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MARGARET OF SCOTLAND
1045 - 1093
Margaret’s father was
English, her mother German. Yet, Margaret became one of the most
famous women, a Saint even, in the history of the Scots who
ultimately honored her with a burial place at Edinburgh Castle.
How can you become this prominent in a foreign country? How did
Margaret do it?
Let's have a look. It all started in the year 1045. Europe was still
quiet as the gunpowder hadn’t been brought there yet. Ireland was
busy inventing handball, southern France checkers, and the Italians
carelessly started their building project in Pisa without inspecting
the foundation first.
Margaret was born a princess. One day her brother would succeed
Margaret’s father to the crown of England. The only problem was that
her father wasn’t king. The whole family lived in exile. What went
wrong?
Some decades before Margaret’s birth, the Danish decided it was
their turn to rule England and overrun the country. Margaret’s
grandfather and great-grandfather bravely opposed these strong
invaders but eventually had to submit to their rule.
As the local heir apparent, Margaret’s father was sent from the
country and found exile and later a wife in Hungary. Thus Margaret
was born, brought up and educated at the Hungarian court.
Margaret was 12 years old when the family decided it was safe to
return back home. In 1057, they arrived back in England.
Things didn’t develop much in Margaret’s favor, however. Her father
died soon after their return and her brother was simply passed over
in the matter of throne inheritance.
There wasn’t much time to think about all this though, as yet
another horde of foreigners already stood ready to become lords over
England. This time it was William the Conqueror and the Normans
(great band name!).
Margaret, now in her twenties, fled for protection to Scotland where
Malcolm III Canmore was king.
Just like her father, Margaret found her spouse in the land of their
refuge. King Malcolm proposed to her and in 1070 the couple got
married in Dunfermline, 16 miles northwest of Edinburgh.
Margaret’s husband Malcolm, a widower, knew about the heartache of
having to live in exile. He himself had to flee Scotland when he was
only 9 years of age and had to live in exile in England. The turning
point for Malcolm came at age 26. He found an opportunity to kill
Macbeth, the murderer of his father and current occupier of the
throne. Malcolm came back home to Scotland and continued the reign
of the nation just like his father Duncan did.
Equipped with a husband who could understand her lot, Margaret’s
activities over the next two decades would inspire the religious,
social and political world of Scotland.
As a woman of class, Margaret brought a certain refinement to the
rather rough Scottish court. She improved the number of the king’s
attendants including their way of dressing. She also made a point of
maintaining a certain style at the king’s table. Fashion and manners
mattered now.
More importantly, she cared about the poor and the pilgrims.
Margaret fed little orphan children, invited Benedictine monks to
Scotland, and founded churches, abbeys, hospitals and schools.
Under her leadership and with her husband’s backing, church councils
were held and the country was steered from their former Celtic way
of worship towards the Roman Catholic way of exercising faith. In
only 23 years Margaret managed to re-shape the religion of the
entire Scottish nation.
Margaret was the mother of Edward, Edmund, Edgar, Ethelred,
Alexander, David, Matilda and Mary – eight children who became kings
of Scotland and Queens of England.
In November 1093 Margaret’s husband Malcolm and her eldest son
Edward engaged in a battle with the Normans, who were then ruling
over England. Both men were slain near Alnwick, Northumberland.
Prince Edward was only 22 years old. Margaret died only three days
later at Edinburgh Castle at 47 years of age. Her physical condition
was already weakened by excessive abstinence and this bad news
delivered the final blow.
The royal couple was buried at Dunfermline, the very place where
they were wed.
As often is true with celebrities, real fame materializes after
death. How did it work in Margaret’s case?
Thanks to Margaret’s daughter Mary we are able to know quite a bit
about Margaret’s life today. Mary asked a gentleman named Turgot to
write her mother’s biography. Turgot did a good job.
In 1250 the pope thought Margaret worthy of being canonized; hence
she became known as Saint Margaret. Because of this event,
Margaret’s buried bones were suddenly in high demand. Even Mary
Queen of Scots was said to have been in possession of Margaret’s
head. Yikes.
The tiny chapel in which Margaret worshiped when residing at
Edinburgh Castle is the oldest building in the castle and attracts
many visitors.
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