The Captive Crown

Scotland’s Stewart monarchy is close to collapse. The heir to the throne has been murdered, Robert III is sick and politically powerless, and his surviving son is still a child. With the royal succession exposed, rival magnates compete to decide who will govern the kingdom and who will control the young prince.

Against this background, two younger Stewarts begin to distinguish themselves: Alex Stewart, illegitimate son of the feared Wolf of Badenoch, and his cousin John of Coull, son of the deeply unpopular regent. Their fortunes become entwined with Sir Jamie Douglas, whose long experience of the dynasty provides the novel’s central perspective. As the child heir is removed from danger only to fall into English hands, questions of guardianship, legitimacy and loyalty determine Scotland’s future. The final House of Stewart volume brings the family’s early struggle for survival to a decisive stage and prepares the way for the eventual return of James I.