Mary of Scotland (1082–1116)
Encyclopedia
Mary of Scotland was the younger daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland
and his second wife Margaret of Wessex
. Mary was a member of the House of Dunkeld and was Countess of Boulogne by her marriage.
, Ethelred
, Edgar, King of Alba
, Alexander I of Scotland
and David I of Scotland
. Mary had only one sister, Matilda of Scotland, first wife of Henry I of England
. Mary was a maternal aunt of Empress Matilda
, who pressed her claim on the Kingdom of England
but lost out to her cousin, Stephen
. Stephen was married to Matilda of Boulogne
, Mary's daughter.
. Their maternal aunt, Christina
, was abbess there.
The two girls spent their early life at the monastery with their aunt, where they also received part of their education. Some time before 1093, they went to Wilton Abbey
, which also had a reputation as a centre of learning, to finish their education. One of its inhabitants was the poetess Muriel, who attracted much attention from scholars throughout Europe. Matilda received many proposals for marriage but refused them all for the time being.
Matilda finally left the monastery in 1100 to marry King Henry I of England
. At first the marriage was unacceptable, as Matilda and Mary had both spent their childhood in the abbey and were both considered to be nuns. Henry did however get permission to marry Matilda.
and his wife, Ida of Lorraine
. The marriage lasted for twenty years but only produced a daughter:
Mary died in 1116, nine years before her husband died. The same year of Eustace III's death, Matilda married Stephen.
. Matilda of Boulogne raised an army after Matilda of the English had captured Stephen. Matilda of Boulogne won in the end. Stephen was released and was once again proclaimed King of England.
When Stephen died, he was forced to bequeath the English crown to his second cousin, Matilda of the English's son Henry
. On Stephen's death, it seemed that Matilda of Scotland's daughter, Matilda, had won because her son and his descendants sat on the throne.
Malcolm III of Scotland
Máel Coluim mac Donnchada , was King of Scots...
and his second wife Margaret of Wessex
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Saint Margaret of Scotland , also known as Margaret of Wessex and Queen Margaret of Scotland, was an English princess of the House of Wessex. Born in exile in Hungary, she was the sister of Edgar Ætheling, the short-ruling and uncrowned Anglo-Saxon King of England...
. Mary was a member of the House of Dunkeld and was Countess of Boulogne by her marriage.
Family
Mary was the youngest of eight children. Her brothers included: EdmundEdmund of Scotland
Edmund or Etmond mac Maíl Coluim was a son of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada and his second wife Margaret. He may be found on some lists of Scottish kings, but there is no evidence that he was king....
, Ethelred
Ethelred of Scotland
Ethelred was the son of King Máel Coluim III and his wife Margaret, the third oldest of the latter and the probable sixth oldest of the former. He took his name, almost certainly, from Margaret's great-grandfather King Æþelræd Unræd, or Ethelred the Unready...
, Edgar, King of Alba
Edgar of Scotland
Edgar or Étgar mac Maíl Choluim , nicknamed Probus, "the Valiant" , was king of Alba from 1097 to 1107...
, Alexander I of Scotland
Alexander I of Scotland
Alexander I , also called Alaxandair mac Maíl Coluim and nicknamed "The Fierce", was King of the Scots from 1107 to his death.-Life:...
and David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
. Mary had only one sister, Matilda of Scotland, first wife of Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
. Mary was a maternal aunt of Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
, who pressed her claim on the Kingdom of England
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...
but lost out to her cousin, Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
. Stephen was married to Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda I was suo jure Countess of Boulogne. She was also queen consort of England as the wife of King Stephen.-Biography:...
, Mary's daughter.
Early life
When Mary was about four years old, in 1086, she and her sister, Matilda, were sent by their parents to RomseyRomsey
Romsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
. Their maternal aunt, Christina
Cristina, daughter of Edward the Exile
Cristina, daughter of Edward the Exile and Agatha, was the sister of Edgar Ætheling and Saint Margaret of Scotland, born in the 1040s.She came to the Kingdom of England with her family in 1057, from Hungary...
, was abbess there.
The two girls spent their early life at the monastery with their aunt, where they also received part of their education. Some time before 1093, they went to Wilton Abbey
Wilton Abbey
Wilton Abbey was a Benedictine convent in Wiltshire, England, three miles from Salisbury on the site now occupied by Wilton House. A first foundation was made as a college of secular priests by Wulfstan, Ealdorman of Wiltshire, about 773, but after his death was changed into a convent for twelve...
, which also had a reputation as a centre of learning, to finish their education. One of its inhabitants was the poetess Muriel, who attracted much attention from scholars throughout Europe. Matilda received many proposals for marriage but refused them all for the time being.
Matilda finally left the monastery in 1100 to marry King Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
. At first the marriage was unacceptable, as Matilda and Mary had both spent their childhood in the abbey and were both considered to be nuns. Henry did however get permission to marry Matilda.
Marriage
Mary herself left the abbey in 1096. Matilda wanted her to also marry, so Henry I married her off to Eustace III, Count of Boulogne, son of Eustace II of BoulogneEustace II of Boulogne
Eustace II, , also known as Eustace aux Gernons was count of Boulogne from 1049–1087, fought on the Norman side at the Battle of Hastings, and afterwards received a large honour in England. He is one of the few proven Companions of William the Conqueror.He was the son of Eustace I...
and his wife, Ida of Lorraine
Ida of Lorraine
Ida of Lorraine was a saint and noblewoman.She was the daughter of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine and his wife, Doda. Ida's grandfather was Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine and Ida's brother was Godfrey IV, Duke of Lower Lorraine.-Family:In 1057, she married Eustace II of Boulogne...
. The marriage lasted for twenty years but only produced a daughter:
- Matilda of BoulogneMatilda of BoulogneMatilda I was suo jure Countess of Boulogne. She was also queen consort of England as the wife of King Stephen.-Biography:...
(1105–1152), became countess of Boulogne after the death of her father. Married Stephen of EnglandStephen of EnglandStephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
, hence she became Queen of EnglandQueen consortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
. They were parents of Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne, William of Blois and Marie of BoulogneMarie of BoulogneMarie I was the suo jure Countess of Boulogne from 1159 to 1170. She also held the post of Abbess of Romsey for five years until her abduction by Matthew of Alsace, who forced her to marry him.-Early years:Marie was the youngest daughter of King Stephen of England and his wife Matilda I, Countess...
.
Mary died in 1116, nine years before her husband died. The same year of Eustace III's death, Matilda married Stephen.
Legacy
The daughters of Matilda and Mary of Scotland, both called Matilda, fought each other for control of EnglandEngland
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...
. Matilda of Boulogne raised an army after Matilda of the English had captured Stephen. Matilda of Boulogne won in the end. Stephen was released and was once again proclaimed King of England.
When Stephen died, he was forced to bequeath the English crown to his second cousin, Matilda of the English's son Henry
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
. On Stephen's death, it seemed that Matilda of Scotland's daughter, Matilda, had won because her son and his descendants sat on the throne.