Marjorie Bruce
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| Marjorie Bruce | |
|---|---|
| Princess of Scotland | |
| Spouse | Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland |
| Issue | |
| Robert II of Scotland | |
| Royal house | House of Bruce |
| Father | Robert I of Scotland |
| Mother | Isabella of Mar |
| Born | December, 1296 |
| Died | March 2, 1316 |
Marjorie Bruce or Margaret de Bruce (December, 1296 – March 2, 1316) was the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots by his first wife, Isabella of Mar.
Her paternal grandparents were Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale and Marjorie of Carrick, 3rd Countess of Carrick.
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[edit] Life
Her mother died giving birth to her.
In 1302, her father was remarried to Elizabeth de Burgh. They were crowned King and Queen of Scots at Scone, Perthshire on March 27, 1306. The coronation occurred during the Wars of Scottish Independence in opposition to Edward I of England.
[edit] Imprisonment
By the end of June, 1306, the Earl of Ross, Uilleam II, had captured the eleven-year-old Lady Marjorie, as well as her stepmother the Queen Elizabeth, two sisters of her father the King, and Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan. They were sent to England, where young Marjorie and her aunt Christina Seton were imprisoned at convents, while Queen Elizabeth was kept at a manor house in Yorkshire, and her aunt Mary and the Countess of Buchan were kept in cages for the first few years of their imprisonment (Edward I had thought of putting Marjorie in a cage too, but changed his mind[citation needed]). Christopher Seton, husband of Christina and murderer of Robert Comyn, was executed.
Edward I died on July 7, 1307. He was succeeded by his son Edward II of England who subsequently held Marjorie captive in a nunnery for about eight years. She was finally set free around 1314, possibly in exchange for English noblemen captured after the Battle of Bannockburn (June 23 – June 24, 1314).
[edit] Marriage, motherhood, and death
Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland distinguished himself in the battle and was rewarded with the hand of the adolescent Princess of Scotland. Her dowry included the Barony of Bathgate in West Lothian.
Two years later Marjorie went horseriding near Paisley, Renfrewshire while pregnant. Her horse was suddenly frightened and threw her to the ground. She went into premature labour and delivered her only child Robert at Paisley Abbey. A cairn marking the spot where Marjorie is reckoned to have fallen from her horse can be found at the junction of Renfrew Road and Dundonald Road in Paisley.
She survived the birth by a few hours at most. Her son succeeded his childless uncle David II of Scotland in 1371 as King Robert II.
Her descendants include the House of Stuart and all their successors on the throne of Scotland, Great Britain and the UK.
[edit] Marjorie in fiction
The young adult novel Girl in a Cage by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris features Marjorie Bruce as its protagonist. In it, Marjorie is imprisoned in a cage. Although there is a preface stating that it is fictional, many have taken it to be a true story.
[edit] External links
- Bannockburn article (National Trust for Scotland) contains some information on Marjorie Bruce.
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Marjorie Bruce
Born: 1296 1316 |
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| Scottish royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Balliol |
Heir of Scotland as heiress presumptive 25 March 1306–27 April 1315 |
Succeeded by Edward Bruce |
