Marjorie Bruce: The Pregnant Princess Who Fell at Paisley Abbey

An imagined moment of tragedy – Marjorie Bruce lies fallen near Paisley Abbey, her horse standing protectively beside her.

In the spring of 1316, a heavily pregnant woman was thrown from her horse near the gates of Paisley Abbey. Her name was Marjorie Bruce — daughter of Robert the Bruce, Queen of Scots by marriage, and mother to the child who would become Scotland’s first Stewart king.

Her story is as tragic as it is foundational. And it happened right here.

A Royal Lineage Cut Short

Marjorie was the only child of Robert the Bruce and his first wife Isabella of Mar. She was royalty in waiting — and in many ways, a living symbol of Scotland’s fragile hope for the future.

In 1315, she married Walter Stewart, the 6th High Steward of Scotland. Their union was more than noble — it was political. And it would change the future of Scotland.

Monks at Paisley Abbey hold up the newborn Robert II – Scotland’s future king born of tragedy.

Less than a year later, Marjorie was riding near Paisley when she was thrown violently from her horse. The trauma triggered premature labour.

She died giving birth.

The Birth of a Dynasty

Her son survived. His name was Robert II of Scotland — the first monarch of the House of Stewart, a royal line that would reign for over 300 years, shaping the fate of two kingdoms.

This means that the entire Stewart dynasty — from James IV and Mary Queen of Scots to James VI and I — began with a single moment of tragedy on Paisley soil.

Her Memory, and Her Monument

Marjorie Bruce is believed to be buried within the grounds of Paisley Abbey. A memorial stone and inscribed plaque near the abbey mark the spot, though her exact resting place remains uncertain.

Few visitors realise the gravity of what happened here. That a princess died, a dynasty was born, and Paisley’s role in shaping Scottish monarchy was sealed in blood and stone.

Why This Story Matters

Marjorie’s death wasn’t just a private sorrow. It was a turning point in Scottish history — the moment a royal lineage took root.

And it didn’t happen in a palace or castle. It happened here. In a town that’s often overlooked, but never ordinary.

A stylised depiction of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce and future mother to a king.

Stand Where a Dynasty Began

At Paisley Tours, we walk the stories others leave behind. On our Abbey tours, we visit the site of Marjorie’s memorial, uncover her legacy, and place her life — and death — in the wider sweep of Scotland’s struggle for sovereignty.

She didn’t live to see her son crowned. But you can still stand where her story ended, and his began.

Visitors gather outside Paisley Abbey, the site where Marjorie Bruce is believed to have given birth to the future King Robert II of Scotland.

🗝️ Want to stand where Scotland’s royal line began in heartbreak?

Join our Paisley Walking Tour and walk the path of princesses, rebels and queens.