David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay

David Stewart (24 October 1378 – 26 March 1402) was prince and heir to the throne of Scotland from 1390 and the first Duke of Rothesay from 1398. He was named after his great-great-uncle, David II of Scotland, and also held the titles of Earl of Atholl (1398–1402) and Earl of Carrick (1390–1402). He shares with his uncle and arch-rival, Robert Stewart, first Duke of Albany, the distinction of being first Dukes to be created in the Scottish Peerage. David never became King. His marriage to Mary Douglas, daughter of Archibald the Grim, the third Earl of Douglas, was without issue.

David Stewart, as eldest son of the King Robert III of Scotland and his Queen, Anabella Drummond, was heir to the throne of Scotland. In 1399, at the age of 21, he was appointed "Lieutenant" of the kingdom, partly due to the infirmity of his father and at a time of civil unrest and conflict with England. Although this gave him an opportunity to flex political muscle, his room for manoeuvre was significantly constrained, however, by a combination of youthful inexperience and the ultimately mortal rivalry of his uncle, Robert Stewart, who had been protector of the kingdom prior to David's lieutenancy. Albany was a ruthlessly effective politician with a well developed power base, and his designs on the throne were well understood. David's subsequent marriage to Marjorie, forming a Douglas alliance with the throne, also caused a serious rupture with George Dunbar the tenth Earl of March, whose daughter Elizabeth had originally been betrothed to the Prince. David is known to have involved himself in the political life of the kingdom, playing a role for instance in peace negotiations with John of Gaunt in the Marches.

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