The Maid of Norway: Scotland's Lost Queen and the Succession Crisis

In 1286, Scotland's king died without a living heir, plunging the kingdom into a succession crisis that would reshape its future. This episode tells the story of Margaret, Maid of Norway – a seven-year-old girl who was Scotland's first queen regnant, betrothed to the future Edward II of England, and whose death at sea in 1290 triggered the Wars of Independence. We explore the Treaty of Birgham, which promised Scottish sovereignty; the roles of King Eric II of Norway and Edward I of England; and the shadowy circumstances of Margaret's voyage from Bergen to Kirkwall. Along the way, we consider why Scotland's nobility chose a child queen over adult claimants, and how Margaret's story has been shaped by later nationalist myth-making. A forgotten pivot point in Scottish history, where the crown passed from the House of Dunkeld to crisis. #MaidOfNorway #MargaretOfScotland #TreatyOfBirgham #HouseOfDunkeld #AlexanderIII #EricIINorway #EdwardI #GuardiansOfScotland #Scone #Kirkwall #Orkney #WarsOfIndependence #13thCentury #MedievalScotland #ScottishHistory #History #FexingoHistory #ScottishMonarchy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo