#qc: elizabeth de burgh

[scotlandsladies]

♕ Youngest Queen Consorts (at beginning of tenure)

[scotlandsladies]

♕ Queens Regnant and Queen Consorts who had twins

[scotlandsladies]

The Ladies ♕ Queen Consorts [11/25] ↳ Elizabeth de Burgh (c.1289 -1327), Queen Consort from 1306 to 1327

Elizabeth de Burgh was born in the year of 1289 to Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and Margarite de Burgh either in Down County or Antrim County, Ireland. She descended from a powerful Irish noble family and was a god-daughter of Edward I of England. In 1302 when Elizabeth was thirteen, she married Robert the Bruce, who was fifteen years her senior, likely at his manor of Writtle in Essex, England. At the time Robert was supporting Edward I and the marriage is thought to have been arranged by the King, as a way of securing the Scottish noble to his cause. Eventually events in Scotland would force Robert out of his allegiance with England and after a murder and much fighting, he gained the Scottish throne. On 25 March 1306, Robert was crowned Robert I, King of Scots, with Elizabeth at his side crowned, Queen of Scots. The coronation was only the beginning of trouble as it was in direct violation of English claims of suzerainty over Scotland and in June of the same year, Robert’s army was defeated at Methven. Elizabeth, her step-daughter and sisters-in-law were sent to Orkney for safety and tried to escape when English forces seized the castle they were staying at, but were captured and sent to England. The Queen of Scots was treated more kindly than the others; during the eight years of their imprisonment, she was moved occasionally from place to place. At Burstwick Manor in Holderness, Yorkshire, she wrote to the Edward I, complaining that she only had three changes of clothes, and no bed linen. In 1312, when she was moved to the Tower of London, her conditions improved as she had six attendants and received an allowance to pay them. Two years later, on 24 June 1314, Robert defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn and there was a prisoner exchange. Elizabeth, including the rest of the Bruce ladies, were released and the queen was finally able to have her own legal and lawful standing at her husband’s court. Elizabeth gave birth to three daughters Margaret, Matilda, and Elizabeth, as well as the first recorded set of twins in British Royal history: John (who died young) and David (who was later crowned King David II). On 27 October 1327, Elizabeth died at Cullen Castle in Banffshire at the age of thirty-eight. Her body was interred at Dunfermline Abbey. Eighteen months later, Robert died and was laid to rest beside her.