William fitz Duncan

Who was William fitz Duncan?

William fitz Duncan was a Scottish prince, a territorial magnate in northern Scotland and northern England, a general and the legitimate son of king Donnchad II of Scotland by Athelreda of Dunbar.

In 1094, his father Donnchad II was killed by Mormaer Máel Petair of Mearns, supporting the claims of King Domnall III Bán. It is probable that William left Scotland with his mother in that year, to the safety of Allerdale in Cumberland. A decade or so later, he ventured to the court of his half-uncle.

Under the reign of his half-uncle Alexander I, it is highly likely that William was regarded as a viable tánaiste, but Henry I of England supported David. When David succeeded, William, as the legitimate king under the rules of primogeniture was certainly bought off by David, probably being made tánaiste. William repeatedly leads the lists of witnesses appearing in Scottish royal charters in the reigns of Alexander I and David I.

A 13th century northern English source claims that William was Mormaer of Moray. As this source had no reason to make this up, it is highly likely that William was made the ruler of Moray after the defeat of King Óengus of Moray in 1130. It is feasible that this grant had something to do with the coming of age of David's son, Prince Henry. As well as being the ruler of Moray, William controlled the English lands of Allerdale, Skipton and Craven, making him one of the greatest barons of northern England.