David II

I

born March 5, 1324, Dunfermline, Fife, Scot.

died Feb. 22, 1372, Scotland

King of the Scots from 1329.

In keeping with an Anglo-Scottish peace treaty, he was married at age four to the sister of Edward III of England. His reign was marked by conflict with England and a decline in the prestige of the monarchy. He went into exile in France in 1334 after Edward III supported a rival for the throne, and he fought against Edward for the French king Philip VI. David returned to Scotland in 1341 and carried out raids against the English, who captured him in 1346. He was released in 1357 on the promise of ransom, and his offer to trade the Scottish throne for forgiveness of the ransom money was repudiated in Scotland.

II

known as David the Builder

born 1073

died 1125

King of Georgia (1089–1125).

Sometimes known as David III, he became coruler with his father, Giorgi II, in 1089. David defeated the Turks in the Battle of Didgori (1122) and captured Tbilisi. Under his leadership Georgia became the strongest state in Caucasia.

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▪ king of Scotland

born March 5, 1324, Dunfermline, Fife, Scot.

died Feb. 22, 1371, Edinburgh

 king of Scots from 1329, although he spent 18 years in exile or in prison. His reign was marked by costly intermittent warfare with England, a decline in the prestige of the monarchy, and an increase in the power of the barons.

      On July 17, 1328, in accordance with the Anglo-Scottish peace treaty of Northampton, the four-year-old David was married to Joanna, sister of King Edward III of England. The boy succeeded his father, Robert I the Bruce, as king of Scots on June 7, 1329. A rival claimant to the Scottish throne, Edward de Balliol, a vassal of Edward III, became de facto king after Edward's victory over Sir Archibald Douglas, regent since 1332, at Halidon Hill, Northumberland (July 19, 1333). In 1334 David went into exile in France, where he was maintained generously by King Philip VI. In 1339 and 1340 he fought in Philip's fruitless campaigns against Edward III. By 1341 he was able to return to Scotland, but he did little as king except to make futile raids into England. During the French siege of English-held Calais he attempted a diversion on behalf of Philip VI but was defeated, wounded, and captured at Neville's Cross, County Durham (Oct. 17, 1346).

      Held prisoner by the English, David was released in 1357 in return for a promised ransom that proved to be more than the Scottish government could pay. In 1363 David, now on cordial terms with Edward III, proposed that a son of the English king should succeed to the throne of Scotland in return for the cancellation of the ransom. The arrangement, which made an enemy of his nephew and lawful successor, the future Robert II, was repudiated by the Scottish Parliament. In his last years David inspired further opposition by his financial extravagance.

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