Malcolm III is the son of Duncan I of House Dunkeld. His father died in an unsuccessful battle against the House Moray, who took over the throne, first under Macbeth and then his stepson, Lulach, who was incredibly unpopular. Malcolm reclaimed his father’s throne after Lulach was assassinated.
Quick Facts:
Born: unknown
Died: 13th November 1093, Northumberland, England
Reign: 1058-1093
Parents: Duncan I and Suthen
Predecessor: Lulach
Successor: Donald III
Spouse: Ingibiorg Finnsdottir and Margaret of Wessex
Children: Duncan II, King of Scotland; Domnall; Edmund; Ethelred, Abbot of Dunkeld; Edgar, King of Scotland; Alexander I, King of Scotland; David I, King of Scotland; Matilda, Queen of England; Mary, Countess of Boulogne.
Royal House: Dunkeld
Though known as the King of Scotland, when Malcolm became king, his rule did not extend the entirety of what is now modern Scotland, however, during his reign, he led at least five invasions into territory which at the time was held by England. His 35 year reign firmly established a secure lineage in Scotland and saw the beginning of the Scoto-Norman age. Henry I of England was his son in law and he was the maternal grandfather of the Empress Matilda, who some believed to have been the rightful heir to the English throne and was a participant in the Age of Anarchy.
Malcom’s early life
Malcolm’s father Duncan I became king after the death of Malcolm II, his great grandfather, so Malcolm grew up as a member of the Royal Court. Duncan was killed in battle when Malcolm and his brothers were still children. They, along with their mother, left the kingdom, though their exact whereabouts was unknown for some time, it is believed that he was likely he was hidden in England as the English were supporters of Duncan.
The English supported his later attempts to regain the throne in battles against both Macbeth and Lulach.
After the death of Lulach, who it is believed was killed by Malcolm, he finally retook his throne and was inaugurated on 25th April 1058.
Early reign
Despite being married to Ingibiorg and having three sons, two of which died young, Malcolm was betrothed to Margaret, a relative of Edward the Confessor, who was King in England at the time, not long after being crowned. The pair were married by the end of 1070 and later, Margaret would become Scotland’s only royal saint. They went on to have several children and broke with the tradition of using traditional Scottish regal names, instead using names used by English monarchs, including Edgar and Edmund.
Relationship with William Rufus
Like many of the kings of Scotland, there were tense relationships with the English kings. In Malcolm’s case, the relationship between himself and William Rufus, the son of William I of England was frought due to in-fighting between William I’s children. After his death, he named his son Robert the ruler of their homeland, Normandy, leaving England to his second son, William Rufus. Robert was keen to rule both territories and the brothers fought over the land for several years. While William Rufus was in Normandy fighting with his brother, Malcolm took the opportunity to march south and besiege Newcastle. William returned to England and following Malcolm’s retreating forces back to Scotland but war was avoided.
Over the years, the tenuous peace began to breakdown, most likely because of a castle built by William Rufus in Carlisle, close to the start of the Scottish territories. William I had given much of Cumbria to Malcolm to maintain and having William Rufus so close likely caused tension between the two. Though historical sources say that William Rufus did not intend to cause a war, battles ensued, with Malcolm marching south accompanied by his sons Edward and Edgar. Historians say that Northumbria in particular saw mass devastation as a result. On their way back to Scotland, Malcolm was killed by the steward of Bamburgh Castle near Alnwick and his son, Edward was mortally wounded, dying some time later.
Malcolm’s brother Donald, succeeded him becoming Donald III, and later his sons Duncan, Alexander, Edgar and David would also have the throne.
to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
.png)
