Bruce, Scottish royal family descended from an 11th-century Norman duke, Robert de Brus. He aided William I in his conquest of England (1066) and was given lands in England. His son was granted fiefs in Scotland, and the family therefore rendered homage in both kingdoms. The 5th Robert the Bruce was married to Isobel, second daughter of David, earl of Huntingdon, brother of the Scottish kings Malcolm IV and William the Lion. The son of that marriage, the 6th Robert the Bruce, was a claimant to the Scottish throne after the death of Margaret Maid of Norway in 1290. The crown, however, was awarded by Edward I to John de Baliol, grandson of the eldest daughter of David of Huntingdon. A grandson of this Robert was the famous Robert Bruce or Robert the Bruce who became king of Scotland as Robert I. The brother of Robert I, Edward Bruce, was crowned king of Ireland in 1316 but died in battle in 1318. The young son of Robert I succeeded his father as David II and was in turn succeeded by his nephew, Robert II, son of Robert I's daughter Marjory and the first king of Scotland of the Stuart family.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: British and Irish History: Biographies
