King Duncan of Scotland (1034 - 1040)
Name: King Duncan of Scotland
Father: Crinan, Abbot of Dunkeld
Mother: Bethoc, daughter of Malcom II
Relation to Charles III: 28th great-grandfather
House of: Dunkeld
Born: c. 1001
Ascended to the throne: November 25, 1034
Married: Sybilla, c. 1030
Children: three sons including Malcolm III and Donald III
Died: August, 1040, either murdered by Macbeth or killed in battle against him near Elgin.
Buried at: Isle of Iona
Succeeded by: his cousin Macbeth
Duncan (Donnchad mac Crínáin) was the son of Crinan, the Abbot of Dunkeld, and Bethroc daughter of Malcolm II. He was the first of the House of Dunkeld.
His incursions south into England were unsuccessful including the siege of Durham in 1139, but he strengthened his hold over Strathclyde. The hereditary rights of his two sons Malcolm and Donald were threatened by Macbeth of Moray who claimed the kingdom. The feud was temporarily settled in 1040 when Duncan was either murdered by Macbeth, or more likely fatally wounded in battle at Pitgaveny near Elgin by Macbeth who then became king. Duncan’s sons escaped and both would later become kings.
Timeline for King Duncan of Scotland
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1034 | Duncan I succeeds to the Scottish throne |
| 1040 | Duncan is killed in a civil war. His cousin, Macbeth, succeeds |