General Notes

David II (1324-71), king of Scotland (1329-71), son of King Robert Bruce. He
succeeded his father at only five years of age, but soon after his coronation
(1331) he was deposed by Edward de Baliol, an English-backed claimant to the
throne. For the next eight years David lived in exile in France. In 1341 he
returned to Scotland, and five years later went to war with England as an ally
of France. The English defeated both the French (at Crécy) and the Scots (at
Neville's Cross, October 1346), taking David prisoner and capturing large
parts of Scotland and France. David remained a prisoner in England for 11
years. In 1357 he was freed in return for the promise of a ransom, and
thereafter enjoyed friendly relations with the English. David was succeeded by
his nephew Robert II, founder of the Stuart dynasty.