List of Heirs of Scotland - Heirs To Alexander III

Heirs To Alexander III

Alexander III became King at the age of eight, and the heiress presumptive to the Kingdom was once again his aunt

• Margaret, Countess of Kent. She was displaced in the succession by her namesake
• Margaret, born to Alexander's queen Margaret of England on 28 February 1260. She was in turn displaced by the birth of her brother,
• Alexander, Prince of Scotland, born on 21 January 1263. His death on 28 January 1283, and that of his younger brother David two years earlier, meant that his father's heiress was again his elder sister
• Margaret, by now married to King Eirik II of Norway. She died on 9 April 1283 giving birth to a daughter,
• Margaret, known as "the Maid of Norway", who became heiress presumptive. The King secured her recognition as such from the Estates of Scotland in 1284.

Alexander III, a widower since 1274, was now left with an infant girl as the only undisputed successor to his throne. In an attempt to beget a male heir, he married Yolande de Dreux on 14 October 1285, but died on 19 March 1286 of a fall from his horse. Queen Yolande declared herself pregnant with the King's heir, but it soon became apparent that this was not the case, and Alexander's three-year-old granddaughter Margaret was recognised as heir.