#monarch.

The wife of James III, Margaret of Denmark died on July 14th 1486 at Stirling.

I touched upon Margarets life yesterday when posting about her marriage, Margaret of Denmark was born on 23 June 1456 as the daughter of Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and Dorothea of Brandenburg. She had been named after Queen Margaret I, who had ruled Denmark, Norway and Sweden in her own right. There is very little information on Margaret’s youth.

In 1468, the Scottish embassy to Denmark set out. King James III was in need of a wife. King Christian provided his only daughter with a dowry of 60,000 florins of the Rhine. He couldn’t pay the entire sum at once, so he handed over 10,000 florins and pledged his lands and rights in Orkney and Shetland as security for the rest. The dowry was never paid off in full. In return, James settled upon his future wife Linlithgow Palace, Doune Castle and a third of his royal revenues. The marriage treaty was signed on 8 September 1468.

It was too late in the year for Margaret to travel to Scotland and so her departure was delayed until the next spring. She was brought to Scotland by the King’s brother-in-law, the Earl of Arran. She probably met her future husband for the first time shortly before their wedding in the Abbey of Holyrood on July 13th 1469.

They went on progress to the north of Scotland and then settled into a routine of moving between the principal residences of Holyroodhouse, Linlithgow, Stirling and Falkland. Margaret gave birth to their first child on 17 March 1473. He was the future James IV. He was followed by the birth of two more sons in 1476 and 1479.

Scottish historians praised her beauty, gentleness and understanding and considered her sensible. She was very popular in Scotland. Margaret’s Italian biographer Giovanni Sabadino degli Arienti, who wrote six years after her death, suggested she only had sex with her husband for procreation possibly leading James to seek mistresses. They do not seem to have been on the most affectionate of terms but Margaret seems to have always respected James’ position as monarch. James may have been difficult to deal with.

Margaret was quite the fashionable lady and there are records that she had at least 15 gowns, of them six were black, two were purple and two were crimson.

She probably played an important role in the events of 1482, where James was deprived of his power by his brother for a few months. It was probably Margaret who gave the order to besiege Edinburgh Castle to liberate the King. After these events, they lived mostly separate lives. Margaret preferred to live at Stirling, while James stayed in Edinburgh.

She became ill during the summer of 1486, the usual rumorus of poisoning were circulated at this time but it may have been enemies of James who spread the rumours. She died at Stirling on 14 July 1486. She was still only 30 years old. Even though they were practically estranged, James was deeply affected by her death and endowed daily masses for her soul. He even sent a supplication to the Pope asking for her to be made a saint.

Hello everyone, this is the bear from the California flag. He's taking a break from posing for all the California redesigns on the main sub. Many of you may not know this, but his name is Monarch. Say hi to Monarch.

On July 13th 1249 Alexander III, King of Scots, was crowned at Scone.

Alexander is regarded as one of our country’s greatest rulers. His reign marked a period of peace and prosperity in Scotland.

Alaxandair mac Alaxandair; became king at the age of seven after the death of his father, Alexander II. The years of his minority, (that is when he was too young to rule himself), saw a bitter struggle for the control of affairs between two rival parties, the one led by Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith, the other by Alan Durward, Justiciar of Scotia. The former dominated the early years of Alexander’s reign.

In 1251 he married Margaret, the eldest daughter of Henry III of England. The wedding has been described as “the most spectacular wedding in the British Isles during this age.

On the one hand, he successfully maintained Scotland’s freedom resisting his more powerful neighbours’ territorial ambitions. On the other hand, his traders sold produce across Europe, so he did not isolate his small nation from the world beyond.

In 1262, Alexander laid claim to the Western Isles, at that time ruled by Norway, continuing a policy that Alexander’s father had pursued. King Haakon of Norway rejected the claim, but in 1263 he was defeated by the Scottish at the Battle of Largs. In 1266, by the Treaty of Perth, Norway gave Scotland control over the Isle of Man and the Western Isles. Alexander invested the title of Lord of the Isles in the head of the Macdonald family, Angus Macdonald, and over the next two centuries the Macdonald lords operated as if they were kings in their own right, frequently opposing the Scottish monarch.

Queen Margaret died in 1275, the monarchs had three children, their two sons died between 1281 and 1283, the daughter Margaret married King Eirik II of Norway. According to the Lanercost Chronicle, Alexander did not spend his decade as a widower aloneone chronicler wrote: "He used never to forbear on account of season nor storm, nor for perils of flood or rocky cliffs, but would visit none too creditably nuns or matrons, virgins or widows as the fancy seized him, sometimes in disguise.”

The death of his sons prompted Alexander to marry again in an attempt to produce an heir. Five months after his second marriage, on 19 March 1286, Alexander died after falling from his horse.

Alexander’s rule has been described as a period of little internal conflict. Scotland achieved a prosperity disproportionate to her size, due to excellent trade relations; “Her ambassadors and merchants contacted and carried on commerce with many nations” under his guidance.

June 7th 1329 saw the death of our most famous King, Robert I, "The Bruce".

Much has been said about King Robert and his prowess in battle, I'll try and highlight some of his other traits and how it was he who was first given the no de plume Braveheart.

The Bruce is said to have spoken several languages, Scots, Gaelic, Latin, and Norman French, and was an avid reader who loved studying the lives of previous monarchs. According to a parliamentary brief from around 1364, Robert the Bruce "used continually to read, or have read in his presence, the histories of ancient kings and princes, and how they conducted themselves in their times, both in wartime and in peacetime.” In his free time, he would recite tales from history, with the likes of Charlemagne and Hannibal being two of his favourite subjects he shared.

Robert the Bruce’s physician, Maino de Maineri, criticized the king’s penchant for devouring eels. “I am certain that this fish should not be eaten because I have seen it during the time I was with the king of the Scots, Robert Bruce, who risked many dangers by eating [moray eels], which are by nature like lampreys," de Maineri wrote "It is true that these [morays] were caught in muddy and corrupt waters.” (Notably, overeating eels was considered the cause of King Henry I England’s death.)

Treasure hunters speculate that in the 14th century, the Knights Templar fled to Scotland with a trove of valuables because they received support and protection from King Robert the Bruce. Thanks to his help, they say, the Knights were able to hide gold and holy relics—from ancient Gospel scrolls to the Holy Grail—in secret spots across the country, including in Rosslyn Chapel and it's not just through the Da Vinci Code, I remember my mum talking about the Holy Grail possibly being hidden within the Apprentice Pillar.

After the death of his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh, Robert the Bruce decreed to give the Auld Kirk in Cullen, Scotland—now the Cullen and Deskford Parish—a total of five Scots pounds every year. That's because, in 1327, Elizabeth had died after falling off a horse, and the local congregation generously took care of her remains. Robert was so touched by the gesture that he promised to donate money “for all eternity.” To this day, his bequest is still paid to the kirk.

The Kirk was not the only thing to benefit from The Bruce. He moved about Scotland he was a frequent visitor to Aberdeen , his first arrival being in 1306.

In the month of September 1319, King Robert, had again visited the city, where he stayed for some time, lodging in William the Lion's Palace in the Green.

The citizens of Aberdeen , many of whom were his former comrades-in-arms, gave Bruce a tremendous welcome. The King went south well pleased with the reception he had received, and at a Parliament in Berwick on 10th December 1319 , made his most generous benefaction to Aberdeen . He gave the burgesses in perpetual feu, and for a nominal payment of £213:6/8d, the whole of the Stocket Forest . From this remarkable gift the city's ‘Common Good Fund' may be said to have originated. The fund has accumulated over the years and has assets worth millions of pounds; the cities citizens still enjoy the benefits to this very day.

The Bruce died just a month before his 55th birthday, about the same age I am just now. The cause of his death has been a source of much discussion, and disagreement, but most modern scholars believe that he succumbed to leprosy. His funeral was a rather elaborate affair that required nearly 7000 pounds of candle wax just for the funerary candles. Following the fashion for royalty, he was buried in multiple places. His chest was sawed open and his heart and internal organs removed: The guts were buried near his death-place at the Manor of Cardross, near Dumbarton; his corpse interred in Dunfermline Abbey; and his heart placed inside a metal urn to be worn around the neck of Sir James Douglas, who promised to take it to the Holy Lord. The reason his guts were taken and buried first was to stop the rest of the corpse did not rot before it's "spiritual" burial at the Abbey in Dunfermline.

Unfortunately, Sir Douglas never made it to the Holy Land: He got sidetracked and took a detour to fight the Moors in Spain, where he was killed. Before his attackers reached him, Douglas reportedly threw the urn containing the king’s heart and yelled “Lead on brave heart, I’ll follow thee.” The heart was later returned to Scotland and it was not until 1921 it was rediscovered on an archaeological dig at Melrose Abbey. The Casket was opened to find the mummified heart, it was photographed at the time, but I can't find these pics online, however it was unearthed again in 1996.

After the casket had been fully examined, several different ideas were put forward about what should happen to it next. There were some suggestions of sending the casket to the National Museum of Scotland, or creating a new museum for the heart at Melrose Abbey.

In the end, in accordance with Scots Law and respect for the dead, the casket was enclosed inside a time capsule, and reburied in a private ceremony.

Malcolm Canmore, King Malcolm III of Scotland was born on March 26 1031.

Malcolm “Canmore” (‘ceann’ means head or chief and 'mor’ means great) was the son of King Duncan I and went into exile in Northumberland when his father was killed by Macbeth (in 1040 in Forres, Morayshire). With the support of the English King, Edward the Confessor, and his uncle Earl Siward of Northumbria, he defeated and killed Macbeth at Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire in 1057. Lulach, Macbeth’s stepson, took over the throne but Malcolm killed him also in the following year.

Malcolm founded the dynasty of the House of Canmore which lasted 200 years until the House of Stewart. By his first marriage to Ingebjorg he had two sons, Duncan II,who became king after Malcolm and Donald. Ingebjorg was the daughter of the norwegian earl Finn Arnesson at Austrått in Trondelag. Her mother’s father was a brother of the norwegian kings St. Olav  and Harald Hardrada. Following Ingebjorg’s death, around 1069, he married Margaret, the sister of Edgar Atheling. Edgar would have become King of England if William the Conqueror from Normandy had not over-run the country. By this marriage there were six sons, three of whom Edgar, Alexander and David would become king.

  Margaret introduced English customs and language into the Scottish court and church procedures but she never learned Gaelic, which was spoken by a substantial number of Scots at that time. Her son, King David I, built a small church within Edinburgh Castle dedicated to her memory. St Margaret’s Chapel is now the oldest building in the castle.

The large number of English exiles who had gathered in the court and raids by Malcolm into Northumbria and Cumbria became a concern to the English King William who marched north. Malcolm was forced to submit and sign the Treaty of Abernethy in 1071 and agree to his son Duncan becoming a hostage in England.

On April 27th 1124 David I was crowned King of Scots at Scone.

Well it was there or there abouts, dates differ, some just give April as a whole, others May, this will need to do.

David was a king who contributed much to our country’s development through religious and administrative reform, he was born around 1080, the youngest son of the subject of a post on Saturday, Malcolm III and his wife Margaret, later St Margaret. David spent his childhood at the English court, where his sister had married the king’s brother, Henry, who became king of England in 1100. In around 1113, David married Matilda, daughter of the earl of Huntingdon - through this marriage he acquired large estates in England.

In 1123, David succeeded his brother Alexander as king of Scotland. He was deeply religious, overseeing a religious revival and organising the building of many abbeys and monasteries. He also made practical administrative improvements, granting town charters and introducing the first standard coinage.

Henry I of England died in 1135 and was succeeded by his daughter Matilda, David’s niece. Civil war broke out between Matilda and her cousin, Stephen, who challenged her throne. David invaded England, ostensibly in support of his niece but also to try and extend his kingdom. He was defeated at the Battle of the Standard in 1138, but continued his campaign and managed to secure a Scottish hold on a large part of northern England. He also had his son, Henry, accepted as earl of Northumberland. However, his son died in 1152, and David himself died on 24 May 1153 at Carlisle leaving the throne to pass to his 12-year-old grandson Malcolm IV.

Some of the oldest documents in Scottish history, tell of David, and his forebears, he founded the Abbey at Holyrood, the royal lodging of which developed into Holyrood Palace, Kinloss Abbey in Moray and Melrose Abbey in the Borders were also built during his reign.