility King Robert III Scotland

Name: Born John Stewart, regnal name - King Robert III of Scotland Father: Robert II, King of Scotland Mother: Elizabeth Mure House of: Stewart Born: 1337 Ascended to the throne: April 19, 1390 Crowned: August 14, 1390 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married: Annabella Drummond, 1366/7 Children: 3 sons and 4 daughters Died: April 4, 1406, at Dundonald Castle, Ayrshire Buried at: Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire Succeeded by: his son James I Son of Robert II he was timid, retiring and badly injured following a kick from a horse. He took the name Robert because his name John was considered a bad omen after the hated John Balliol He told his Queen that he was 'the worst of kings and most miserable of men'. The reign was beset by problems including rivalry between the Highlanders, his brothers and the lords of the isles. His brother Robert Duke of Albany may have been responsible for the death of Robert III's son David. In 1402 the forces of Henry IV of England invaded the lowlands and following two defeats of the Scots briefly occupied Edinburgh. Robert sent his 10 year old 2nd son James to France in 1406 for safety but he was captured at sea during the journey and taken prisoner by the English. The news of his son's capture was said to have hastened the death of Robert who died shortly afterwards. Timeline for King Robert III of Scotland Year Event 1390 Robert III becomes king. He delegates power to his younger brother, the Earl of Fife, later the Duke of Albany 1402 English defeat Scots in the Battle of Nesbit Moor and the Battle of Humbleton Hill. 1406 Robert is disabled in a riding accident and his eldest son is killed possibly by the Duke of Albany. 1406 Robert sends his second son to James to France but he is captured by English near Flamborough Head. James is taken to London, where Henry IV of England confines him in the Tower of London for 18 years. 1406 King Robert III dies and James I ascends the throne but is not crowned until 1424 as he is a prisoner of the English. https://www.britroyals.com/scots.asp?id=robert3

Title: King of Scotland, 8th High Steward of Scotland, Earl of Carrick

NOT THE SAME AS ROBERT STEWART, DUKE OF ALBANY
King Robert III , born John Stewart, was NOT the same as Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, who was his younger brother.

REASON FOR REGNAL NAME CHANGE
When John Stewart, Earl of Carrick ascended the Scottish throne in 1390, it was deemed imprudent for him to take the regnal name of "John II", as recent kings named John had turned out badly: in England as well as in Scotland. Furthermore, royal propaganda of the time held that John Balliol had not been a legitimate king of Scotland, making the new king's regnal number also a tricky issue. To avoid these problems, John took the regnal name of Robert III, honouring his father and great-grandfather.

Clan Name Stewart

Spouses & Children

King Robert III of Scotland Male 1337-1406 LZ86-T6V [<-ancestor]
Anabella Drummond Queen of Scotland Female 1350-1401 LZPK-KKT [<-ancestres]
No Marriage Events

Children (7)

[1] Lady Margaret Stewart Female 1370-1456 GBGC-KWG
[2] Elizabeth Stewart, Princess of Scotland, Baroness Dalkeith Female 1372-1411 GX9R-68B
[3] David Stewart Duke of Rothesay Male 1378-1402 L7FM-76K
[4] Mary Stewart Princess of Scotland Female 1380-1458 LTVF-MNF
[5] Robert Stewart Prince of Scotland Male 1383-1388 GTYL-ZZM
[6] Egidia Stewart Princess of Scotland Female 1390-1404 WMX-Y9H
[7] James I, King of Scotland Male 1394-1437 LZ6T-WZ8 [<-ancestor]

Parents & Siblings

King Robert Stewart II of Scotland Male 1316-1390 LHW6-FV7 [<-ancestor]
Elizabeth Mure of Rowallan Female 1320-1355 L89H-F4Y [<-ancestress]
Marriage 1336

Children (10)

[1] Princess Margaret Stewart of Scotland Female 1336-1410 LHJT-J64
[2] King Robert III of Scotland Male 1337-1406 LZ86-T6V [<-ancestor]
[3] Walter Stewart Earl of Fife Male 1338-1362 GFJG-9YZ
[4] Sir Robert Stewart 1st Duke Of Albany Male 1340-1420 LDQR-M69
[5] Sir Alexander Stewart Earl of Buchan, "Wolf of Badenoch" Male 1343-1394 L89H-F4V
[6] Isabella Stewart Female 1345-1410 LHCH-KN1
[7] Elizabeth Stewart Princess of Scots Female 1346-1389 L89H-FHD
[8] Marjorie Stewart Countess of Moray Female 1348-1417 LC79-JGG
[9] Jean Stewart Princess of Scotland Female 1351-1404 L63C-K78
[10] Katherine Stewart Princess of Scotland Female 1352-Deceased L1PT-9CD

Brief Life History
geni.com Robert Stewart, III Also Known As: "King John the Lame King of the Scots", "John Stewart", "Earl of Carrick", "King Robert III of Scotland", "Robert III of Scotland", "Robert III", "King of Scotland", "Earl of Atholl" Birthdate: August 04, 1337 Birthplace: Dundonald Castle, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland Death: April 04, 1406 (68) Dundonald Castle, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland. Buried in Paisley, not Scone as was traditional (kicked by a horse) Place of Burial: Paisley Abbey,Renfrewshire,Scotland Immediate Family: Son of Robert II, King of Scots and Elizabeth Mure of Rowallan Husband of Name Not Known and Annabella Drummond, Queen Consort of Scots Father of Sir John Stewart, of Blackhall & Ardgowan; James Stewart of Killbride; Margaret Stewart, Lady of Galloway; David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay; Elizabeth Stewart, Princess of Scotland; Mary of Scotland, Countess of AnRobert III (c. 1337 – 4 April 1406), born John Stewart, was King of Scotland from 1390 to his death. He was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne aged around 53 years. He was the eldest son of Robert II and Elizabeth Mure and was legitimised with the marriage of his parents in 1347.

John joined his father and other magnates in a rebellion against his great-uncle David II early in 1363 but submitted to him soon afterwards. He was married to Anabella Drummond by 1367. In 1368 David created him Earl of Carrick. His father became king in 1371 after the unexpected death of the childless King David. In the succeeding years, Carrick was influential in the government of the kingdom but became progressively more impatient at his father's longevity. In 1384 Carrick was appointed the king's lieutenant after having influenced the general council to remove Robert II from direct rule. Carrick's administration saw a renewal of the conflict with England. In 1388 the Scots defeated the English at the Battle of Otterburn where the Scots' commander, James, Earl of Douglas, was killed. By this time Carrick had been badly injured from a horse-kick but it was the loss of his powerful ally, Douglas, that saw a turnaround in magnate support in favour of his younger brother Robert, Earl of Fife, to whom the council transferred the lieutenancy in December 1388.

In 1390, Robert II died and Carrick ascended the throne as Robert III but without authority to rule directly. Fife continued as Lieutenant until February 1393 when power was returned to the king in conjunction with his son David. At a council in 1399 owing to the king's 'sickness of his person', David, now Duke of Rothesay, became Lieutenant under the supervision of a special parliamentary group dominated by Fife, now styled Duke of Albany. After this, Robert III withdrew to his lands in the west and for a time played little or no part in affairs of state. He was powerless to interfere when a dispute between Albany and Rothesay arose in 1401, leading to Rothesay's imprisonment and death in March 1402. The general council absolved Albany from blame and reappointed him as Lieutenant. The only impediment now remaining to an Albany Stewart monarchy was the king's only surviving son, James, Earl of Carrick. After a clash with Albany's Douglas allies in 1406, the 11-year-old James tried to escape to France. The vessel was intercepted and James became the prisoner of Henry IV of England. Robert III died shortly after learning of his heir's imprisonment.

Contents
1 Early life
2 Guardianship— and its collapse
3 Reign
3.1 Rothesay's lieutenancy
3.2 Albany's lieutenancy
4 Family and issue
5 Historiography
6 Fictional portrayals
7 Family tree
8 See also
9 References
10 Sources

Early life
John Stewart was born around the year 1337 to Robert, Steward of Scotland and heir presumptive to the throne, and his wife Elizabeth Mure.[12] Robert's mother Marjorie and her half-brother, David II, were the children of the first Bruce king, Robert I.[13] Robert Stewart and Elizabeth Mure were married in 1336 by traditional marriage, recognized as legally binding but not recognized by the Church. The marriage was criticized for being uncanonical, so they married a second time in 1349, after receiving a papal dispensation from Pope Clement VI dated 22 November 1347. Therefore, although their children were actually legitimate, having been born after the first marriage of their parents, John, his three brothers and six sisters were legitimized by their parents second Church sanctioned marriage.[14] Styled Lord of Kyle, John is first recorded in the 1350s as the commander of a campaign in the Lordship of Annandale to re-establish Scottish control over English occupied territory.[15] In 1363, he joined his father along with the earls of Douglas and March in a failed insurrection against Robert's uncle, David II. The reasons for the rebellion were varied. In 1362, David II supported several of his royal favorites in their titles to lands in the Stewart earldom of Monteith and thwarted Stewart claims to the earldom of Fife. The King's involvement and eventual marriage with Margaret Drummond may also have represented a threat in the Steward's own earldom of Strathearn where the Drummonds also had interests, while Douglas and March mistrusted David's intentions towards them.[16] These nobles were also unhappy at the king's squandering of funds provided to him for his ransom,[17] and with the prospect that they could be sent to England as guarantors for the ransom payments. The dissension between the King and the Stewarts looked to have been settled before the end of spring 1367.[18]

Blason of John, Earl of Carrick
On 31 May the Steward resigned the earldom of Atholl to John, who by this time was already married to Annabella Drummond, the daughter of the queen's deceased brother, Sir John Drummond.[18] David II reinforced the position of John and Annabella by providing them with the Earldom of Carrick on 22 June 1368 and the tacit approval of John as the king's probable heir.[19] A Stewart succession was suddenly endangered when David II had his marriage to Margaret annulled in March 1369 leaving the king free to remarry and with the prospect of a Bruce heir.[20]

On 22 February 1371 David II (who was preparing to marry the Earl of March's sister, Agnes Dunbar) unexpectedly died, presumably to the relief of both John and his father.[21] Robert was crowned at Scone Abbey on 27 March 1371 and before this date had given John— now styled Steward of Scotland— the ancestral lands surrounding the Firth of Clyde.[22] The manner in which the succession was to take place was first entailed by Robert I when female heirs were excluded and David II attempted unsuccessfully on several occasions to have the council change the succession procedure.[22] Robert II quickly moved to ensure the succession of John when the general council attending his coronation officially named Carrick as heir— in 1373 the Stewart succession was further strengthened when parliament passed entails defining the manner in which each of the king's sons could inherit the crown.[23] After the coronation John Dunbar who had received the Lordship of Fife from David II now resigned the title so that the king's second son, Robert, Earl of Monteith could receive the Earldom of Fife— Dunbar was compensated with the provision of the earldom of Moray.[24]

A son, David, the future Duke of Rothesay, was born to Carrick and Annabella on 24 October 1378. In 1381, Carrick was calling himself 'lieutenant for the marches' sustained by his connections to border magnates such as his brother-in-law, James Douglas, son of William, Earl of Douglas, whom he succeeded in 1384.[22]

Guardianship— and its collapse
Robert II's policy of building up Stewart domination in Scotland through the advancement of his sons saw the emergence of Carrick as the pre-eminent Stewart magnate south of the Forth-Clyde line, just as his younger brother Alexander, Earl of Buchan, Lord of Badenoch and Ross had become in the north.[25]

... considering that there are, and have been now for a considerable time, great and numerous defects in the governing of the kingdom by reason of the king's disposition, both by reason of age and for other reasons, and the infirmity of the lord his firstborn son ... have amicably chosen Sir [Robert Stewart], earl of Fife, second-born son of the king, and brother german of the same lord the firstborn son, [as] guardian of the kingdom under the king, ... for putting into effect justice and keeping the law internally, and for the defence of the kingdom with the king's force, as set out before, against those attempting to rise up as enemies.
— Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, 1 December 1388, Edinburgh. http://www.rps.ac.uk/
Prior to 1384 persistent objections regarding Robert II's application of the law were brought to the attention of the council. Some of these grievances maintained that the King had acted unlawfully by deliberately disregarding charges regarding his personal conduct.[26] Buchan's use of cateran supporters drew criticism from Northern nobles and prelates and demonstrated Robert II's inability or reluctance to control his son.[27]The king's failure to take a leading role in prosecuting the war with England and Buchan's abuse of royal power in the north was the backdrop to the general council meeting at Holyrood Abbey in November 1384, where the decision was taken to sideline the king and provide the ruling powers to Carrick as Guardian of Scotland.[28][29][30]

Within weeks Carrick's actions signalled changes in the direction of crown strategy where the Carrick– Douglas affinity was, by far, the largest group to benefit from crown patronage.[26] On 13 March 1385 it emerged that an unauthorised payment of £700 in bullion, a huge amount, had been taken by the guardian from the customs of Edinburgh. It transpired that Fife, also Chamberlain of Scotland, had been struggling to check Carrick's misuse of the Crown finances during 1384-5.[31]

In Ap ...

Robert III
Groat of 1390 bearing a crowned facing effigy of Robert III on the obverse
King of Scots
Reign 19 April 1390- 4 April 1406
Coronation 14 August 1390
Predecessor Robert II
Successor James I

Regents
See list
Born John Stewart c. 1337 Died 4 April 1406 (aged 68-69) Rothesay Castle, Isle of Bute, Scotland Burial Paisley Abbey
Spouse Anabella Drummond ? ?(m. 1367; died 1401)?
Issue
more...
David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
James I, King of Scots
House Stewart
Father Robert II of Scotland
Mother Elizabeth Mure
Events

Last Changed: September 12, 2024 Lois Voisine"
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Timeline Robert Stewart III, King of Scotland

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