St. Margaret of Scotland

St. Margaret of Scotland (born c. 1045, probably Hungary—died November 16, 1093, Edinburgh [Scotland]; canonized 1250; feast day November 16, Scottish feast day June 16) was the queen consort of Malcolm III Canmore, who was king of Scotland from 1057 or 1058 to 1093. She is the patroness of Scotland and is also venerated as the patron saint of widows, queens, nurses, large families, learning, and ministry to the poor.

Margaret was brought up at the Hungarian court, where her father, Edward (son of Edmund Ironside), was in exile. After the Battle of Hastings (1066), Edward’s widow, Princess Agatha of Hungary, and their children fled for safety to Scotland. Margaret’s brother Edgar the Aetheling, the defeated claimant to the English throne, joined them there. In spite of her leanings toward a religious life, Margaret married (c. 1070) Malcolm III Canmore. They had eight children, six sons and two daughters, all of whom were raised in the Roman Catholic faith. She lived a pious and devout life and was known for her charity and compassion for the poor of Scotland. Through her influence over her husband and his court, she promoted, in conformity with the Gregorian reform, the interests of the church and of the English population conquered by the Scots in the previous century. She died shortly after her husband was slain near Alnwick, Northumberland. She was canonized by Pope Innocent IV in 1250.