She was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, and was the daughter of Richard de Burgh, the powerful Earl of Ulster and a close friend of Edward I of England.
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2 Coronation 3 Imprisonment 4 Release 5 Death |
Marriage
She is likely to have met Robert the Bruce at the English court, and they were married in 1302 at Writtle, near Chelsford, Essex, England.
Coronation
Robert and Elizabeth were crowned as King and Queen of the Scots at Scone in March 27 1306. This was in defiance of English rule of Scotland, and Elizabeth, with other family members, was sent to Kildrummy castle for safety under the protection of the king's brother Nigel.
Imprisonment
After the defeat of the Scots at the Battle of Methven the English laid siege on the castle containing the Royal party. The seige was finally broken when a blacksmith was bribed with ``all the gold he could carry`` to set fire to the corn store. Bruce's brother, along with all the men from the castle, were hung and beheaded, his sister Mary and the Countess of Buchan were on imprisoned in wooden cages that were erected on the walls of Berwick and Roxburgh castles while his 12 year old daughter Marjorie was sent to a nunnery. Due to Edward's unwillingness to anger the Earl of Ulster, Elizabeth was placed under house arrest in England.
Release
It was not until eight years later, after the English were defeated at Bannockburn, that Elizabeth finally released, in exchange for captured English nobles.
Elizabeth gave birth to two sons and two daughters: John, Matilda, Margaret and David (the future king David II of Scotland).
Death
Elizabeth Bruce died on the October 27 1327 at Cullen Castle, Banffshire and is buried in Dunfermline. Her husband died eight months later.
See also: Wars of Scottish Independence