Margaret of England
Margaret of England (* as at October 5, 1240 in Windsor Castle ( England); † February 27, 1275 in Cupar Castle ( Cupar, Scotland)) was a medieval English princess of the House of Plantagenet and by her marriage to Alexander III. the Glorious Queen of Scotland since 1251.
Life
Margaret was the second child and eldest daughter of King Henry III. and his wife Eleanor of Provence. She had several siblings, including the person with whom she grew up was one year older brother, later to become King of England Edward I in her early childhood in Windsor Castle. According to the English chronicler Matthew Paris, represents the most complete source of Margaret's Biography (up to 1259 ), she was named after her maternal aunt, the French Queen Margaret, as well as the ancient martyr and patron saint of pregnant women, Margaret of Antioch, their mother had called during their difficult birth for assistance.
To a temporary interruption of peaceful relations between England and Scotland came in 1243, but Henry III. had to respond to pressure from the English barons as early as next year hostilities and on August 13, 1244 include the Treaty of Newcastle upon Tyne. This was sealed by the collusion of a subsequent marriage between Margaret and the Scottish Crown Prince Alexander (III ), both of which were still small children. Meanwhile, Margaret continued to grow in her home country and developed a close, form life-long commitment to her family. When King Alexander II of Scotland, however, died on July 8, 1249, it came into his kingdom during the minority of his son and successor of Alexander III. to uncertain political conditions, which were mainly due to the rivalry between the two most significant, referred to by the family of the Comyns and that of Durwards parties of the Scottish nobility. Several men from these competing groups practiced now as Guardians of Scotland from the regency. Under these circumstances, seemed a speedy marriage with Margaret followed a year younger Alexander III. necessary. Your held in York on December 26, 1251 wedding was led by the incumbent since 1216 Archbishop of York, Walter de Gray. The associated grand and luxurious celebrations enjoyed rain busy periods, among other things, of 1000 English and 600 Scottish knights. As dowry Margaret received 5,000 marks. By English influence, the Group now won the Comyns instead that the Durwards the upper hand in the reign of Alexander III.
The two main protectors of Margaret were associated with the Guardians of Scotland John de Balliol and Robert de Ros. But Margaret, who was given as a governess, inter alia, the widowed Matilda de Cantilupe, apparently felt in their new home lonely and uncomfortable. The posted as a steward of the King of England Geoffrey de Langley, who had exercised the office of overseer of the royal forests, was briefly also involved in the perception of the care of Margaret, but was already referenced in 1252 by the Scottish nobility of the country. As then the 1255 of Queen Eleanor to actions Margaret publicly outraged showed about their poor treatment towards her skillful physician Reginald of Bath, how pale and excited Margarete was, and shortly afterwards probably by poison was killed, caused Henry III. for a change of government in Scotland. Balliol and Ros lost due to the alleged treason them their property; the rule of the Comyn was terminated and entrusted to the clan of Durwards and their aristocratic sympathizers again. Margaret was now able to live together instead of their previous de facto custody at Edinburgh Castle with her husband and received its own royal household. She met with her husband, her parents in Wark and Roxburgh and received early in 1256 by her brother Edward visit. In August 1256 Margaret and Alexander III visited. England and traveled to London. In October 1257, the Comyns of the Scottish king and his wife took possession. As a result, it came to recent shifts in power. 1260 finally took over Alexander III. even the government violence and went in the same year with Margaret back to London. This was in contrast to her husband, even in winter 1260/61 in England.
Now Margaret gave birth to her husband, the first of three children:
- Margaret (February 28, 1261-9. April 1283 ) ∞ 1281 by King Eric II of Norway
- Alexander (21 December 1264-28. January 1284 )
- David ( March 20, 1272 - June 1281 )
In 1267 it came in Roxburgh to an encounter between Margaret and her brother Edward, about whose fate during his adopted next year crusade in the Middle East she was very worried. When Henry III. died on November 16, 1272, Margaret was deeply shaken. The author of the Lanercost Chronicle, the Margarete extremely positively characterized as beautiful, pious and modest woman, indicates that they 1273 a Junker, who is proud to be murderer of the Anglo- French nobleman Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester during the battle of Evesham ( August 4, 1265 ) called, was initiated by a maid of honor whose floods during a walk along the river Tay, Scotland. She had arranged this apparently rather jokingly, but drowned the squire, before anyone could help him. Margaret was still present with her husband on August 19, 1274 in Westminster at her brother Edward the coronation as King of England, but died in about half a year later at the age of only 34 years and was in the Dunfermline Abbey in the former Scottish county ( and today's Unitary Authority) Fife buried.