Robert I Of Scotland Background Excommunication And Coronation

Robert Bruce was born at Turnberry Castle , Ayrshire, in 1274 as the son of Robert Bruce, 6th Lord of Annandale, and of Margaret or Marjorie, daughter of Neil , Earl of Carrick. From his mother he inherited the Earldom of Carrick, and from his father a royal lineage that would give him a claim to the Scottish throne.

2 Excommunication and Coronation

By murdering John ComynJohn Comyn nicknamed Red" Comyn (died 10 February 1306) was a Scottish nobleman and royal Competitor. His father, another John Comyn, was known as the "Black" Comyn. After the deaths of King Alexander III of Scotland in 1286 and his granddaughter and last at DumfriesDumfries is a Royal Burgh and town of about 30,000 people on the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway in the south of Scotland. It has many associations with Robert Burns who lived there in the 1790s. The Robert Burns Centre is situated in an 18th century in 1306 — an act for which Pope Clement VClement V ne Bertrand de Gouth ( 1264 April 20, 1314), pope ( 1305-1314), is memorable in history for his suppression of the order of the Templars, and as the pope who removed the seat of the Roman see to Avignon. Bertrand was vicar-general to his brother excommunicated him — Bruce cleared the way to secure the Scottish crown. His coronation took place at SconeScone is a large village, a mile north of Perth, Scotland. The village was moved from its original position next to Scone Palace, ancient crowning place of the kings of Scotland, a mile east of where it stands now. The Stone of Scone gets its name from th on March 25 1306.

3 Wars of Independence

Eight years of exhausting but deliberate refusal to meet the English on even ground, during the Wars of Scottish Independence, caused many to consider Bruce as one of the great guerrilla leaders of any age. This represented a transformation for one raised as a feudal knight. Bruce secured Scottish independence from England militarily — if not diplomatically — at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Freed from English threats, Scotland's armies could now invade northern England. Indeed, buoyed by his military successes, Scots forces invaded Ireland (1315), where the ebullient Irish crowned his brother Edward as King (1316). Bruce drove back a subsequent English expedition north of the border, forcing King Edward II of England to sue for peace.

4 Diplomacy

Robert Bruce's reign also achieved some successful diplomatic achievements. The Declaration of Arbroath of 1320 strengthened his position, particularly vis-à-vis the Papacy. Pope John XXII eventually lifted Bruce's excommunication. In May 1328 King Edward III of England signed the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton, which recognized Scotland as an independent kingdom and Bruce as its king.

5 Family

Robert Bruce married twice: firstly Isabella of Mar, and later Elizabeth de Burgh. Isabella had one child, Marjory (died 1316), who married Walter the Steward (Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland) and bore him the future Robert II of Scotland. By Elizabeth he had four children: David, John, Matilda, and Margaret (who married William , Earl of Sutherland).

Robert Bruce died on June 7 1329 at Cardross , Dunbartonshire, of leprosy. His body lies buried in Dunfermline Abbey, but, according to his wishes, Sir James Douglas, the Black Douglas removed the late king's heart and took it on Crusade, hurling it into the fray just before his own death in battle in Moorish Spain. It was later recovered, taken back to Scotland and buried at Melrose Abbey in Roxburghshire.

Robert Bruce left his sole surviving infant son, David II, to succeed him.

6 Legend

According to legend, after his defeat at the hands of the Comyns and the subsequent incarceration of his family, Bruce hid himself in a cave on a deserted island, watching a spider trying to spin a web. Each time the spider failed, it simply started all over again. Inspired by this, Bruce returned to inflict a series of defeats on the English, thus winning him more supporters and eventual victory. The story serves to explain the maxim: "if at first you don't succeed, try and try again." Other versions have Bruce defeated for the seventh time by the English, then let him watch the spider spin seven webs, fail, then spin an eighth and succeed.

Bruce's Cave on Rathlin Island off the coast of Northern Ireland takes its name from him.

Preceded by:
John Balliol

King of Scots

Succeeded by:
David II

Preceded by: Margaret de Bruce	Earl of Carrick	Followed by: (Merged in Crown)
Preceded by: (New creation)	Baron Bruce of Anandale	Followed by: (Merged in Crown)

History of Scotland Scottish monarchs

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1 Background