Robert III of Scotland

Robert III (c. 1337 – 4 April 1406), born John Stewart, was King of Scots from 1390 to his death in 1406. He was also High Steward of Scotland from 1371 to 1390 and held the titles of Earl of Atholl (1367–1390) and Earl of Carrick (1368–1390) before ascending the throne at the age of about 53 years. He was the eldest son of King Robert II and Elizabeth Mure and was legitimised by his parents' second marriage through papal dispensation in 1349.

John joined his father and other magnates in a rebellion against his great-uncle David II early in 1363 but submitted to him soon afterwards. He was married to Annabella Drummond by 1367. In 1368, David created him Earl of Carrick. His father became king in 1371 after the unexpected death of the childless King David II. In the following years, Carrick was influential in the kingdom's governance but became impatient with his father's longevity. In 1384, Carrick was appointed the king's lieutenant after swaying the general council to remove Robert II from direct rule. Carrick's administration saw a renewal of the conflict with England. In 1388, the Scots defeated the English at the Battle of Otterburn, where the Scots' commander, James, Earl of Douglas, was killed. By this time, Carrick had been badly injured from a horse kick; however, it was the loss of his powerful ally, Douglas, that saw a turnaround in magnate support in favour of his younger brother Robert, Earl of Fife, to whom the council transferred the lieutenancy in December 1388.