Margaret of Denmark

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for another queen-consort (that of Norway), historically known as her namesake, see Margaret I of Denmark - and for Queens Margaret of Denmark, see Queen Margaret of Denmark

Margaret of Denmark (June 23, 1456 - before July 14, 1486) was the daughter of King Christian I of Denmark (1448-1481), Norway (1450-1481), and Sweden (1457-1464), and his wife Dorothea of Brandenburg.

In July, 1469, at Holyrood Abbey, she married James III, the King of Scotland (1460-88).

This marriage produced three sons :

• James IV (March 17, 1473 - September 9, 1513)
• James Stewart, Duke of Ross (March 1476 - January 1504), and
• John Stewart, Earl of Mar (December 1479 - 1503).

Her father, king Christian I of Denmark and also of Norway, agreed on a remarkable dowry to her. He however was strained in cash, so the islands of Orkney and Shetland, Norwegian crown possessions, were pledged as security until the dowry will be paid.

William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness was at that time the Norse Earl of Orkney, who was made in 1473 to exchange his Orkney fief to castle Ravenscraig, so the Scottish throne took the earl's rights in the islands too.

She died at Stirling Castle and is buried in Cambuskenneth Abbey.

[edit] Legacy

Her great-great-grandson James VI of Scotland married another princess of her dynasty, Anne of Denmark. They became ancestors of all the future monarchs of England and Scotland.

When in the 20th century, there was some Orcadian dissatisfaction with the government of the United Kingdom, some Orcadians investigated the terms of Margaret's marriage contract and pleaded to the Kings of Denmark and Norway to pay Margaret's dowry to the British Exchequer so that Orkney and Shetland would return to the government of a Scandinavian nation and not be governed by the United Kingdom.

Preceded by Mary of Guelders

Queen consort of Scotland 1469 - 1486

Succeeded by Margaret Tudor