Editing David II of Scotland (section)

=== Return to Scotland ===
[[File:David II, King of Scotland and Edward III, King of England (British Library MS Cotton Nero D VI, folio 66v).jpg|thumb|David II (left) and Edward III (right)]]

David returned to Scotland accompanied by a large contingent of Scottish nobles and clergy. He also brought his mistress, Katherine (or Catherine) Mortimer, of whom little is known. Katherine was murdered in 1360 by men hired by the [[Earl of Angus]] and other nobles,<ref>{{cite book |author=Patrick Fraser Tytler |title=History of Scotland, Volume II |year=1828 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZrQuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA130 |isbn=9780198759348 |page=130}}</ref> according to some sources; some accounts say the earl was starved to death, however since his death was not until 1362, two years after the murder, death from the plague or other causes is more likely.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Penman |first1=Michael |title=David II |date=2004 |publisher=Tuckwell Press Ltd. |location=East Linton, Scotland |page=292}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=David Ross |title=Scotland: History of a Nation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yWrlONIyN84C |year=2000 |publisher=Lomond Books |isbn=978-0-947782-58-0 |page=103}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Richard Oram |title=The Kings & Queens of Scotland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yWrlONIyN84C |year=2011 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=9780752438146}}</ref> She was replaced as mistress by [[Margaret Drummond, Queen of Scotland|Margaret Drummond]].<ref name=MacQuarrie>{{cite book |author=Alan MacQuarrie |title=Medieval Scotland: Kingship and Nation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0f0SDQAAQBAJ&q=scotland+katherine+mortimer+1360&pg=PT196 |year=2004 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=0750929774}}</ref>

After six years, owing to the poverty of the kingdom, it was found impossible to raise the ransom instalment of 1363. David then made for [[London]] and sought to get rid of the liability by offering to bequeath Scotland to Edward III, or one of his sons, in return for a cancellation of the ransom. David did this with the full awareness that the Scots would never accept such an arrangement. In 1364, the Scottish parliament indignantly rejected a proposal to make [[Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence]], the next king. Over the next few years, David strung out secret negotiations with Edward III,<ref name="EB1911"/> which apparently appeased the matter.

His wife, Queen Joan, died on 7 September 1362 (aged 41)<ref name=MacQuarrie/> at [[Hertford Castle]], [[Hertfordshire]], possibly a victim of the [[Black Death]]. He remarried, on about 20 February 1364, to [[Margaret Drummond, Queen of Scotland|Margaret Drummond]], widow of Sir John Logie, and daughter of Sir Malcolm Drummond. He divorced her on about 20 March 1370. They had no children.<ref name="Richardson 2004 p. 23"/><ref name="Dunbar 1899 p. 154">Dunbar (1899) p. 154</ref> Margaret, however, travelled to [[Avignon]], and made a successful appeal to the [[Pope Urban V]] to reverse the sentence of divorce which had been pronounced against her in Scotland. She was still alive in January 1375, four years after David died.<ref>Dunbar (1899) p. 156.</ref>

From 1364, David governed actively, dealing firmly with recalcitrant nobles, and a wider baronial revolt, led by his prospective successor, the future [[Robert II of Scotland|Robert II]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Ian Dawson |title=Who's Who in British History: A-H |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Czq-f-9cLSsC&pg=PA321 |year=1998 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-884964-90-9 |page=321}}</ref> David continued to pursue the goal of a final peace with England. At the time of his death, the Scottish monarchy was stronger and the country was "a free and independent kingdom" according to a reliable source.<ref>{{cite book |author=Peter Hume Brown |title=History of Scotland to the present time, Volume 1 |year=1911 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Scw7AAAAIAAJ&q=death+of+david+II+scotland&pg=PA145 |isbn=1107600316 |page=145}}</ref> The royal finances were more prosperous than might have seemed possible.