On This Day In History: King Alexander II Was Crowned At Scone, Scotland – On Dec 6, 1214

AncientPages.com - On December 6, 1214, King Alexander II was crowned at Scone. Scone is a village or a suburb of Perth and Kinross in the center of Scotland.

The medieval Scone was located west of the New Scone village and was the coronation site for all the Scottish kings, the Coronation Stone. Kings like Kenneth the first, Robert the Bruce, and Charles the second were coroneted here until 1651, when the coronation site was changed.

Left: Alexander II (Alaxandair mac Uilliam) - King of Scots, 1214-49; Right: Seal impression Alexander II. Image via National Museum Scotland

Alexander II was the only son of William the Lion, and his reign lasted from his father’s death in 1214 until his own in 1249.

Peaceful relations with England were reinforced when he married Henry III of England’s sister Joan (she was 11) in 1221. Henry III requested homage soon after 1235. Alexander II responded with a counterclaim to the northern English counties.

The settlement of this dispute is known as the Treaty of York, signed in 1237, which determined the border between the kingdoms. The treaty – witnessed by a Papal Legate called Otho and written in Latin – was one of several agreements in the ongoing relationship between the two kings.

Joan died in 1238, and Alexander remarried the following year. This second marriage to Marie de Coucy produced one son, Alexander III. Alexander II suffered a fever on the way to force Ewen, Lord of Argyll, to sever ties with Norway. He died at Kerrera in 1249 and was buried at Melrose Abbey.