[MR] Wikipedia: Death of Robert the Bruce

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble friends, especially fellow Scots,

On this date in 1329, Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, died at his manor in
Cardross, Scotland. King Robert is arguably Scotland's greatest king,
having redeemed Scotland's independence from England at the Battle of
Bannockburn on 23-24 June 1314.

To atone for killing his arch rival John "The Red" Comyn before the altar
of the Greyfriars' chapel in Dumfries in 1306, Robert the Bruce had sworn
to undertake a crusade in the Holy Land. He never got around to fulfilling
his promise. By his order, King Robert's heart was removed from his body
and placed in a small casket by Sir James Douglas. As there were no
crusades on the Papal calendar for the Holy Land, in 1330 Douglas and some
followers found what they felt was an acceptable substitute fighting
against the Moors in Spain. At the Battle of Teba the Scots found
themselves surrounded and cut off by a whole bunch of angry Moors.
According to legend Douglas threw the casket into the midst of their enemy,
and the Scots followed the heart in a wild suicidal charge. Sir William de
Keith, out of the fight with a broken arm, was able to later retrieve the
heart, along with Douglas' bones, and return the relics to Scotland. King
Robert's heart was buried in Melrose Abbey, where what is believed to be
the heart was discovered amid the ruins in 1921. The heart was reburied
(twice) under a plaque and which may be seen there today.

King Robert's body was buried in Dunfermline Abbey. Although his upper tomb
was destroyed during the Scottish reformation, the King's body remains
interred there.

More about Robert the Bruce is at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce .

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade of his own to keep the original Merry Rose relevant
and in business.