{{Infobox_Monarch
| name = Alexander II
| title = King of Scots
| image = [[Image:Alexander II (Alba) i.JPG|250px]]
| reign = [[4 December]], [[1214]]–[[July 6]], [[1249]]
| coronation =
| predecessor = [[William I of Scotland|William I]]
| successor = [[Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III]]
| consort = [[Joan of England, Queen Alexander of Scotland|Joan of England]]<br>[[Marie de Coucy]]
| issue = Alexander III
| royal house =
| royal anthem =
| father = [[William I of Scotland|William I]]
| mother = [[Ermengarde de Beaumont]]
| date of birth = {{birth date|1198|8|24|mf=y}}
| place of birth =
| date of death ={{death date and age|1249|7|6|1198|8|24}}
| place of death =
| place of burial= [[Melrose Abbey]]
|}}
[[Image:Alexander II (Alba) ii.JPG|thumb|Alexander the warrior and knight: the reverse side of Alexander II's Great Seal, enhanced as a 19th century steel engraving.]]
'''Alexander II''' ([[August 24]], [[1198]] – [[July 6]], [[1249]]), [[King of Scots]], was the only son of [[William I of Scotland|William the Lion]] and [[Ermengarde of Beaumont]]. He was born at [[Haddington, East Lothian|Haddington]], [[East Lothian]], in 1198, and succeeded to the kingdom on the death of his father on [[4 December]] [[1214]], being crowned at Scone on [[December 6]] the same year.
The year after his accession the clans [[Meic Uilleim]] and [[MacHeths]], inveterate enemies of the Scottish crown, broke into revolt; but loyalist forces speedily quelled the insurrection.
In the same year Alexander joined the English barons in their struggle against [[John I of England]], and led an army into the [[Kingdom of England]] in support of their cause; but after John's death, on the conclusion of peace between his youthful son [[Henry III of England]] and the French prince [[Louis VIII of France]], the Scottish king joined in the pacification.
The Scottish Army of Alexander II reached the English port of Dover awaiting the arrival of the French Army under the Dauphin. King John's death and the change of attitude of the Pope and the English aristocracy meant the French army never arrived and the Scottish army returned to Scotland undefeated after having reached the south coast of England.
Diplomacy further strengthened the reconciliation by the marriage of Alexander to Henry's sister [[Joan of England, Queen Alexander of Scotland|Joan of England]] on [[June 18]] or [[June 25]], [[1221]].
The next year marked the subjection of the hitherto semi-independent district of [[Argyll]]. Royal forces crushed a revolt in [[Galloway]] in 1235 without difficulty; nor did an invasion attempted soon afterwards by its exiled leaders meet with success. Soon afterwards a claim for homage from Henry of [[England]] drew forth from Alexander a counter-claim to the northern English counties. The two kingdoms, however, settled this dispute by a compromise in 1237. This was the [[Treaty of York]] which defined the boundary between the two kingdoms as running between the Solway Firth (in the west) and the mouth of the River Tweed (in the east).
Joan died in March, 1238 in Essex, and in the following year, 1239, Alexander remarried. His second wife was [[Marie de Coucy]]. The marriage took place on [[May 15]] [[1239]], and produced one son, the future [[Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III]], born in 1241.
A threat of invasion by Henry in 1243 for a time interrupted the friendly relations between the two countries; but the prompt action of Alexander in anticipating his attack, and the disinclination of the English barons for war, compelled him to make peace next year at [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]]. Alexander now turned his attention to securing the [[Western Isles]], which still owed a nominal allegiance to [[Norway]]. He successively attempted negotiations and purchase, but without success. Alexander next attempted to persuade [[Ewen MacDougall|Ewen]], the son of Duncan, Lord of [[Argyll]], to sever his allegiance to [[Haakon IV of Norway]]. Ewen rejected these attempts, and Alexander sailed forth to compel him.
But on the way he suffered a fever at the Isle of [[Kerrera]] in the [[Inner Hebrides]], and died there in [[1249]]. He was buried at [[Melrose Abbey]], [[Roxburghshire]]. His son [[Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III]] succeeded him as King of Scots.
==Consorts==
1. '''[[Joan of England, Queen Consort of Scotland|Joan of England]]''', ([[July 22]], [[1210]] – [[March 4]],[[1238]]), was the eldest legitimate daughter and third child of [[John of England]] and [[Isabella of Angouleme]]. She and Alexander II married on [[June 21]],[[1221]], at [[York Minster]]. Alexander was 23. Joan was 11. They had no children. Joan died in [[Essex]] in 1238, and was buried at [[Tarant Crawford Abbey]] in [[Dorset]].
2. '''[[Marie de Coucy]]''', who became mother of [[Alexander III of Scotland]]
==References==
*''Tewkesbury Annals''
*''Worcester Annals''
*''Rotuli Litterarum Patencium''
*{{1911}}
==Historical fiction==
*Alexander II features in Barbara Erskine's novel "Child of the Phoenix" (1992)
{{start box}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Dunkeld]]|24 August|1198|6 July|1249}}
{{s-reg|}}
{{succession box |
before=[[William I of Scotland|William I]] |
title=[[King of Scots]] |
years=[[1214]]–[[1249]]|
after=[[Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III]]
}}
{{s-roy|sc}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Margaret of Scotland, Countess of Kent]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of heirs of Scotland|Heir of Scotland]]'''<br />''as [[heir apparent]]''|years=1198–1214}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Margaret of Scotland, Countess of Kent]]}}
{{end box}}
{{Scottish Monarchs}}
[[Category:Scottish monarchs]]
[[Category:House of Dunkeld]]
[[Category:Medieval Gaels]]
[[Category:People from East Lothian]]
[[Category:1198 births]]
[[Category:1249 deaths]]
[[ca:Alexandre II d'Escòcia]]
[[cy:Alexander II, brenin yr Alban]]
[[de:Alexander II. (Schottland)]]
[[es:Alejandro II de Escocia]]
[[fr:Alexandre II d'Écosse]]
[[it:Alessandro II di Scozia]]
[[nl:Alexander II van Schotland]]
[[ja:アレグザンダー2世 (スコットランド王)]]
[[no:Aleksander II av Skottland]]
[[pl:Aleksander II (król Szkocji)]]
[[pt:Alexandre II da Escócia]]
[[sv:Alexander II av Skottland]]
[[uk:Александр ІІ (король Шотландії)]]
[[zh:亚历山大二世 (苏格兰)]]