St. Margaret of Scotland

November 16 is the feast day of St. Margaret of Scotland. Margaret was born around the year 1045. She was a member of the English royal family, the sister of Edgar Aetheling. She fled to Scotland after the invasion of England by William (the Conqueror) in 1066. She married Malcolm III, king of Scotland, which made her Queen of Scotland until her death in 1093. 

Margaret was known for her personal piety, her work to integrate the Scottish Church into the wider Christian world, and her works of charity. It is said that she served food to orphans and the poor every day before she ate. She helped to found monasteries and other religious institutions. Many churches in Scotland and around the world are named in her honor.

The name Margaret comes from similar names in Latin and Greek and traces back originally to a Persian word that means “pearl.” Margaret is sometimes called the “Pearl of Scotland.”