Editing Fleance (section)

{{Short description|Character in Macbeth}}
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{{Infobox character
| name               = Fleance
| series             = [[Macbeth]]
| image              = 
| caption            = 
| creator            = [[William Shakespeare]]
| based_on           = 
| portrayer          = 
| alias              = 
| affiliation        = 
| family             = 
}}
'''Fleance''' (also spelled '''Fléance''', {{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|l|eɪ|ɒ|n|s}}) is a figure in [[legend]]ary [[Scottish history]]. He was depicted by 16th-century historians as the son of [[Banquo|Lord Banquo]], Thane of Lochaber, and the ancestor of the kings of the [[House of Stuart]]. Fleance is best known as a character in [[William Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[Macbeth]]'', in which the [[Three Witches]] prophesy that Banquo's descendants shall be kings. Some screen adaptations of the story expand on Fleance's role by showing his return to the kingdom after [[Macbeth (character)|Macbeth]]'s death.

Shakespeare's play is adapted from [[Holinshed's Chronicles|Holinshed's ''Chronicles'']], a history of the British Isles written during the late 16th century. In Holinshed, Fleance escapes Macbeth and flees to England, where he fathers a son who later becomes the first hereditary steward to the King of Scotland.

In real life, 'Steward' eventually became the name 'Stewart' (later changed to a pseudo Frenchification 'Stuart'), and [[Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland|Walter Stewart]] married Princess Marjorie, daughter of [[Robert the Bruce]]. Their son, [[Robert II of Scotland|Robert II]], began the [[House of Stuart|Stewart/Stuart]] line of kings in Scotland. [[James I of England|James VI and I]], son of [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], was the ninth Stewart/Stuart monarch (eighth king) of Scotland and the first of the Stuart monarchs of England and Ireland.

James VI & I was the reigning monarch when [[William Shakespeare]] wrote and produced ''[[Macbeth]]'', which may have been in the new king's honour.