Page "Robert III of Scotland" Paragraph 33

Alexander Grant in Independence and Nationhood ( 1984 ) found Robert III to be " probably Scotland's least impressive king ".

Grant puts this into perspective and writes that it is notable that Robert III's reign could have been worse compared to the turmoil and violence experienced in England and France when ruled by weak kings — even on Robert ’ s death, Scotland didn ’ t descend into open civil war but was restricted to positioning among the royal family and its magnate groupings.

Grant, in The New Cambridge Medieval History, explains that the 13th century Scottish kings ruled with the endorsement of practically all of the political classes but that none of the 14th century kings, from Robert I to Robert III, did so and retained loyalty by the use of patronage.

The benefits of this were outweighed by the disadvantages — alienated lands reduced crown income, endowments had the same effect, the estates granted to nobles and church often in regality led to a loss of royal attendance within these territories and contributed to a diminishment of authority.