David II (1324-1371)

David II, King of Scots, was the son of Robert the Bruce by his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh (d. 1327).

In accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Northampton, where Isabella and Mortimer ruling in England made peace with Scotland, he was married on 17 July 1328 to Joan of the Tower, daughter of Edward II of England.

David became king of Scotland aged 5 years, 3 months, and 3 days. David and his Queen were crowned at Scone on November 24, 1331.

Sir Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, by the Act of Settlement of 1318, became Guardian of Scotland until his death on July 20, 1332. He was replaced as Guardian by Donald, Earl of Mar, by an assemblage of the magnates of Scotland, at Perth, August 2, 1332. However, Mar fell at the Battle of Dupplin Moor ten days later, following which Sir Andrew Moray of Bothwell, who had married (her third husband) Christian, sister of King Robert I, was chosen the new Guardian. He was taken prisoner by the English at Roxburgh in April 1333. He was thence replaced as Guardian by Sir Archibald Douglas, 'Tyneman', who fell at Halidon Hill that July.

Following the Scots' defeat at Dupplin, Edward Balliol was crowned King of the Scots by the English and his adherents, at Scone, September 24, 1332. However, by December he had fled to England.

Owing to the victory of Edward III of England and his protégé, Edward Balliol, at the Battle of Halidon Hill in July 1333, David and his Queen were sent for safety into France, reaching Boulogne on May 14, 1334, and being received very graciously by the French king, Philip VI. Little is known about the life of the Scottish king in France, except that Château-Gaillard was given to him for a residence, and that he was present at the bloodless meeting of the English and French armies in October 1339 at Vironfosse, now known as Buironfosse, in the Arrondissement of Vervins.

Meanwhile his representatives had obtained the upper hand in Scotland, and David was due to return to his kingdom when the English, in a surprise attack, laid siege in 1341 to Château-Gaillard and captured both king and queen. David lies in the Tower and Joan in the English court.

His nephew, Margaret's son Robert, is Guardian of Scotland in David's absence.