Editing Alexander II of Scotland (section)

== Early life ==
Alexander was born at [[Haddington, East Lothian]], the only son of the Scottish king [[William the Lion]] and [[Ermengarde of Beaumont|Ermengarde de Beaumont]].{{sfn|Parsons|1977|p=43}} He was forced to spend time in England under the terms of the [[Treaty of Falaise]], and ([[John of England]] knighted him at [[Clerkenwell Priory]] in 1213) before he returned home. He succeeded to the kingdom on the death of his father on 4 December 1214, being crowned at [[Scone, Perth and Kinross|Scone]] on 6 December the same year.

At the time of his accession, his sisters [[Isabella of Scotland, Countess of Norfolk|Isabella]] and [[Margaret of Scotland, Countess of Kent|Margaret]] had been sent to England as hostages to King John.<ref name=OX>{{cite web |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-112185 |title=Isabella (Isabella Bigod) |website=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |access-date=5 May 2024}}</ref> He appealed to John through the [[Magna Carta]], which promised to deal with the rights of Alexander and his family.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://magnacarta800th.com/schools/biographies/women-of-magna-carta/isabella-princess-of-scotland-and-countess-of-norfolk/ |title=Isabella, countess of Norfolk |last=Nelson |first=Dr. Jessica A. |date=2015 |website=Magna Carta 800th |access-date=5 May 2024}}</ref>