March 19th , 1286
Born in 1241, the only son of Alexander II and his second wife, Marie de Coucy, Alexander became king at the age of seven, and only five days after the death of his father. He became king during an age of relative peace and prosperity in Scotland. Alexander III, King of Scots, also known as Alexander the Glorious, ranks as one of Scotlands greatest kings.
Towards the end of Alexanders reign, the death of all three of his children within a few years made the question of the succession one of pressing importance. In 1284 he induced the Estates to recognize as his heir-presumptive his granddaughter Margaret, the Maid of Norway. The need for a male heir led him to contract a second marriage to Yolande de Dreux on November 01, 1285.
But the sudden death of the king dashed all such hopes. Alexander died in a fall from his horse in the dark while riding to visit the queen at Kinghorn in Fife on 16th or 19th of March 1286. His death ushered in a time of political upheaval for Scotland.
