Robert the Bruce: life of the week

Hello and welcome to Life of the Week from History Extra, where leading historians delve into the lives of history's most intriguing and significant figures. Robert the Bruce may be lauded as a Scottish national hero, a noble warrior who fended off the English and claimed a spectacular victory at the Battle of Bannockburn. But how true to life is this glowing image? As 2024 marks the 750th anniversary of Robert's birth, I spoke to historian Fiona Watson to reveal a path to the throne that was more ruthless and murky than it may initially seem. Today we are going to be delving into the life of Robert the Bruce.

Now, to start us off, could you provide us with a short biography to him and his life? Right. Okay, Robert Bruce, originally a Norman family who've made their way up into Scotland, but his family in the early 1290s felt they'd been robbed of the Scottish throne, which was vacant. And really Robert the Bruce, the the last one, they're all called Robert Bruce, which is not very convenient, so he's number seven, he spent his um 20s and early 30s, trying to make good that claim to the throne.

And in 1306 he managed to do that, but at the cost of murdering his rival for the throne, John Common. So it wasn't a great start. Of course he was fighting the Commons, who are a very, very important family in Scotland. And Edward I, the King of England, who had taken over Scotland. So it's an inauspicious start to Bruce's reign, and he's rubbish to start with, and he ends up in exile.

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