Isobel de Bruce, Queen of Norway

It appears that Marjorie of Carrick had two daughters named Isabel by two husbands. Isabel Bruce married Erik II of Norway while her elder half sister Isabel du Kilconquhar (often mistakenly labeled as Bruce) married Sir Thomas Randolph of Strathdon.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Bruce

Isabel Bruce

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Bruce

Isabel Bruce, Queen consort of Norway

• Reign 1293–1299
• Spouse Eric II of Norway
• Issue: Ingeborg Eriksdottir of Norway
• House House of Bruce (by birth)
• House of Sverre (Fairhair dynasty) (by marriage)
• Father Robert Bruce
• Mother Marjorie, Countess of Carrick
• Born 1272 Carrick, Scotland
• Died 1358 Bergen, Norway

Isabel Bruce (Isabella de Brus or Isobail a Brus, or Isabella Robertsdotter Brus) (c. 1272 Carrick, Scotland – 1358, Bergen, Norway) was a Queen consort of Norway, married to King Eric II.

Biography

Isabel's parents were Robert Bruce and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick. Her brothers included King Robert I of Scotland, and Edward Bruce who briefly was High King of Ireland. She travelled to Norway with her father was married to King Eric in Bergen in 1293.

Isabel was king Erik's second wife, and indeed his second Scottish one. She was widowed, at age 24, at his death in 1299. Isabel never remarried, despite surviving her husband by 59 years. Their marriage did not produce a male heir, though it did produce a daughter, Ingeborg Eriksdottir of Norway, who, having firstly been engaged to Jon II, Earl of Orkney, married Valdemar Magnusson of Sweden, Duke of Finland, in 1312. Isabel herself arranged for her daughter's marriages.

She did not return to Scotland, but lived in Bergen in Norway the rest of her life. As a queen consort, there is little information of her life, but her life as a queen dowager is more documented. Isabel did the most out of her position as queen dowager, participated in many official events and ceremonies and did not lack influence. She was present at the inauguration of the new Bishop of Bergen with the royal couple in 1305. She had a good relationship with the clerical powers in Bergen, made donations and received properties from the church: in 1324, she received several houses from the church. It has been suggested, that she participated as a mediator in the conflicts between Orkney, Shetland and Scotland in 1312. In 1339, the king pardoned a prisoner at her request. She exchanged letters with her sister Christina in Scotland and sent soldiers there. In 1357, she was one of the heirs of her daughter, the duchess of Öland.

There is only one recorded marriage for the Isabel de Bruce who married King Erik of Norway. However, this may have been an off-the-record daughter by one of Robert VI(I)'s mistresses.

Notes ◦There is uncertainty on the order of her marriages. She may have divorced one or more of her husbands rather than outlived them. Alternatively, she may have been confused with one of her sisters.

TSP (Carrick, Bruce) reports that "There is no foundation for the alleged second and third marriages of this Isobel to an Earl of Atholl and an Alexander Bruce." 

Sources 1.[S265] Colquoun_Cunningham.ged, Jamie Vans

2..[S289] Betty and Dick Field's Family History, Richard Field

3.[S280] Stirnet Genealogy, Peter Barns-Graham, Bruce02 (Reliability: 3)

4.[S1144] International Genealogical Index (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Copyright (c) 1980, 2002, data as of February 1, 2006), citing microfilm 183553, page 62, reference number 2235, do wnloaded 29 September 2005 (Reliability: 3)

5.[S1144] International Genealogical Index (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Copyright (c) 1980, 2002, data as of February 1, 2006), downloaded 29 September 2005 (Reliability: 3)