Who was the Duke of Albany?

Before we get into the particulars of the Duke of Albany, it seems important to answer the question, what exactly is a Duke? Well, Duke is the male title given to a member of royalty, nobility, or a monarch ruling over a duchy which can also be called a dukedom. The title comes from the French duc, derived from the Latin dux meaning leader and the female equivalent is simply Duchess. Dukes are ranked below a Prince or Grand Duke but above a Marquess, Count, Earl, Viscount or Baron.

The Dukedom of Albany didn't refer to one particular area and was instead a broad term that represented the areas in Scotland north of the River Forth, which was very similar to the former Kingdom of the Picts.

Maps depicting the former Kingdom of the Picts do seem to vary but may have been created based upon different time periods. Alba itself is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland and can be seen on all road signs welcoming people into the country.

Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany

The Dukedom was first granted in 1398 by King Robert III of Scotland to his brother also called, Robert whose full title became Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. Robert actually received his first title in 1361 when he married Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith, becoming Earl of Menteith. On becoming Earl, Robert was granted lands next to Ardoch Burn at the point it flows into the River Teith, just 8 miles downstream from the town of Callander. It is said that a castle had been built on the site in the 13th century, but was likely damaged during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Robert went on to rebuild Doune Castle sometime between 1361 and 1381 and the castle has remained largely unchanged ever since, although in 2011 the castle found new fame after been used as the set for Winterfell in the TV series Game of Thrones.

In 1371 Robert also persuaded his sister-in-law, Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Fife to resign the earldom of Fife, giving him the title, Earl of Fife. Robert is however best known for reportedly causing the murder of his nephew, David Stewart, the Duke of Rothesay. There had been growing tension between the Dukes over the amount of power and influence Robert had in central Scotland, so following a confrontation with his nephew, Robert arranged for David to be arrested and imprisoned within Falkland Castle. The circumstances of David's death were widely disputed with both starvation and murder being reported. The Duke of Albany was cleared of all blame by a general council, which found that 'by divine providence and not otherwise, it is discerned that he [The Duke of Rothesay] departed from this life.' However many were still very suspicious, including David's younger brother, the future James I of Scotland, and his suspicion is said to have eventually lead to the downfall of the Albany Stewarts, more on this later...The Duke died aged 80 at Stirling Castle and lies buried in Dunfermline Abbey, my hometown!

Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany

Murdoch Stewart, son of Robert was appointed Justiciar North of the Forth, the most senior legal officer in Medieval Scotland at the age of 27, and fought alongside his father against other prominent Scots such as Donald McDonald, 2nd Lord of the Isles for their own family Interest. Murdoch used this fighting spirit during his military actions against the English but was unfortunately captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill in 1402 being held prisoner for the next twelve years. In the Shakespeare play Henry IV, part 1 Murdoch is listed as "Mordake the Earl of Fife"

James I of Scotland had himself been in English captivity for many years and during this time neither Murdoch nor his father Robert made any attempt to negotiate his release and with James already being deeply suspicious of Robert following the death of the Duke of Rothesay, it didn't take long for the new King to arrest Murdoch along with his son Lord Alexander Stewart. Lord Alexander was one of three sons, with Walter already in Prison, it was only Murdoch's youngest son known as James The Fat who managed to avoid capture, eventually fleeing to Ireland after a failed rebellion against the king. Following the arrest of Murdoch, Walter, and Alexander all three were found guilty of treason and went on to be publicly beheaded in front of StirlingCastle! All of the family titles including Duke of Albany were forfeited and it wasn't until 1458 that the Title was re-introduced.

Alexander Stewart

Alexander Stewart was the second surviving son of King James II of Scotland. As well as gaining the title of Duke of Albany, Alexander was also the Earl of March and Lord of both Annandale & the Isle of Man. The Duke fell out with his brother King James III and between fleeing to France and multiple attempts to invade Scotland the Duke forfeited his titles in 1479, had them restored in 1482, and forfeited them again just a year later! He died in a duel with the Duke of Orléans, by a splinter from his lance.

John Stewart

Alexander's only legitimate son, John Stewart was restored to his father's dukedom and earldom in 1515. With a French mother, the Duke also served as the count of Auvergne and Lauraguais but on his death the Dukedom once again became extinct.

The Second Robert Stewart

In 1541 King James V and Mary of Guise gave birth to a son, Robert Stewart who was set to become Duke of Albany, but sadly aged 8 days Robert passed away at Falkland Palace.

Henry Stuart

Henry Stuart was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Shortly before his marriage to Mary, he was created Duke of Albany but many refer to him as Lord Darnley as a courtesy title, descending from the Dukedom of Richmond.

James VI and I

The best known of our dukes, James was the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots and as heir apparent, he automatically became Duke of Rothesay, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. When he was only eight months old, James's father was murdered at Kirk o' Field meaning James inherited the titles Duke of Albany and Earl of Ross. Just a few months later his mother Mary was arrested and imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle, meaning she never saw her son again. She was forced to abdicate the throne to James and at just 13 months old he was anointed James VI King of Scotland. He grew up in Stirling Castle and was raised by the Earl and Countess of Mar. In England, Mary's cousin Elizabeth was Queen but with no children of her own in the later years of her life politicians close to her began secret correspondence with James to prepare for him to succeed her as King James I of England and on the 25th July 1603, his English coronation took place.

Following the Union of the Crowns, James wanted to establish a single country under one monarch, one parliament, and one law but unsurprisingly this met opposition both in Scotland and England. His request to be titled King of Great Britain was denied on legal grounds in England but James forced Scottish Parliament to use it and it went on to be used on proclamations, coins, letters, and treaties in both countries. James also proclaimed the new Union Flag in 1606 but Scots saw this as the St George's Cross superimposed on the Saltire, so instead created their own version which featured the Saltire superimposed upon the St George's Cross. It was only when Oliver Cromwell was appointed Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and English overseas possessions that the flag was used more commonly.

Charles Stuart

James's second son, Charles became heir apparent of England, Scotland, and Ireland on the death of his elder brother Henry. He was born in Dunfermline Palace, just next to Dunfermline Abbey, again in my hometown! When he was only a few weeks old he was given the title, Duke of Albany, Marquess of Ormonde, Earl of Ross, and Lord Ardmannoch. Throughout his life, he gained the further titles of Duke of York, Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay, Prince of Wales, and Earl of Chester before becoming King in 1625 following the death of his father James.

James Stuart

As you may have noticed by now with all of these re-creations of the Title, the family tree linked to the Stewarts is rather complex, and when Charles I was executed in 1649 during the English Civil War James's older brother Charles was recognised as King by Scotland and Ireland and Jersey but not in England which at the time was being led by Oliver Cromwell. Charles spent nine years in exile over in France but on the death of Cromwell Charles was invited to return to Britain, and following the collapse of the English Commonwealth Charles was restored as Charles II of England. At birth, James was designated Duke of York but it wasn't until Charles was restored to the English throne that James became heir apparent taking on the title Duke of Albany.

In 1664, James was granted a proprietary colony of New Netherland in the US following its capture from the Dutch. This colony would today include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, Delaware, and southeast Pennsylvania as well as present-day Maine and parts of Massachusetts. The capital of New Netherland was New Amsterdam and once captured, New Amsterdam’s name was changed to New York because of James's title, Duke of York. This is also when our new American home city of Albany was renamed from Beverwyck in honour of the Duke's Scottish title.

He gave part of the colony between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers to Sir George Carteret in exchange for the settlement of debt. This new territory was named after the Island of Jersey, Sir George's ancestral home, and when another section of land was sold to a close friend, Lord Berkeley of Stratton the two became English Lords Proprietors of New Jersey and the Province of New Jersey was created.

James had the right to possess, control and govern the colony as long as this was all in line with English laws. He never actually visited his colony and he elected governors, councils, and other officers to run the area on his behalf. The Shire of York was the first large governmental unit and like Yorkshire in England, it was divided into three ridings: East, West, and North. New York's East Riding would today be modern Suffolk County, its West Riding would now be Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Elmhurst in Queens, while its North Riding would be the rest of modern-day Queens, Nassau County, Westchester County, the Bronx, and Manhattan. In 1683, Yorkshire, New York was eliminated, and the three ridings were converted into the Counties of Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, and Westchester. When James ascended the throne from his brother Charles II in February 1685 and became King James II, his personally owned colony became a royal province.

So there you have it, although James never set foot within the US his legacy remains present throughout the Northeast! James died at the age of 67 following a brain haemorrhage and although he had many children none of them took on the title of Duke of Albany.

Prince Leopold

Prince Leopold was the youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and in 1881 he was created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow. Prince Leopold had haemophilia, a genetic disorder meaning the body can't form blood clots required to stop bleeding and following a fall died at the age of 30. The Scottish poet William McGonagall wrote the poem "The Death of Prince Leopold" in his honour and in her own journal Queen Victoria wrote:

Prince Charles Edward

Four months after the death of Leopold, his son Prince Charles Edward, succeeded him as 2nd Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow. He was a rather controversial Prince due to his status as the sovereign Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which was part of the German Empire, during World War I. Following the German revolution, he had to abdicate these titles and lost his rights to the ducal throne. The following year he also lost all of his British peerages, his title of Prince and Royal Highness, and his British honours as part of the Titles Deprivation act 1917 after serving in the German Army during WWI.

The title Duke of Albany hasn't been used since, perhaps due to the unfortunate nature of its deprivation but given the former gaps in usage, I wouldn't be surprised to see the title return in the future. The title has also been used multiple times in fiction, featuring in Shakespeare's King Lear. In the play, the Duke of Albany is a prominent character as husband to Lear's daughter. More recently in the 2001 film Kate & Leopold, Leopold is the Duke of Albany and it's presumed that this character is meant to be the same Prince Leopold who also held the title.

Embarking on my journey of discovery into the Duke of Albany, I knew there would be some interesting stories linked to Albany, NY but I had no idea how influential the many Dukes throughout history were within Scotland! Amy from our Marketing Team who sits opposite me has listened to my surprise at all the amazing stories I've uncovered all day! Do you have a favourite Duke or a story linked to any of these influential figures? Get in touch and let us know.