On this day in 1198, Alexander II of Scotland was born. The only legitimate son of William I, he became king in 1214. Nicknamed "The Peaceful". his reign saw harsh efforts to curb baronial power, expansion into the Western Isles, consolidation of Scottish royal power, and peace with England

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Alexander II, the only legitimate son of William the Lion (r. 1165 - 1214) and Ermengarde de Beaumont, succeeded to the throne in 1214. Before becoming king, Alexander spent time at the English court as per the Treaty of Falaise, and the young boy was even knighted by King John in 1213. In 1214 upon the death of William I of Scotland, Alexander was allowed to return home. Early in his reign, he faced unrest from rebellious barons, many of whom had supported the English during his father’s later years. He suppressed their revolts and moved to strengthen royal authority, continuing the process of consolidating Scotland as a unified kingdom.

Alexander also seized opportunities presented by turmoil in England. In 1215, during King John’s conflict with his barons, Alexander supported the rebels and briefly advanced into northern England and pledged allegiance for his English-owned lands to the pretender Louis the Lion, son of Philip II of France, who had invaded England. However, with the accession of Henry III, Anglo-Scottish relations improved, culminating in the Treaty of York (1237), which established a permanent border between the two realms.

In addition, Alexander's marriage to Henry's sister Joan, whom he married in 1221, helped relations with England and Henry III. Though, no children came of this marriage and Joan died in 1238, only a year after the Treaty of York. Alexander later married Marie de Coucy in 1239, and by her he had one son, also named Alexander.

Alexander’s reign was marked by an ongoing ambition to extend Scottish influence into the west. He sought to bring the Hebrides and Argyll firmly under Scottish control, challenging Norse authority in the Isles. His expansion was cautious and methodical, supported by both diplomacy and military campaigns. One of Alexander's primary issues was the semi-independent Western Isles, which was under Norweigan control. Having repeatedly tried negotiating but to no avail, Alexander set out to conquer the Isles in 1249. However, Alexander fell ill and died at Kerrera, near Oban. He was succeeded by his seven year-old son, Alexander III, who would later complete his father’s efforts in the west.

A tale, possibly fictional, details Alexander II in 1215 completing the long-standing campaign to eliminate rival dynasties in the north. Particularly the MacUilleim (descendants of William fitz Duncan, the son of Duncan II) and the MacHeths, who had periodically revolted for decades. In 1228, he finally exterminated the MacWilliams and made a point to kill the last one, a mere child, by personally bashing their head into a marketplace wall. Or burned alive, depending on the chronicler. When one of his bishops was murdered in the north, he rounded up 80 people who had witnessed the murder. All 80 had their hands and feet cut off. Rebel leaders were captured and beheaded, their heads then paraded in public to warn others. Those captured rebels whose lives were spared had one hand and one foot amputated. Edinburgh witnessed graphic public executions where rebels were tied to horses and their bodies ripped apart.

Alexander is also one of the earliest surviving Scottish kings for which we have a description of what he looked like. During Alexander's invasion of England in 1215, king John remarked "so shall we hunt the red fox-cub from his lairs", referencing Alexander's youth and his red hair.