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Euphemia de Ross

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Euphemia de Ross
Euphemia depicted in the Forman Armorial, produced in 1562 for her descendant Mary, Queen of Scots
Queen consort of Scots
Tenure1371–1386
Coronation26 March 1371
Born1329
Cromarty Castle, Cromartyshire, Scotland
Died1386
SpouseJohn Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray
(m. 1355)
IssueDavid Stewart, 1st Earl of Caithness
Walter Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl
Margaret Stewart
Elizabeth Stewart, Countess of Crawford
Egidia Stewart
HouseRoss
FatherHugh, Earl of Ross
MotherMargaret de Graham

Euphemia de Ross (1329–1386), a member of Clan Ross, was Queen of Scots as the second wife of Robert II of Scotland.

Life

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Euphemia was a daughter of Hugh, Earl of Ross, and Margaret de Graham, Hugh's second wife and daughter of Sir John de Graham of Abercorn.[1] She first married John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray, but the marriage was childless. Her husband died in 1346, and she remained a widow for nine years.

On 2 May 1355, Euphemia married Robert Stewart, sole son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland and Marjorie Bruce. Marjorie was a daughter of Robert I of Scotland (Robert The Bruce), and his first wife, Isabella of Mar. Over a decade earlier, her second husband, Robert, had been joint Regent of Scotland with her first husband.

It appears that there was an obstacle of affinity to this second marriage, and a papal dispensation by Pope Innocent VI was required for it to be recognized by the Catholic Church. The affinity was due to her first husband, John Randolph, Earl of Moray, having been a second cousin of Robert Stewart. There also was a blood relationship, as the dispensation referenced their being related in the fourth degree of consanguinity, but this relationship has as yet not been identified.[2]

Arms of Euphemia as queen consort of Scotland

The children of Robert's first marriage to Elizabeth Mure were considered illegitimate by some due to reasons of consanguinity. Both sets of children from each marriage considered themselves rightful heirs to the throne, which constituted considerable future conflict.[3]

Euphemia and Robert were parents to four children, and grandparents to many grandchildren:

  • Alan Stewart, 4th Earl of Caithness (d. 1431)
  • David Stewart, Master of Atholl (d. bef. 1437)
  • Gerard Lindsay (d. before 1421)
  • Ingram Lindsay, Bishop of Aberdeen (d. 1458)
  • Marjorie Lindsay, married Sir William Douglas of Clan Douglas
  • Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Earl of Crawford (c. 1387–1438)
  • David Lindsay, Lord of Newdosk (1407–?); he later became a priest
  • Elizabeth Lindsay; she married Sir Robert Keith of Clan Keith
  • Elizabeth Lindsay (1407–?); married Robert Erskine, 1st Lord Erskine, of Clan Erskine; she may have been confused with her sister of the same name, and it is possible that they were one and the same person.
  • Isabella Lindsay (1407–?), married Sir John Maxwell of Pollok, of Clan Maxwell, and had issue.

Robert II succeeded his childless maternal uncle David II of Scotland in 1371. Euphemia was then queen for about fifteen years, until her death in 1386.

References

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  1. ^ John P. Ravilious, Queen Euphemia and her ancestry, The Scottish Genealogist, June 2017, vol. LXIV(2) pp. 49–52. Prior publications including J. Balfour Paul's Scots Peerage identify Margaret de Graham in error as a daughter of Sir David Graham of Montrose.
  2. ^ Andrew Stuart, Genealogical History of the Stewarts (London, 1798), pp. 420–421.
  3. ^ Ashley, Mike (1999). The mammoth book of British kings and queens. London: Robinson Publishers. p. 553. ISBN 1-84119-096-9.
Scottish royalty
Preceded by Queen consort of Scotland
1371–1386
Succeeded by