The Tudors Dynasty podcast.

Welcome to this week in Royal History, where I share events throughout royal history that happened this week, December 4th through the 10th.

Scotland, the 12th century, a standalone country with the monarch of its own.

When we talk about Scotland on this show, we're usually talking about the kings and young queen of the Tudor era.

But Scotland has a long history of its own.

Born under the rule of his grandfather, David I of Scotland,

William was the son of heir apparent Henry of Scotland and Ada de Warren.

When William's father died in 1152,

William's elder brother, Malcolm, became the new heir, and William became the spare.

As that spare, William was created Earl of Northumbria at his father's death, but lost it in 1157 to Henry II of England.

King David I died in 1153, and William's brother became Malcolm the 4th of Scotland,

making William now heir presumptive.

Malcolm died 12 years later, and William succeeded him as William I, and he was only 24 years old. That's a lot of change in a short amount of time. William's reign as King saw

battles against Henry II of England in an effort to retrieve Northumbria in his possession.

However, by 1175, William was forced to swear fealty to Henry II at York Castle.

He attempted to purchase Northumbria from Richard the Lionheart of England, who was Henry's successor, but Richard would not give in.

In 1186, William married Ermagard de Beaumont at the Royal Chapel in Woodstock Palace.

They had four children who survived to adulthood.

Their marriage was arranged by Henry II, who offered to pay for the entire

wedding. William's reign saw much improvement to Scotland, including the founding of new burs,

clarifying criminal law and growing trade. It was this week in royal history in the year 1214 that King William I died.

He was about 72 years old.

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