Isabella Bruce

Isabella Bruce (* around 1280 in Carrick, Scotland, † 1358 in Bergen ) was a Norwegian queen.

Her parents were Robert de Brus , Lord of Annandale, Earl of Carrick († 1304) and his wife Marjorie, Countess of Carrick († 1292).

Isabella came to Norway with her father in 1293 at the age of 12, where she married King Erik II , who at that time was 25 years old and a childless widower. His first wife, Margrete Aleksandersdotter , died in 1283. Isabella's grandfather and father had also made claims to the Scottish throne, and after Margaret's death, the claim became topical again when Isabella's brother Robert de Bruce made his claim.

The only news about her life as Queen is an inventory of her trousseau attested by Audun Hugleiksson , which she brought back from Scotland: Among other things, these were her valuable clothes, which are described in detail, 2 gold cauldrons, 24 silver plates - 30 marks and 5 solidi in weight , 4 silver salt barrels à 9 marks and 10 solidi heavy, 12 two-handled soup cups (Scyphus), two small crowns and other things. In 1297 she and Erik had their only child, the daughter Ingebjörg (1297– around 1357).

Isabella lived in Bergen after Erik's death in 1299 and did not return to Scotland, not even when her brother Robert I became King of Scotland in 1306. This may also be related to Robert's struggle for the Scottish throne, during which three of her brothers were hanged in 1306 and 1307 and King Roberts' wife and two of his sisters and a daughter were held captive by the English king from 1306 to 1314. That must have prevented them from returning home.

In Bergen she is mentioned together with her brother-in-law King Håkon V. Magnusson and his wife Eufemia at the consecration of Arne Sigurdsson as Bishop of Bergen. She made generous gifts and gifts of souls to the diocese of Bergen and the churches there and received in return from Bishop Audfinn Sigurdsson some of the buildings belonging to the church in Bergen for use for life. She also seems to have been politically active. Possibly she was involved in a comparison between divided families on Orkney, the Shetland Islands and Scotland in 1312. She also had ties to King Håkon's successor Magnus VII. Eriksson. She also appears to have been behind her daughter Ingebjørg's engagement to Orkney Jarl Jon Magnusson in 1300. But the marriage did not materialize because the Jarl died beforehand. So Ingebjørg was with the Swedish Duke Waldemar Magnusson (after 1280-1318), brother of King Birger I. His brother Erik Magnusson married Isabella's niece Ingebjørg Håkonsdatter at the same time . The double wedding took place in 1312. A document from 1357 grants Isabella the inheritance after her daughter, who had meanwhile become a widow. So she apparently survived her daughter.

In her will, she donated 20 marks of pure silver to the Christ Church in Bergen for the attention of Bishop Audfinn Sigurdsson “in good English money”, so that he could buy half a pound of wax on the anniversary of her death, give a sacrifice of 21 half English shillings, five arms dine, hold a soul mass and ring all the church bells in the city on the evening before and in the morning, as is customary for chiefs.

Individual evidence

This article is essentially taken from the Norsk biografisk leksikon . Any other information is marked separately.

1. ↑ The corresponding letter of safe conduct from the Norwegian king in Diplomatarium Norvegicum vol. 19 no. 379. (Latin). The letter of safe conduct of the English King Edward I is in Diplomatarium Norvegicum Vol. 19 No. 389. (Latin)
2. ↑ Diplomatarium Norvegicum Vol. 19 No. 390. (Latin)
3. ↑ Diplomatarium Norvegicum Vol. 7 No. 31.
4. ↑ Diplomatarium Norvegicum Vol. 2 No. 154.
5. ↑ Diplomatarium Norvegicum Vol. 2 No. 152.
6. ↑ Diplomatarium Norvegicum Vol. 21 No. 15.

literature

• Randi Wærdahl: Article “Isabella Bruce” in Norsk biografisk leksikon , accessed on April 21, 2011.

predecessor	Office	Successor
Margrete Aleksandersdotter	Queen of Norway 1293–1299	Euphemia of Rügen