Elizabeth de Burgh
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth de Burgh was the second wife and the only queen consort of King Robert I of Scotland
.
, Fife
in Scotland
, the daughter of the powerful Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster
and his wife Margarite de Burgh (died 1304). Her father was a close friend of King Edward I of England
.
Elizabeth probably met Robert the Bruce, then Earl of Carrick
, at the English
court, and they married in 1302 at Writtle
, near Chelmsford
, Essex
, England
. Elizabeth would have been about thirteen years old.
On 27 March 1306, Robert and Elizabeth were crowned as King and Queen of Scots at Scone. The coronation took place in defiance of the English claims of suzerainty over Scotland, and the new King sent Elizabeth, with other family members, to Kildrummy Castle
for safety under the protection of his brother Nigel (sometimes known as Niall).
After the defeat of the Scots at the Battle of Methven
on 19 June 1306, Elizabeth had taken her stepdaughter Marjorie
and her husband's sisters Mary and Christian to Kildrummy Castle
. The English laid siege to the castle containing the royal party. The siege finally succeeded when the English bribed a blacksmith with "all the gold he could carry" to set fire to the corn store. The victors hanged, drew and quartered Nigel Bruce, along with all the men from the castle. However, the royal ladies under the escort of the Earl of Atholl had already fled.
They were taken from the sanctuary of St. Duthac at Tain by the Earl of Ross, a supporter of the Comyns, and dispatched to King Edward. He imprisoned Bruce's sister Mary
and Isabella MacDuff
, Countess of Buchan, in wooden cages erected on the walls of Roxburgh
and Berwick
castles respectively, and then sent Bruce's nine-year-old daughter Marjorie to the nunnery at Watton
.
Elizabeth was held under severe conditions of house arrest in England. The Earl of Atholl was hanged and his head displayed on London Bridge.
She was imprisoned for eight years by the English, from October 1306 to July 1308 at Burstwick
-in-Holderness
, Yorkshire
and then transferred to Bisham Manor
, Berkshire
until March 1312. From there, she was moved to Windsor Castle
until October 1312, Shaftesbury Abbey, Dorset until March 1313, Barking Abbey
, Essex until March 1314, and Rochester Castle, Kent until June 1314. After the Battle of Bannockburn
, she was moved to York
while prisoner exchange talks took place. At York, she had an audience with King Edward II of England
. Finally, in November 1314, she was moved to Carlisle just before the exchange and her return to Scotland.
After her husband's coronation at Scone, she is quoted as having said,
as though they did not have real or lasting power.
Elizabeth had three children who reached adulthood: Matilda, Margaret, and David (the future king David II of Scotland
). Elizabeth died on 27 October 1327 at Cullen Castle, Banffshire
and is buried in Dunfermline. King Robert, her husband, died 18 months later.
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
.
Life
She was born in DunfermlineDunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the daughter of the powerful Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster
Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster
Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and 3rd Baron of Connaught , called The Red Earl, was one of the most powerful Irish nobles of the late 13th and early 14th centuries.-Early life:...
and his wife Margarite de Burgh (died 1304). Her father was a close friend of King Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
.
Elizabeth probably met Robert the Bruce, then Earl of Carrick
Earl of Carrick
The Earl of Carrick was the head of a comital lordship of Carrick in southwestern Scotland. The title emerged in 1186, when Donnchad, son of Gille Brigte, Lord of Galloway, became Mormaer or Earl of Carrick in compensation for exclusion from the whole Lordship of Galloway...
, at the English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
court, and they married in 1302 at Writtle
Writtle
The village of Writtle lies a mile west of Chelmsford, Essex, England, it has a traditional village green, complete with duck pond and a Norman church; and was once described as: 'one of the loveliest villages in England, with a ravishing variety of ancient cottages'...
, near Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Elizabeth would have been about thirteen years old.
On 27 March 1306, Robert and Elizabeth were crowned as King and Queen of Scots at Scone. The coronation took place in defiance of the English claims of suzerainty over Scotland, and the new King sent Elizabeth, with other family members, to Kildrummy Castle
Kildrummy Castle
Kildrummy Castle is a ruined castle near Kildrummy, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. Though ruined, it is one of the most extensive castles of 13th century date to survive in eastern Scotland, and was the seat of the Earls of Mar....
for safety under the protection of his brother Nigel (sometimes known as Niall).
After the defeat of the Scots at the Battle of Methven
Battle of Methven
The Battle of Methven took place at Methven in Scotland in 1306, during the Wars of Scottish Independence.-Comyn's Death:In February 1306, Robert Bruce and a small party of his followers killed John Comyn, also known as the Red Comyn, before the high altar of the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries...
on 19 June 1306, Elizabeth had taken her stepdaughter Marjorie
Marjorie Bruce
Marjorie Bruce or Marjorie de Brus was the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots by his first wife, Isabella of Mar, and the founder of the Stewart dynasty. Her marriage to Walter, High Steward of Scotland gave rise to the House of Stewart...
and her husband's sisters Mary and Christian to Kildrummy Castle
Kildrummy Castle
Kildrummy Castle is a ruined castle near Kildrummy, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. Though ruined, it is one of the most extensive castles of 13th century date to survive in eastern Scotland, and was the seat of the Earls of Mar....
. The English laid siege to the castle containing the royal party. The siege finally succeeded when the English bribed a blacksmith with "all the gold he could carry" to set fire to the corn store. The victors hanged, drew and quartered Nigel Bruce, along with all the men from the castle. However, the royal ladies under the escort of the Earl of Atholl had already fled.
They were taken from the sanctuary of St. Duthac at Tain by the Earl of Ross, a supporter of the Comyns, and dispatched to King Edward. He imprisoned Bruce's sister Mary
Mary Bruce
Mary Bruce was the younger sister of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. During the First War of Scottish Independence, she was captured by the English and imprisoned in a cage at Roxburgh Castle for about four years...
and Isabella MacDuff
Isabella MacDuff
Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan was a significant figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence.She was the daughter of Donnchadh III, Earl of Fife, and Johanna de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford...
, Countess of Buchan, in wooden cages erected on the walls of Roxburgh
Roxburgh
Roxburgh , also known as Rosbroch, is a village, civil parish and now-destroyed royal burgh. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland...
and Berwick
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
castles respectively, and then sent Bruce's nine-year-old daughter Marjorie to the nunnery at Watton
Watton, East Riding of Yorkshire
Watton is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The village is situated on the A164 road, about north of Beverley and south of Driffield. According to the 2001 UK census the civil parish of Watton had a population of 238....
.
Elizabeth was held under severe conditions of house arrest in England. The Earl of Atholl was hanged and his head displayed on London Bridge.
She was imprisoned for eight years by the English, from October 1306 to July 1308 at Burstwick
Burstwick
Burstwick is a village and civil parish in the Holderness region of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated about east of Hull city centre...
-in-Holderness
Holderness
Holderness is an area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, on the east coast of England. An area of rich agricultural land, Holderness was marshland until it was drained in the Middle Ages. Topographically, Holderness has more in common with the Netherlands than other parts of Yorkshire...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and then transferred to Bisham Manor
Bisham Abbey
Bisham Abbey is a Grade I listed manor house at Bisham in the English county of Berkshire. The name is taken from the now lost monastery which once stood alongside. Bisham Abbey was previously named Bisham Priory, and was the traditional resting place of many Earls of Salisbury...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
until March 1312. From there, she was moved to Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
until October 1312, Shaftesbury Abbey, Dorset until March 1313, Barking Abbey
Barking Abbey
The ruined remains of Barking Abbey are situated in Barking in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in east London, England, and now form a public open space.- History :...
, Essex until March 1314, and Rochester Castle, Kent until June 1314. After the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
, she was moved to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
while prisoner exchange talks took place. At York, she had an audience with King Edward II of England
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
. Finally, in November 1314, she was moved to Carlisle just before the exchange and her return to Scotland.
After her husband's coronation at Scone, she is quoted as having said,
as though they did not have real or lasting power.
Elizabeth had three children who reached adulthood: Matilda, Margaret, and David (the future king David II of Scotland
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
). Elizabeth died on 27 October 1327 at Cullen Castle, Banffshire
Banffshire
The County of Banff is a registration county for property, and Banffshire is a Lieutenancy area of Scotland.The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county of Scotland with its own county council between 1890 and 1975. The county town was Banff although the largest...
and is buried in Dunfermline. King Robert, her husband, died 18 months later.