The New International Encyclopædia/Albany
ALBANY, or AL′BAINN. An ancient name for Scotland, retained in poetical usage down to our own day. Connected with it is the term Albiones, applied to the inhabitants of the entire British Islands in Festus Avienus's account of the voyage of Hamilcar, the Carthaginian, in the fifth century B.C.; also the term Albion (q.v.), which appears as the name of the islands in Aristotle's Treatise of the World. It may, indeed, be assumed that Albion, or Albany, was the original name of Britain among its Celtic population, and that it only became restricted to the northwest provinces of Scotland when the Celts had for the most part become confined to the same region. The modern use of the name Albany may be said to have taken its rise in an act of a Scottish council, held at Scone, in June, 1398, when the title of Duke of Albany was conferred on the brother of King Robert III., then acting as regent of the kingdom. The title, being forfeited in the grandson of the first holder, was afterward conferred on Alexander, second son of King James II., in the person of whose son, John, it became extinct in 1536. Subsequently it was conferred on a number of princes of the royal family. Prince Charles Stuart assumed the appellation of Count of Albany as an incognito title, and gave the title of Duchess of Albany to his legitimated daughter. The title was restored in 1881 and conferred upon Prince Leopold, and after his death upon his son.