James II of Scotland
| James II | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| King of Scots | |
| Reign | 21 February 1437 – 3 August 1460 |
| Coronation | 25 March 1437 |
| Predecessor | James I |
| Successor | James III |
| Born |
16 October 1430 Holyrood Abbey |
| Died | 3 August 1460 (aged 29) Roxburgh Castle |
| Burial | Holyrood Abbey |
| Spouse | Mary of Guelders |
| Issue more... |
James III Alexander, 1st Duke of Albany |
| House | Stewart |
| Father | James I |
| Mother | Joan Beaufort |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
James II (Middle Scots: Iames Stewart; 16 October 1430 – 3 August 1460), who reigned as king of Scots from 1437 on, was the son of James I and Joan Beaufort. Nothing is known of his early life, but by his first birthday his twin and only brother, Alexander, who was also the older twin, had died, thus making James the heir apparent and Duke of Rothesay. On 21 February 1437, James I was assassinated and the six-year-old Duke of Rothesay immediately succeeded him as James II.
In 1449, nineteen-year-old James married fifteen-year-old Mary of Guelders, daughter of the Duke of Gelderland. She bore him seven children, six of whom survived into adulthood. Subsequently, the relations between Flanders and Scotland improved. James's nickname, Fiery Face, referred to a conspicuous vermilion birthmark on his face which appears to have been deemed by contemporaries an outward sign of a fiery temper.
James was a politic, and singularly successful king. He was popular with the commoners, with whom, like most of the Stewarts, he socialised often, in times of peace and war. His legislation has a markedly popular character. He does not appear to have inherited his father's taste for literature, which was "inherited" by at least two of his sisters; but the foundation of the University of Glasgow during his reign, by Bishop Turnbull, shows that he encouraged learning; and there are also traces of his endowments to St. Salvator's, the new college of Archbishop Kennedy at St Andrews. He possessed much of his father's restless energy. However, his murder of the Earl of Douglas leaves a stain on his reign.
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