Robert the Bruce, descendant of one of the original contestants for the Scottish throne, took up the struggle for Scotland's independence after the death of William Wallace, and had himself crowned King of Scotland.

Victory at Bannockburn in 1314 and the 'Declaration of Arbroath' in 1320 provided justification for Bruce's assumption of the Scottish throne. At the same time he faced opposition from rival claimants to the throne and accusations that Bruce himself had not always acted in a straight-forward manner.