Death of Marjorie Bruce – Princess of Scotland
The ill fated life of Marjorie Bruce began in 1296. Marjorie was the only child of Scotland’s hero king Robert the Bruce by his first wife, Isabella of Mar
Marjorie’s parents were said to have been very much in love.
Sadly, Isabella died shortly after giving birth and poor Marjorie was left motherless.
At 6 years old Marjorie acquired a new step-mother when Robert married Elizabeth de Burgh.
A short while after the marriage, Robert the Bruce finally decided to join William Wallace and fight for Scotland.
On 27th March 1306, Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scots at Scone, and Marjorie, then aged nine, became a Princess of Scotland.
Three months later, in June 1306, her father was defeated in battle by the forces of King Edward I of England at Methven.
Robert the Bruce sent his daughter Marjorie, his wife Elizabeth and his two sisters north to Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan for their safety.
It was intended that the ladies would then take refuge in Orkney, but they were besieged by the English at Kildrummy Castle.
They were captured by the Earl of Ross, and sent to Edward of England.
Although Edward did not order the exEcutions of the women, it cannot be said he treated them kindly.
They were used to set an example – a demonstration of the price of rebellion against Edward.
Edward sent his hostages to different places in England.
Marjorie was sent to the Gilbertine convent at Watton, her aunt Christina Bruce was sent to another convent, Queen Elizabeth was placed under house arrest at a manor house in Yorkshire.
Marjorie’s aunt Mary Bruce and the Countess of Buchan, were imprisoned in wood and iron lattice cages, exposed to public view.
The Countess of Buchan remained in her cage for nearly four years, until 1310, when Edward II allowed her to be taken to the House of the Carmelites at Berwick.
For the next four years, Marjorie herself endured solitary confinement, a cage was built for her at the Tower of London, but Edward reconsidered and instead sent her to the convent.
When King Edward I died on 7th July 1307 his son, Edward II, continued to hold Marjorie a prisoner in a convent for around seven more years.
She was finally released in around 1314, possibly in exchange for English nobles captured after the Scottish victory of the Battle of Bannockburn.
Marjorie was escorted back to Scotland, where King Robert immediately set about arranging her marriage.
The now-17-year-old Marjorie was needed to produce an heir for the Bruce dynasty, and was married to the young Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland.
Two years after her marriage, a heavily pregnant Marjorie was riding in Gallowhill, Paisley, Renfrewshire.
For some reason, her horse had spooked and had thrown her to the ground.
This fall is said to have caused Marjorie a fatal injury, causing a dislocation of her neck bone
The story continues that she was rushed to the infirmary at the monastery, where the monks saved the baby.
It has been claimed that they achieved that through the first ever caesarean section to be carried out in Scotland.
Even though the monks were able to save the baby, they were unable to save Marjorie.
She died not long after the birth of her son, Robert Stewart, on 2nd March 1316.
Poor little Marjorie Bruce was dead at the tender age of 19, the same as her mother before her, having lived through some of the most turbulent years of Scottish history.
Legend claims that during the caesarean, the skin to the side of the baby’s eye was nicked by the knife that had been used to carry out the crude operation.
It was this cut that some believe led to Robert’s eye being permanently disfiguring.
Marjorie’s only son Robert eventually succeeded his uncle David II of Scotland in 1371 as Robert II, King of Scots.
Marjorie’s descendants include the House of Stuart and all their successors on the throne of Scotland, England and the United Kingdom.
At the junction of Renfrew Road and Dundonald Road in Paisley, a cairn marks the spot near to where Marjorie reputedly fell from her horse.
