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Capture of Scottish King David II

Type Event Region Europe Time 1346

After the Battle of Neville's Cross on October 17, 1346, Scottish King David II was captured by English forces during the rout—one of the few reignin…

Timeline

  1. 1346Neville's Cross · County DurhamThe Scottish army was routed in full at Neville's Cross, and David II failed to escape the chaos. According to contemporary chronicles, though guarded by two knights, he was recognized and surrounded by English soldiers, and finally laid down his arms and was captured. News of the king's capture quickly reached Scotland, causing political upheaval.
  2. 1346England · EnglandDavid II was taken to England, first traveling south through Northumberland and York before being confined in the Tower of London and elsewhere. England regarded him as a valuable political lever—both to pressure Scotland into ceasing support for France and to demand vast sums and territorial concessions in ransom negotiations.
  3. 1346–1347Scotland · ScotlandA regency council of nobles including Robert Stewart governed Scotland and began negotiating ransom with England; France also watched the fate of its ally's monarch. David II's capture left Scotland unable to launch major invasions south after 1346, severely undermining the Franco-Scottish coordinated strategy, until he was released and returned home in 1357 for a ransom of 100,000 marks.

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