David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay

In 1390, when his father acceded as King of Scots (taking the title Robert III), David became first in order of succession to the throne of Scotland as eldest son.

After applying for absolution for not waiting, the Pope issued a dispensation to the couple dated 10 March 1397 granting that they could "remarry" after a period of separation.

They had lost an important political alliance to their greatest rival, Elizabeth's honor and marriage prospects were sullied and the entire family insulted.

At a meeting of the Estates held in January 1399, it was resolved that David, as heir to the throne, should be appointed "lieutenant" of the kingdom with full sovereign powers for three years, partly due to the infirmity of his father and at a time of civil unrest and conflict with England.

David appears to have had an ally in his mother, the Queen, who had worked to strengthen her son's hand, arranging the great tournament of 1398 in Edinburgh when he was knighted[5] and being present, along with the king, in that same year when David was created Duke of Rothesay, in the same ceremony, performed by Walter Trail, Archbishop of St Andrews, which also created the title Duke of Albany for his uncle.

The King founded a chaplaincy in the parish church of Dundee to pray for his soul, and daily masses were to be said at Deer Abbey and Culross.

[7][8] Four years later, in 1406, David's younger brother, James Stewart, succeeded Robert III as king (although at that time remaining uncrowned and in captivity in England) while Albany secured himself as de facto ruler of Scotland.

David is the subject of an anonymous full-length 18th century verse drama, The Duke of Rothsay, a tragedy [9] published and sold in Edinburgh in 1780.

The story of his imprisonment is the principal subject of Walter Scott's The Fair Maid of Perth (1828) in which he is likewise portrayed as tragic victim.