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Margaret, Maid of Norway

Type Figure Region Scotland Time 1283–1290 Also known as Maid of Norway

Margaret (1283–1290), known as the Maid of Norway, daughter of Eric II of Norway and the Scottish princess Margaret, inherited the Scottish throne by…

Timeline

  1. 1286Tønsberg · NorwayAfter the sudden death of Alexander III of Scotland in 1286, Margaret, aged only three, inherited the Scottish throne as his granddaughter under the Treaty of Northampton, but remained in Norway due to her youth, with a regency council governing both realms.
  2. 1287–1289Bergen · NorwayRaised under a Norwegian regency, Scotland was governed by six regent lords; in 1289 Scotland and Norway agreed a marriage contract to wed her to the English prince Edward (later Edward II) to strengthen relations among the three realms, but the marriage never took place.
  3. 1290Orkney Islands · ScotlandIn summer 1290 she set out from Norway to take up the Scottish throne but fell ill and died in the Orkney Islands, leaving the Scottish throne vacant once more. Her early death triggered the Great Cause from 1291, with more than a dozen claimants vying for the crown, ultimately opening the door to Edward I's intervention in Scottish affairs.

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