Marjorie Bruce

See also Marjorie of Carrick, 3rd Countess of Carrick, who was also called Marjorie Bruce.

Marjorie Bruce or Margaret de Bruce (December, 1296 - March 2, 1316) was the oldest daughter of King Robert I of Scotland, 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. 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 crowning occurred during the Wars of Scottish Independence in opposition to Edward I of England. By the end of June, 1306, Queen Elizabeth, the 10 year old Lady Marjorie, two of the King's sisters and Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan were taken prisoner by the Uilleam II, Earl of Ross, and sent to the Kingdom of England. Queen Elizabeth was sent to a manor house in Yorkshire. Young Marjorie and her aunt Christina Seton were sent to convents, while her aunt Mary and the Countess of Buchan were kept in cages for the first few years of their imprisonment. Christopher Seton, husband of Christina and murderer of Robert Comyn, was executed. Edward I had thought of putting Marjorie in a cage too, but changed his mind. Edward I died on July 7, 1307. He was succeeded by his son Edward II of England who subsequently held her captive in a nunnery for about 8 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). 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.

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.

External links

• Bannockburn article (National Trust for Scotland) contains some information on Marjorie Bruce.