Saturday, January 8, 2011

Alexander I of Scotland Coronated

'The household of the Scottish king [Alexander II] was filled with the usual number of feudal officers, and there was an affectation of splendor in the royal establishment, which even the humility of the sainted Queen Margaret did not discourage. She and her husband used at meals vessels of gold and silver plate, or at least, says the candid Turgot, such as were lacquered over so as to have that appearance. Even in the early days of Alexander I., that monarch (with a generosity similar to that of the lover who presented his bride with a case of razors, as what he himself most prized) munificently bestowed on the church of Saint Andrew's an Arabian steed covered, with rich caparisons, and a suit of armor ornamented with silver and precious stones, all which he brought to the high altar, and solemnly devoted to the church...'

Alexander I was known for benefitting the church, as Walter Scott's example from "Scotland" illustrates.  His mother, Saint Margaret, was not canonized until 1250, but Alexander and his brothers Edgar and David (and five other siblings) would have grown up in a religious environment.  Alexander took the throne on the death of his brother Edgar; January 8, 1107.  Brother David received the kingdom of Strathclyde in Edgar's will, though as a prince, not a king.

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