Donald III of Scotland
Encyclopedia
Domnall mac Donnchada anglicised
as Donald III, and nicknamed Domnall Bán, "Donald the Fair" (anglicised as Donald Bane/Bain or Donalbane/Donalbain), (died 1099) was King of Scots from 1093–1094 and 1094–1097. He was the second known son of Duncan I
(Donnchad mac Crínáin).
Donald's activities during the reign of his elder brother Malcolm III
(Máel Coluim mac Donnchada) are not recorded. It appears that he was not his brother's chosen heir, contrary to earlier custom, but that Malcolm had designated Edward, his eldest son by Margaret of Wessex
, as the king to come. If this was Malcolm's intent, his death and that of Edward on campaign in Northumbria
in November 1093 (see Battle of Alnwick (1093)
) confounded his plans. These deaths were followed very soon afterwards by that of Queen Margaret.
John of Fordun
reports that Donald invaded the kingdom after Margaret's death "at the head of a numerous band", and laid siege to Edinburgh
with Malcolm's sons by Margaret inside. Fordun has Edgar Ætheling
, concerned for his nephews' well-being, take the sons of Malcolm and Margaret to England. Andrew of Wyntoun
's much simpler account has Donald become king and banish his nephews. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
records only that Donald was chosen as king and expelled the English from the court.
In May 1094, Donald's nephew Duncan
(Donnchad mac Maíl Coluim), son of Malcolm and his first wife Ingibiorg Finnsdottir
, invaded at the head of an army of Anglo-Normans and Northumbrians, aided by his half-brother Edmund
and his father-in-law Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria
. This invasion succeeded in placing Duncan on the throne as Duncan II, but an uprising defeated his allies and he was compelled to send away his foreign troops. Duncan was then killed on 12 November 1094 by Máel Petair
, Mormaer of Mearns
. The Annals of Ulster
say that Duncan was killed on the orders of Donald (incorrectly called his brother) and Edmund.
Donald resumed power, probably with Edmund as his designated heir. Donald was an elderly man by the standards of the day, approaching sixty years old, and without any known sons, so that an heir was clearly required. William of Malmesbury
says that Edmund bargained "for half the kingdom", suggesting that Donald granted his nephew an appanage
to rule.
Edgar
, eldest surviving son of Malcolm and Margaret, obtained the support of William Rufus, although other matters delayed Edgar's return on the coat-tails of an English army led by his uncle Edgar Ætheling. Donald's fate is not entirely clear. William of Malmesbury tells us that he was "slain by the craftiness of David
[the later David I] ... and by the strength of William [Rufus]". The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says of Donald that he was expelled, while the Annals of Tigernach
have him blinded by his brother. John of Fordun
, following the king-lists, writes that Donald was "blinded, and doomed to eternal imprisonment" by Edgar. The place of his imprisonment was said to be Rescobie, by Forfar
, in Angus
. The sources differ as to whether Donald was first buried at Dunfermline Abbey
or Dunkeld Cathedral
, but agree that his remains were later moved to Iona
.
Donald left two daughters but no sons. His daughter Bethoc married Uctred (or Hadrian) de Tyndale, Lord of Tyndale, the probable ancestor of the Barons de Tyndale and the Tyndale/Tindal family
. Their daughter, Hextilda, married Richard Comyn
, Justiciar of Lothian
. The claims of John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
to the crown in the Great Cause came from Donald through Bethóc and Hextilda. Ladhmann son of Domnall, "grandson of the King of Scots", who died in 1116 might have been a son of Donald.
in William Shakespeare
's play Macbeth
represents Donald III.
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
as Donald III, and nicknamed Domnall Bán, "Donald the Fair" (anglicised as Donald Bane/Bain or Donalbane/Donalbain), (died 1099) was King of Scots from 1093–1094 and 1094–1097. He was the second known son of Duncan I
Duncan I of Scotland
Donnchad mac Crínáin was king of Scotland from 1034 to 1040...
(Donnchad mac Crínáin).
Donald's activities during the reign of his elder brother Malcolm III
Malcolm III of Scotland
Máel Coluim mac Donnchada , was King of Scots...
(Máel Coluim mac Donnchada) are not recorded. It appears that he was not his brother's chosen heir, contrary to earlier custom, but that Malcolm had designated Edward, his eldest son by Margaret of Wessex
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Saint Margaret of Scotland , also known as Margaret of Wessex and Queen Margaret of Scotland, was an English princess of the House of Wessex. Born in exile in Hungary, she was the sister of Edgar Ætheling, the short-ruling and uncrowned Anglo-Saxon King of England...
, as the king to come. If this was Malcolm's intent, his death and that of Edward on campaign in Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
in November 1093 (see Battle of Alnwick (1093)
Battle of Alnwick (1093)
The Battle of Alnwick is one of two battles fought near the town of Alnwick, in Northumberland, England. In the battle, which occurred on 13 November 1093, Malcolm III of Scotland, also known as Malcolm Canmore, was killed together with his son Edward, by an army of knights led by Robert de...
) confounded his plans. These deaths were followed very soon afterwards by that of Queen Margaret.
John of Fordun
John of Fordun
John of Fordun was a Scottish chronicler. It is generally stated that he was born at Fordoun, Mearns. It is certain that he was a secular priest, and that he composed his history in the latter part of the 14th century; and it is probable that he was a chaplain in the St Machar's Cathedral of...
reports that Donald invaded the kingdom after Margaret's death "at the head of a numerous band", and laid siege to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
with Malcolm's sons by Margaret inside. Fordun has Edgar Ætheling
Edgar Ætheling
Edgar Ætheling , or Edgar II, was the last male member of the royal house of Cerdic of Wessex...
, concerned for his nephews' well-being, take the sons of Malcolm and Margaret to England. Andrew of Wyntoun
Andrew of Wyntoun
Andrew Wyntoun, known as Andrew of Wyntoun was a Scottish poet, a canon and prior of Loch Leven on St Serf's Inch and later, a canon of St...
's much simpler account has Donald become king and banish his nephews. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
records only that Donald was chosen as king and expelled the English from the court.
In May 1094, Donald's nephew Duncan
Duncan II of Scotland
Donnchad mac Maíl Coluim was king of Scots...
(Donnchad mac Maíl Coluim), son of Malcolm and his first wife Ingibiorg Finnsdottir
Ingibiorg Finnsdottir
Ingibiorg Finnsdottir was a daughter of Earl Finn Arnesson and Bergljot Halvdansdottir , a niece of the Norwegian Kings Saint Olaf and Harald Hardraade. She is also known as Ingibiorg, the Earls'-Mother. The dates of her life are not certainly known.She married Thorfinn Sigurdsson, Earl of Orkney...
, invaded at the head of an army of Anglo-Normans and Northumbrians, aided by his half-brother Edmund
Edmund of Scotland
Edmund or Etmond mac Maíl Coluim was a son of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada and his second wife Margaret. He may be found on some lists of Scottish kings, but there is no evidence that he was king....
and his father-in-law Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria
Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria
Gospatric or Cospatric , , was Earl of Northumbria, or of Bernicia, and later lord of sizable estates around Dunbar...
. This invasion succeeded in placing Duncan on the throne as Duncan II, but an uprising defeated his allies and he was compelled to send away his foreign troops. Duncan was then killed on 12 November 1094 by Máel Petair
Máel Petair of Mearns
Máel Petair of Mearns is the only known Mormaer of the Mearns. His name means "tonsured one of Peter".One source tells us that Máel Petair was the son of a Máel Coluim, but tells us nothing about this. If this weren't bad enough, other sources say that his father was a man called "Loren", and in...
, Mormaer of Mearns
Mormaer of Mearns
The Mormaer or Mormaerdom of Mearns is the most obscure medieval Scottish Mormaerdom. It is known only from one source, a source relating that Máel Petair, Mormaer of Mearns, killed Donnchad II. There is good reason to believe that this is not some mistake, and that Mearns was once a Mormaerdom...
. The Annals of Ulster
Annals of Ulster
The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
say that Duncan was killed on the orders of Donald (incorrectly called his brother) and Edmund.
Donald resumed power, probably with Edmund as his designated heir. Donald was an elderly man by the standards of the day, approaching sixty years old, and without any known sons, so that an heir was clearly required. William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. C. Warren Hollister so ranks him among the most talented generation of writers of history since Bede, "a gifted historical scholar and an omnivorous reader, impressively well versed in the literature of classical,...
says that Edmund bargained "for half the kingdom", suggesting that Donald granted his nephew an appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
to rule.
Edgar
Edgar of Scotland
Edgar or Étgar mac Maíl Choluim , nicknamed Probus, "the Valiant" , was king of Alba from 1097 to 1107...
, eldest surviving son of Malcolm and Margaret, obtained the support of William Rufus, although other matters delayed Edgar's return on the coat-tails of an English army led by his uncle Edgar Ætheling. Donald's fate is not entirely clear. William of Malmesbury tells us that he was "slain by the craftiness of David
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
[the later David I] ... and by the strength of William [Rufus]". The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says of Donald that he was expelled, while the Annals of Tigernach
Annals of Tigernach
The Annals of Tigernach is a chronicle probably originating in Clonmacnoise, Ireland. The language is a mixture of Latin and Old and Middle Irish....
have him blinded by his brother. John of Fordun
John of Fordun
John of Fordun was a Scottish chronicler. It is generally stated that he was born at Fordoun, Mearns. It is certain that he was a secular priest, and that he composed his history in the latter part of the 14th century; and it is probable that he was a chaplain in the St Machar's Cathedral of...
, following the king-lists, writes that Donald was "blinded, and doomed to eternal imprisonment" by Edgar. The place of his imprisonment was said to be Rescobie, by Forfar
Forfar
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
, in Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. The sources differ as to whether Donald was first buried at Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey is as a Church of Scotland Parish Church located in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. In 2002 the congregation had 806 members. The minister is the Reverend Alastair Jessamine...
or Dunkeld Cathedral
Dunkeld Cathedral
Dunkeld Cathedral stands on the north bank of the River Tay in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Built in square-stone style of predominantly grey sandstone, the cathedral proper was begun in 1260 and completed in 1501...
, but agree that his remains were later moved to Iona
Iona
Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats...
.
Donald left two daughters but no sons. His daughter Bethoc married Uctred (or Hadrian) de Tyndale, Lord of Tyndale, the probable ancestor of the Barons de Tyndale and the Tyndale/Tindal family
Tyndall
Tyndall is the name of an English family taken from the land they held as tenants in chief of the Kings of England and Scotland in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries: Tynedale, or the valley of the Tyne, in Northumberland...
. Their daughter, Hextilda, married Richard Comyn
Richard Comyn
Richard Comyn was a Scottish noble, the nephew of William Comyn.Richard was probably born between 1115 and 1123. In 1144, William Comyn gave him Northallerton Castle, which he had built a few years earlier. Shortly after, he received the castle and honour of Richmond as part of his uncle's...
, Justiciar of Lothian
Justiciar of Lothian
The Justiciar of Lothian was an important legal office in the High Medieval Kingdom of Scotland.The Justiciars of Lothian were responsible for the administration of royal justice in the province of Lothian, a much larger area than the modern Lothian, covering Scotland south of the Forth and Clyde,...
. The claims of John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch and Lord of Lochaber or John "the Black", also known as Black Comyn, a Scottish nobleman, was a Guardian of Scotland, and one of the six Regents for Margaret, Maid of Norway...
to the crown in the Great Cause came from Donald through Bethóc and Hextilda. Ladhmann son of Domnall, "grandson of the King of Scots", who died in 1116 might have been a son of Donald.
Fictional depictions
The minor character of DonalbainDonalbain (Macbeth)
Donalbain is a character in Shakespeare's Macbeth . He is the younger son of King Duncan and brother to Malcolm, the heir to the throne. Donalbain flees Scotland after the murder of his father for refuge in Ireland. The character is minor, has few lines, and is sometimes completely cut in...
in William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
represents Donald III.