Isabel Bruce facts for kids

Isabel Bruce (born around 1272, died 1358) was a Scottish princess who became the Queen of Norway. She was married to King Eric II of Norway.

Her Early Life and Family

Isabel Bruce's family crest.

Isabel was born in Carrick, Scotland. Her father was Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale. Her mother was Marjorie, Countess of Carrick.

Isabel had several brothers. One of them was Robert the Bruce. He later became a famous king of Scotland. Another brother was Edward Bruce. He was briefly the High King of Ireland.

In 1293, when Isabel was about 21 years old, she traveled to Norway. She went with her father. She married King Eric II in Bergen. She brought many valuable items with her for the marriage. These included fine clothes, gold, and silver dishes.

Becoming Queen of Norway

Isabel was King Eric's second wife. His first wife was Margaret of Scotland. Margaret was the daughter of King Alexander III of Scotland. She had died in 1283.

After King Alexander died, his granddaughter became the heir to the Scottish throne. This was Eric's daughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway. King Eric tried to arrange a marriage for his daughter. She was to marry Edward, the son of the English King Edward I. However, Margaret died in 1290. This left Scotland without a ruler.

At the time of Isabel's marriage in 1293, her brother Robert was one of the people who wanted to be King of Scotland. The Bruce family supported King Edward of England. They were against John Balliol and his allies. In 1306, Isabel's brother, Robert the Bruce, was chosen to be King of Scotland.

Life as a Queen and Widow

Isabel became a widow in 1299 when King Eric died. She was only 26 years old. King Eric's brother, Haakon V of Norway, became the next king.

Isabel never married again. She lived for 59 years after her husband died. She and King Eric did not have any sons. They had one daughter, Ingeborg Eriksdottir of Norway. Ingeborg later married Valdemar Magnusson of Sweden. Isabel helped arrange this marriage.

Isabel stayed in Bergen, Norway, for the rest of her life. She did not return to Scotland. We don't know much about her life as a queen. But we know more about her life after her husband died.

Queen Isabel was still important. She took part in many official events. She had a good relationship with the church leaders in Bergen. She gave donations to the church. In 1324, she received several houses from the church. Some people think she helped with talks between Norway and Scotland. These talks were about Orkney and Shetland in 1312. In 1339, the king even pardoned a prisoner because she asked him to. She also wrote letters to her sister, Christina Bruce. She even sent soldiers to help her sister. In 1357, she was one of the people who inherited from her daughter Ingeborg.