In 1270, he was made Earl of Fife for the duration of the minority of the heir to the earldom, Duncan III, who was then eight years old.
Probably sometime after 1275, Alexander was also made Lord of Mann, which gave him revenue and a "quasi-royal position of dignity" while also assuring the people of the island that the recently established Scottish rule would be efficient.
It is evident from the letters of Alexander and his sister that the family remained close to their maternal uncle King Edward I of England.
[3] Alexander's brother, David, died in 1281, the year when their sister married King Eric II of Norway.
[6] By April it was clear that his widow was not pregnant and that his sister's daughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway, was the new heir presumptive.