Birth of Malcolm IV of Scotland
Malcolm IV, or Máel Coluim mac Eanric, was born 23rd April 1141, and was the eldest son of Henry of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and Ada de Warenne.
Malcolm’s father died in 1152, leaving him as the heir to the throne.
After the death of his grandfather David I, on 24th May 1153, Malcolm succeeded to the Scottish throne.
He was just 12 when he was crowned King of Scotland on 27th May 1153 at Scone.
Throughout his reign the pious and frail Malcolm was consistently out-thought and outmanoeuvred by Henry II, who was crowned King of England in 1154.
In 1149 Henry had promised Malcolm’s grandfather David I, that he would uphold Scotland’s claim to much of northern England.
In 1157 Henry, sensing weakness in the boy king, summoned Malcolm to meet him at Chester.
There they signed the Treaty of Chester, under which Malcolm relinquished Scottish claims to Cumberland, Westmorland, Northumbria, and Carlisle.
In return he was granted the Earldom of Huntingdon.
This was not a good deal by any standards, but perhaps Malcolm thought that his refusal to agree might spark a war with Henry II.
With all the resources of Normandy, Aquitaine and England at his disposal, Henry was probably not the best man to go to war against, at the time.
Others sought to take advantage of Malcolm’s perceived weakness during his reign.
As a new and young king, Malcolm faced threats to his rule from his neighbours.
He successfully managed to suppress a major rebellion in Moray, but had a harder time dealing with Somerled, King of the Isles, who was building a power base against Malcolm in Argyll.
Matters came to a head when Somerled landed an army of 15,000 men at Greenock in 1164.
Somewhere near Inchinnan, close to the site of today’s Glasgow Airport, Somerled was betrayed and killed.
His army departed without engaging in a full scale battle.
Despite Malcolm’s unpopularity, it seems that his own death on 9th December 1165, was from natural causes.
For much of his reign he was in poor health and died unmarried at the age of twenty-four.
Some Chroniclers believe his premature death may have been hastened by Paget’s disease, a chronic disorder that typically results in enlarged and deformed bones.
Malcolm was buried in Dunfermline Abbey, beside his grandfather in front of the high altar.
He was succeeded by his younger brother, William the Lion.
🏴 Dunfermline Abbey – Where Scottish Kings sleep.
