Kenneth was the last king of Scotland to succeed to the throne through the system of tanistry, whereby the succession was shared between two family lines and the dying king named the person from the other family line who was to succeed him. The system was much discredited as it ensured the two royal families of Scotland were in a constant state of war with each other.
Kenneth and his son Giric were both killed in battle at Monzievaird, Tayside in 1005. It was his first cousin Malcolm, succeeding him at the battle, who abolished the tanistry system by killing all of Kenneth's male descendants.
However Kenneth had a granddaughter, Gruoch, via his daughter Boite, whose first husband was Gillacomgain. They had a son called Lulach. She then married King Macbeth I of Scotland (becoming Lady Macbeth). On the death of Macbeth her son via her first marriage, Kenneth III's great grandson, succeeded to the throne, to become King Lulach of Scotland.
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Preceded by: Constantine III | List of British monarchs |
Succeeded by: Malcolm II |