Name: Eleanor of House Dunkeld
Title: Queen of Scotland
DOB: September 24, 1273 (Stirling, Scotland)
Father: Alexander III of Scots (b. 1241- d. 1286)
Mother: Margaret of England (b. 1240- d. 1275)
Spouse: Charles de Coucy (b. June 2, 1270)
In 1282 King Alexander III arranged for his younger daughter Eleanor to wed his maternal first cousin Charles, son of Enguerrand IV and Margaret of Guelders— the Coucy were a wealthy family, owning various lands in France as well as some bordering his mother-in-law's county of Ponthieu and the two were married at Beauvais June 24, 1283. The following January (1285), Alexander's oldest son and heir-apparent passed away leaving his granddaughter, Princess Margaret of Norway as heiress presumptive. Without a remaining legitimate male heir and facing dynastic extinction, the Scots king remarried to Yolande of Dreux, the step-daughter of his step-father. In March of 1286 Alexander left the royal court, which was in Edinburgh at the time, to visit the queen in Kinghorn, Fife in celebration of her birthday. He had been cautioned against the journey by his courtiers due to inclement weather conditions, but made the journey anyway resulting in the end of his life when the horse was startled and the king fell and cracked his skull on a rock.
Following his death, the magnates of the realm gathered to select a council of regents, known as the Guardians of Scotland who would govern the realm until the succession was clear. Given the queen's pregnancy, if she were to bear a son he would be born posthumous King of Scots, but a daughter would fall in line behind Princesses Margaret of Norway and Eleanor of Scotland—Alexander as well as the nobility had favored Eleanor but did not wish to incur the wrath of Eric II who boasted the strongest military force in all of Europe. The queen delivered a still-born son November 25, 1286, and thus Margaret was declared queen. Consequently, there was a dispute in parliament regarding who would be the heir to both Margaret and Eleanor between rival lords John Balliol of Galloway and Robert de Brus 5th Lord of Annandale, leading to a revolt lead by the latter and his son Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick. This squabble was quickly resolved, with the Bruce forces defeated, and order was resumed to await the arrival of queen Margaret. Meanwhile, in France another female joined the line of succession as the Princess Eleanor gave birth to a healthy and robust daughter, named Marie, born April 14, 1288 at Coucy.
To the Scots dismay, Eric II of Norway, father of Queen Margaret, sent envoys to Scotland which were to meet with the English to discuss an arranged marriage between the young queen and King Edward's son The Prince of Wales, which would result in the combined rule of both nations. Through the intervention of the Guardians, a government merger would be prevented, but otherwise there was little that could be done as she remained in her father's custody and such was his right. The one advancement in Scottish favor was the grant of Orkney to his daughter. Once terms were agreed upon, Eric relented and sent his daughter from Norway to Scotland, but she became ill upon the voyage and died at Orkney—her body was returned to her father. Upon the confirmation of her death, Eleanor left from France with her husband and daughter to claim her birthright. Due to having lived the majority of her life in Scotland and being versed in the culture, she was well-received by the locals, and the Coucy's were a known and respected family due to the recent queen consort Marie de Coucy's popularity. Norway was aggrieved at the loss of Orkney, as it fell to Margaret's heir, but reclaiming it would incur militant action from Eleanor's uncle Edward or that of France by way of her husband's family.
A pregnant Eleanor was crowned at Moot Hill, Scone per the tradition and took up residence in Scone Palace. The Guardians of Scotland were thus abolished, as she was of the majority and able to rule for herself. She gave birth to her son and heir, naming him Charles for his father, on Christmas Eve of 1290. Following this, her husband was named Duke of Albany, as the agreed upon title for the consort of Scotland's first married queen-regnant, along with lands in Mann (formerly her brother's).
What do you think would be the Scottish reaction to Eleanor and her French husband? Also, how do you believe the rest of Europe (Edward I, Eric II, etc..) would react?
-Marriages for Eleanor's two children?
-Potential Wars?
-Expansion?
-Ideas?
Title: Queen of Scotland
DOB: September 24, 1273 (Stirling, Scotland)
Father: Alexander III of Scots (b. 1241- d. 1286)
Mother: Margaret of England (b. 1240- d. 1275)
Spouse: Charles de Coucy (b. June 2, 1270)
In 1282 King Alexander III arranged for his younger daughter Eleanor to wed his maternal first cousin Charles, son of Enguerrand IV and Margaret of Guelders— the Coucy were a wealthy family, owning various lands in France as well as some bordering his mother-in-law's county of Ponthieu and the two were married at Beauvais June 24, 1283. The following January (1285), Alexander's oldest son and heir-apparent passed away leaving his granddaughter, Princess Margaret of Norway as heiress presumptive. Without a remaining legitimate male heir and facing dynastic extinction, the Scots king remarried to Yolande of Dreux, the step-daughter of his step-father. In March of 1286 Alexander left the royal court, which was in Edinburgh at the time, to visit the queen in Kinghorn, Fife in celebration of her birthday. He had been cautioned against the journey by his courtiers due to inclement weather conditions, but made the journey anyway resulting in the end of his life when the horse was startled and the king fell and cracked his skull on a rock.
Following his death, the magnates of the realm gathered to select a council of regents, known as the Guardians of Scotland who would govern the realm until the succession was clear. Given the queen's pregnancy, if she were to bear a son he would be born posthumous King of Scots, but a daughter would fall in line behind Princesses Margaret of Norway and Eleanor of Scotland—Alexander as well as the nobility had favored Eleanor but did not wish to incur the wrath of Eric II who boasted the strongest military force in all of Europe. The queen delivered a still-born son November 25, 1286, and thus Margaret was declared queen. Consequently, there was a dispute in parliament regarding who would be the heir to both Margaret and Eleanor between rival lords John Balliol of Galloway and Robert de Brus 5th Lord of Annandale, leading to a revolt lead by the latter and his son Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick. This squabble was quickly resolved, with the Bruce forces defeated, and order was resumed to await the arrival of queen Margaret. Meanwhile, in France another female joined the line of succession as the Princess Eleanor gave birth to a healthy and robust daughter, named Marie, born April 14, 1288 at Coucy.
To the Scots dismay, Eric II of Norway, father of Queen Margaret, sent envoys to Scotland which were to meet with the English to discuss an arranged marriage between the young queen and King Edward's son The Prince of Wales, which would result in the combined rule of both nations. Through the intervention of the Guardians, a government merger would be prevented, but otherwise there was little that could be done as she remained in her father's custody and such was his right. The one advancement in Scottish favor was the grant of Orkney to his daughter. Once terms were agreed upon, Eric relented and sent his daughter from Norway to Scotland, but she became ill upon the voyage and died at Orkney—her body was returned to her father. Upon the confirmation of her death, Eleanor left from France with her husband and daughter to claim her birthright. Due to having lived the majority of her life in Scotland and being versed in the culture, she was well-received by the locals, and the Coucy's were a known and respected family due to the recent queen consort Marie de Coucy's popularity. Norway was aggrieved at the loss of Orkney, as it fell to Margaret's heir, but reclaiming it would incur militant action from Eleanor's uncle Edward or that of France by way of her husband's family.
A pregnant Eleanor was crowned at Moot Hill, Scone per the tradition and took up residence in Scone Palace. The Guardians of Scotland were thus abolished, as she was of the majority and able to rule for herself. She gave birth to her son and heir, naming him Charles for his father, on Christmas Eve of 1290. Following this, her husband was named Duke of Albany, as the agreed upon title for the consort of Scotland's first married queen-regnant, along with lands in Mann (formerly her brother's).
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What do you think would be the Scottish reaction to Eleanor and her French husband? Also, how do you believe the rest of Europe (Edward I, Eric II, etc..) would react?
-Marriages for Eleanor's two children?
-Potential Wars?
-Expansion?
-Ideas?
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