Princess Margaret Stewart of Scotland
Encyclopedia
Margaret Stewart, Princess of Scotland (c. 1455 – ?) was a Scottish
princess
of the House of Stewart. She was the younger daughter of King James II
and Queen Mary of Guelders
, a Dutch princess by birth. Once engaged to the Lancastrian
Prince of Wales, Margaret instead became the mistress
of William Crichton, 3rd Lord Crichton
(an enemy of her brother, James III
), and the mother of his illegitimate daughter, Margaret Crichton, later Countess of Rothes, and possibly his son, Sir James Crichton, progenitor of the Viscounts of Frendraught. Princess Margaret and Lord Crichton may have been married later, after the death of Crichton's wife.
Princess Margaret was born between 1453 and 1460 in Scotland, the daughter of King James II of Scotland and Mary of Guelders. Her father's nickname was "Fiery Face" because of a conspicuous vermilion birthmark
on his face (possibly a "port-wine stain
"). She had four brothers including James, who would succeed to the Scottish throne as James III
in 1460 upon their father's accidental death by an exploding cannon. She had an elder sister, Princess Mary Stewart
, who married twice; firstly to Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran
; secondly to James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton
. Margaret's mother died in 1463, leaving her an orphan at probably less than ten years old.
Her paternal grandparents were King James I of Scotland
and Lady Joan Beaufort
. Her maternal grandparents were Arnold, Duke of Guelders
and Catherine of Cleves, daughter of Adolph IV, Duke of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy
.
, Princess Margaret was briefly engaged to Edward of Westminster
, Prince of Wales, the only son of Henry VI of England
and Margaret of Anjou
. However, the engagement was called off by her mother due to political pressure from King Edward IV of England
and Duke Philip of Burgundy
. In 1476, she was proposed by James III to George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
, and she was afterward to have been married to Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers
, brother-in-law of Edward IV; but neither of these alliances took place.
; however, James might have been the son of Lord Crichton's wife.
Lord Crichton joined Margaret's brother Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany in his rebellion against Margaret's eldest brother, the unpopular King James III. On behalf of the duke, Lord Crichton garrison
ed his "very ancient and magnificent" castle of Crichton
, for which his lands and titles were forfeited by the Parliament of Scotland
in 1484, when Albany was sentenced for treason
. His castle was granted to a minion of James III, Sir John Ramsay of Balmain
.
According to historian George Buchanan
(who was "always hostile" to the Stewarts), Margaret had an incest
uous relationship with her brother the king. Contemporary writers were unsympathetic in their descriptions of the princess. One writer calls her "a person, although young and beautiful, of depraved character, being even charged with too much familiarity with her own brother." Another writer agrees, conceding that Margaret was "a Princess of great beauty, but of a reputation that was more than loose."
Sir Walter Scott
writes:
If Scott's account is accurate, Princess Margaret, then Lady Crichton, may have spent the rest of her life at Crichton's residence "in the North", at the Barony of Frendraught.
to Denmark
(whom she married twice), including Agnes Leslie, Countess of Morton
, and two sons, William Rothes and Norman Leslie, Master of Rothes whose rights of inheritance were forfeited as a result of both having been implicated in the murder of Cardinal Beaton in 1546. Their father, the 4th Earl of Rothes, was tried and acquitted of the same crime. However, the mother of these children might have been a different wife of Rothes.
Princess Margaret's possible granddaughter Lady Margaret Leslie married Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus
in 1575 and divorced him in 1587, probably because of her "infertility". (He remarried two weeks later.) Another granddaughter, Lady Helen Leslie, had several children with Mark Kerr, the abbot
of Newbattle
, including Mark Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian
.
Among her numerous possible descendants are included Diana, Princess of Wales
and Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
of the House of Stewart. She was the younger daughter of King James II
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
and Queen Mary of Guelders
Mary of Guelders
Mary of Guelders was the Queen Consort of Scotland as the wife of King James II of Scotland. She served as Regent of Scotland from 1460 to 1463.-Background:...
, a Dutch princess by birth. Once engaged to the Lancastrian
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
Prince of Wales, Margaret instead became the mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
of William Crichton, 3rd Lord Crichton
Lord Crichton
The Lordship of Parliament of Crichton was created in the Peerage of Scotland around 1443 for William Crichton, who was Chancellor of Scotland . The third lord made the lordship become forfeited in 1484....
(an enemy of her brother, James III
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
), and the mother of his illegitimate daughter, Margaret Crichton, later Countess of Rothes, and possibly his son, Sir James Crichton, progenitor of the Viscounts of Frendraught. Princess Margaret and Lord Crichton may have been married later, after the death of Crichton's wife.
Family
Birthmark
A birthmark is a benign irregularity on the skin which is present at birth or appears shortly after birth, usually in the first month. They can occur anywhere on the skin. Birthmarks are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, melanocytes, smooth muscle, fat, fibroblasts, or...
on his face (possibly a "port-wine stain
Port-wine stain
A port-wine stain or naevus flammeus is a vascular anomaly consisting of superficial and deep dilated capillaries in the skin which produce a reddish to purplish discoloration of the skin. They are so called for their colour, resembling that of port wine...
"). She had four brothers including James, who would succeed to the Scottish throne as James III
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
in 1460 upon their father's accidental death by an exploding cannon. She had an elder sister, Princess Mary Stewart
Mary Stewart, Princess of Scotland
Princess Mary, Countess of Arran was the eldest daughter of King James II of Scotland and Mary of Guelders. Her brother was King James III of Scotland. She married twice; firstly to Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran; secondly to James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton...
, who married twice; firstly to Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran
Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran
Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman.Thomas was the son of Robert, 1st Lord Boyd, who was a regent during the minority of James III. His father was able have Thomas created Earl of Arran and Baron Kilmarnock in the Peerage of Scotland and arrange Thomas' marriage to Princess Mary,...
; secondly to James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton
James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton
James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, 6th Lord of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman, scholar and politician.-Early life:...
. Margaret's mother died in 1463, leaving her an orphan at probably less than ten years old.
Her paternal grandparents were King James I of Scotland
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
and Lady Joan Beaufort
Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland
Joan Beaufort was the Queen Consort of Scotland from 1424 to 1437 as the spouse of King James I of Scotland. During part of the minority of her son James II , she served as the Regent of Scotland....
. Her maternal grandparents were Arnold, Duke of Guelders
Arnold, Duke of Guelders
Arnold of Egmond was Duke of Guelders, Count of Zutphen. He was son of John II of Egmond and Maria van Arkel....
and Catherine of Cleves, daughter of Adolph IV, Duke of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy
Marie of Burgundy, Duchess of Cleves
Marie of Burgundy, Duchess of Cleves was the second child of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria, and an elder sister of Philip the Good. Born in Dijon, she became the second wife of Adolph, Count of Mark in May 1415. He was made the 1st Duke of Cleves in 1417...
.
Marriage proposals
During the Wars of the RosesWars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
, Princess Margaret was briefly engaged to Edward of Westminster
Edward of Westminster
Edward of Westminster , also known as Edward of Lancaster, was the only son of King Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou...
, Prince of Wales, the only son of Henry VI of England
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
and Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
. However, the engagement was called off by her mother due to political pressure from King Edward IV of England
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
and Duke Philip of Burgundy
Philip of Burgundy
Philip of Burgundy may refer to:*Philip of Burgundy, Count of Auvergne , count-consort of Auvergne and Boulogne, son of Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy and Princess Jeanne of France...
. In 1476, she was proposed by James III to George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Warwick, KG was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the...
, and she was afterward to have been married to Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers
Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers
Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers was an English nobleman, courtier, and writer.He was the eldest son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. Like his father, he was originally a Lancastrian, fighting on that side at the Battle of Towton, but later became a Yorkist...
, brother-in-law of Edward IV; but neither of these alliances took place.
Later life
William Crichton, 3rd Lord Crichton of Auchingoul (grandson of Lord Chancellor Crichton) is said to have "deliberately debauched Margaret" (James III's youngest and favourite sister), after discovering that his wife had been seduced by the king. Regardless of the truth of this story, Margaret did become Lord Crichton's mistress, which led to her disgrace and reputation for immorality and corruption. Their illegitimate daughter, also named Margaret, was born between 1478 and 1485 and raised in the royal court. Princess Margaret may have had a son also, James Crichton, who married Catherine Borthwick, the eldest daughter of William, Lord BorthwickLord Borthwick
Lord Borthwick is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.Alexander Nisbet relates that "the first of this ancient and noble family came from Hungary to Scotland, in the retinue of Queen Margaret, in the reign of Malcolm Canmore, anno Domini 1057...
; however, James might have been the son of Lord Crichton's wife.
Lord Crichton joined Margaret's brother Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany in his rebellion against Margaret's eldest brother, the unpopular King James III. On behalf of the duke, Lord Crichton garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
ed his "very ancient and magnificent" castle of Crichton
Crichton Castle
Crichton Castle is a ruined castle situated at the head of the River Tyne, near the village of Crichton, Midlothian, Scotland. The castle lies two miles south of the village of Pathhead, and the same distance east of Gorebridge, at . A mile to the south-west is Borthwick Castle.-History:In the late...
, for which his lands and titles were forfeited by the Parliament of Scotland
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
in 1484, when Albany was sentenced for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. His castle was granted to a minion of James III, Sir John Ramsay of Balmain
John Ramsay, Lord Bothwell
John Ramsay, 1st Lord Bothwell, later Sir John Ramsay of Trarinzeane, was born about 1464 and died in 1513.He was the son of John Ramsay of Corstoun in Fife and Janet Napier .He was married to Isabel Cant in 1484...
.
According to historian George Buchanan
George Buchanan
George Buchanan may refer to:*George Buchanan , Scottish humanist*Sir George Buchanan , Scottish soldier during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms*Sir George Buchanan , Chief Medical Officer...
(who was "always hostile" to the Stewarts), Margaret had an incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous relationship with her brother the king. Contemporary writers were unsympathetic in their descriptions of the princess. One writer calls her "a person, although young and beautiful, of depraved character, being even charged with too much familiarity with her own brother." Another writer agrees, conceding that Margaret was "a Princess of great beauty, but of a reputation that was more than loose."
Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
writes:
- [After garrisoning his castle and fleeing to England,] William, the hereditary Lord of Crichton, pined in exileExileExile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
, from which he is said to have been recalled under the following circumstances: The Lady of Crichton, says Buchanan, died soon after her husband's flight to England; and the king, desirous to hide the disgrace of his favourite sister, who was almost frantic for the loss of her paramour, recalled Crichton from banishment, on condition of his marrying the Princess Margaret. They were wedded accordingly, and Crichton seems to have obtained restitution of that part of his fortune which descended to him by his mother, the Barony of Frendraught, namely, in the North, which from this time became his residence, and that of his successors. Crichton was reconciled to the king, and admitted to his presence at InvernessInverness CastleInverness Castle sits on a cliff overlooking the River Ness, in Inverness, Scotland. The red sand stone structure evident today was built in 1836 by architect William Burn. It is built on the site of an 11th century defensive structure. Today, it houses Inverness Sheriff Court. There has been a...
, during an expedition which James made towards the North near the conclusion of his reign. He therefore entertained hopes of obtaining a full pardon, but neither of the brothers-in-law long survived the interview. Crichton died at Inverness, where, according to Buchanan, his monument was extant in the time of the historian. It seems uncertain whether the son who survived William Lord Crichton was the child of the Princess Margaret; but he left a daughter, their undoubted issue, who became Countess of Rothes.
If Scott's account is accurate, Princess Margaret, then Lady Crichton, may have spent the rest of her life at Crichton's residence "in the North", at the Barony of Frendraught.
Descendants
Princess Margaret's daughter, Margaret Crichton, possibly had four daughters by her third husband, George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes, AmbassadorAmbassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
(whom she married twice), including Agnes Leslie, Countess of Morton
Agnes Leslie, Countess of Morton
Agnes Leslie, Countess of Morton was a Scottish noblewoman, being the daughter of George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes as well as a direct descendant of King James II in her maternal line...
, and two sons, William Rothes and Norman Leslie, Master of Rothes whose rights of inheritance were forfeited as a result of both having been implicated in the murder of Cardinal Beaton in 1546. Their father, the 4th Earl of Rothes, was tried and acquitted of the same crime. However, the mother of these children might have been a different wife of Rothes.
Princess Margaret's possible granddaughter Lady Margaret Leslie married Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus and 5th Earl of Morton was the son of David, 7th earl. He succeeded to the title and estates in 1558, being brought up by his uncle, James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, a Presbyterian....
in 1575 and divorced him in 1587, probably because of her "infertility". (He remarried two weeks later.) Another granddaughter, Lady Helen Leslie, had several children with Mark Kerr, the abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Newbattle
Newbattle Abbey
Newbattle Abbey was a Cistercian monastery near the village of Newbattle in Midlothian, Scotland, which has subsequently become a stately home and then an educational institution.-Monastery:...
, including Mark Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian
Mark Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian
Mark Kerr , 1st Earl of Lothian was a Scottish nobleman and politician.He was the son of Mark Kerr, abbot of Newbattle, Midlothian, and the sister of the Earl of Rothes. Mark was Vicar of Linton in 1567...
.
Among her numerous possible descendants are included Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
and Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Ancestors
Sources
- Burke, Bernard (1866), A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire: Harrison.
- Lang, Andrew (1903), A History of Scotland from the Roman Occupation, Volume 1: Dodd, Mead and Co.
- Paul, James Balfour (1906), The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; Containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of that Kingdom: D. Douglas.
- Riddell, John (1833), Remarks upon Scotch peerage law...: T. Clark.
- Scott, WalterWalter ScottSir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
. "Crichton Castle." Miscellaneous Prose Works of Sir Walter Scott. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: R. Cadell, 1834. 87-88. Google Books. Web. 2 May 2010. - Alison Weir: Lancaster and York: War of the Roses, London (1995) ISBN 97-800-995-40-175