The warrior king who pushed too far
On 13 November 1093, Malcolm III of Scotland — known as Malcolm Canmore, from the Gaelic Ceann Mòr meaning "Great Chief" — was killed in an ambush near Alnwick Castle in Northumberland. He had invaded England for the fifth time, driven by his relentless desire to extend Scottish territory into northern England. This time, his luck ran out. Malcolm was ambushed by forces loyal to Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumbria. His eldest son Edward was killed in the same engagement.
Malcolm III had been king for 35 years, one of the longest and most consequential reigns in Scottish history. He had seized the throne in 1058 by defeating Macbeth at Lumphanan — yes, the same Macbeth whom Shakespeare would later immortalise, though the real Macbeth was a far more capable king than Shakespeare's tortured tyrant. Malcolm consolidated power, married the English princess Margaret (later Saint Margaret), and began the transformation of Scotland from a Celtic kingdom into a feudal European state.
Margaret's influence was profound. She reformed the Scottish Church, bringing it into line with Roman Catholic practice. She encouraged English and Norman settlers. She introduced new forms of worship, new architecture, and new courtly culture. Malcolm, a Gaelic warrior king, provided the military power that protected these reforms. Together, they reshaped Scotland.
When news of Malcolm's death reached Edinburgh Castle, Margaret was already gravely ill. She died just three days later, on 16 November 1093. Tradition holds that she died of a broken heart upon hearing the news. Margaret was later canonised, and her chapel in Edinburgh Castle — the oldest surviving building in the city — still stands. Malcolm and Margaret's descendants would rule Scotland for two centuries, and their legacy shaped the nation Scotland became.