Saint Margaret of Scotland

Saint Margaret of Scotland, also known as Margaret of Wessex, was born around 1045 in the Kingdom of Hungary. She was the daughter of Edward the Exile and Agatha, and a member of the House of Wessex. Her early life was spent in Hungary, where she grew up in a religious environment.

In 1057, Margaret returned to England with her family after her father was recalled as a potential successor to King Edward the Confessor. Following the death of Harold Godwinson in 1066, her brother Edgar Ætheling was briefly elected King of England, but the family fled north when the Normans advanced.

Margaret and her family sought refuge in Scotland after being shipwrecked in 1068. There, she met King Malcolm III, whom she married by the end of 1070. As Queen of Alba, she became known for her piety and charitable works.

Margaret was instrumental in religious reform in Scotland, striving to align the Scottish church with continental practices. She established a ferry for pilgrims traveling to St Andrews and invited the Benedictine Order to Dunfermline. Her influence extended to her husband and children, promoting just and holy rulership.

Margaret and Malcolm had eight children, including three future kings of Scotland: Edgar, Alexander I, and David I. Her daughter Matilda became Queen of England. Margaret's piety was evident in her daily life, as she engaged in charitable acts and religious devotion.

In 1250, Margaret was canonized by Pope Innocent IV, and her remains were reinterred in a shrine at Dunfermline Abbey. Her relics were later dispersed, with her head preserved by Jesuits until it was lost during the French Revolution.

Saint Margaret died on 16 November 1093 at Edinburgh Castle, reportedly from grief after learning of her husband and son's deaths in battle. She was buried at Dunfermline Abbey, and her son Edgar succeeded Malcolm III as King of Scotland.