Duncan II was the son of Malcolm III, and his first wife Ingibiorg and lived from c.1072-1094. He was King of Scotland, only briefly, from c. May 1094-November 1094.
Hostage in England
Much of his early childhood was spent in England as a hostage of William I. Following the death of Duncan’s father in 1093 he received the English king’s (William II) consent to seek the Scottish throne.
With military support from William, Duncan came north and was successful in driving out the incumbent Donald III.
There is some considerable debate over the date he took the throne; some scholars argue it was during the early months of 1094, others including historian A. A. Duncan writing in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography said he, “became king before the end of 1093.”
Brief and stormy reign
His reign was described as brief and stormy, with the English army that had supported him, driven out of Scotland.
However after only a few months conditions in Scotland saw the re-emergence of Donald who re-took the throne and Duncan was killed almost certainly at the behest of Donald. A.A. Duncan said, “Duncan was killed, apparently with some treachery by the local mormaer at Mondynes in the Mearns on 12 November 1094,” a date noted by the monks of Durham.
Although there is no direct evidence he may have been buried on Iona.
The British Royal Family – more information
If your interest in British royalty goes beyond Scotland’s earliest kings and queens, see the official British Monarchy website for lots of additional information.
