Saint Margaret of Scotland

Margaret of Scotland (c. 1046/1047 in Reska at Nádasd, Hungary, † November 16, 1093 in Edinburgh, Scotland) was the wife of Malcolm III. Scottish Queen and Patroness of Scotland. Together with her husband she founded the predecessor monastery of Dunfermline Abbey.

Life

Origin

Margaret was the eldest daughter of Prince Edward Aetheling of England (1016-1057), a son of King Edmund II (989-1016), and his wife Princess Agatha of Hungary, a niece of the Emperor Henry III. She grew up with her two brothers, Edgar Aetheling and Christina, in Hungary.

England

When her father Edward Aetheling 1057 returned to England, accompanied by his wife Agatha and his three children. Perhaps he hoped the succession of related to him childless King Edward the Confessor (c. 1005-1066 ), the penultimate Anglo-Saxon king and to be able to take out of the house last Wessex. But even before he met with the King, Edward Aetheling died on April 19, 1057 in his home. From 1057 Margareta lived at the court of her great-uncle Edward the Confessor.

On January 5, 1066 King Edward the Confessor died. It is unknown whether he his brother Earl Harold of Wessex (1022-1066) on his deathbed to certain heirs and successors or him only until the arrival of the also related with him Duke William of Normandy (1028-1087), which he allegedly had already promised the throne in 1051, the Kingdom confided in trust.

Scotland

After the defeat of Hastings wanted to Margaret and her brother Edgar Aetheling to Hungary to escape, but a storm drove them at the boat trip to the coast of Scotland. King Malcolm III. , Nicknamed the Canmore ( " Big Head " ), Margareta took hospitable to, fell in love, married her in 1069 and left them in 1070 to crown the queen. The marriage produced six sons and two daughters were born.

The young queen fought for the reform of church life in Scotland, removed the old customs of the Celts, promoted Christian education, founded schools and generously supported the poor and sick. In addition, with her husband founded the predecessor of the major monastery Abbey Dunfermline. During Lent divided Margaret and King Malcolm III. to 300 needy hand of food and drink. Regularly, the Queen visited the prisons and hospitals in Scotland. As soon as she appeared in public, they surrounded their charges.

At the age of 46 years Margaret was afflicted by a painful illness from which she suffered for a year. Contrary to their Council showed the king in 1093 at the head of an army, and fell on November 12, 1093 together with his son Edward at Alnwick ( Northumberland ) in the fight against the English King William II Rufus († 1100). Margaret heard the sad news on his deathbed. On November 16, 1093 Margaret died of Scotland in Edinburgh. They sat at the side of her husband in the Abbey Church of Dunfermline. Her daughter Edith ( later Matilda, 1079-1118 ) married on November 11, 1100 King Henry I Beauclerc of England ( 1068-1135 ) and went as " Good Queen Maud " in history.

Canonization

1251 Margaret was canonized by Pope Innocent IV (c. 1195-1254 ). Your Anglican as Catholic (not all due ) feast day is November 16.

At the time of the Reformation it has the bones of Margareta and her husband in the El Escorial Chapel at Madrid transferred. The head Margareta was temporarily in the possession of Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587), and later he came to Antwerp and from there to Douai.

Progeny

Eduard ( † 1093 fallen)
Edmund, King of Scotland
Edgar (* around 1074, † 1107 ), King of Scotland
Æthelred († 1097 ), abbot of Dunkeld
Edith ( Matilda ) ( † 1118) × King Henry I of England
Marie ( † 1116) × Count Eustace III. of Boulogne
Alexander I (* 1077, † 1124 ) King of Scotland
David I. ( * 1080, † 1153 ) King of Scotland