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British Royals

Glamis Castle, the birth place of a princess and a setting for royal drama

Princess Margaret Rose, the beloved daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and sister of Queen Elizabeth II, was born on 21 August 1930. While her sister was born in London, Princess Margaret was born at Glamis Castle in Scotland. And it was a moment of history as she was the first member of the royal family born in Scotland since 1600. 

Princess Margaret was the first royal born in Scotland for over 300 years
(Joop van Bilsen / Anefo)

Princess Margaret Rose was born at 9:22pm on 21 August 1930 to the then Duke and Duchess of York. The duchess had returned to Glamis, her family home, to give birth. As was expected at the time, the Home Secretary witnessed the birth on the stormy Thursday evening. 

Glamis Castle has a rich history and has been the home of the Lyon family since the fifteenth century. The site’s royal history dates back much further, though, as King Malcom II of Scotland was murdered there in 1034.

Glamis Castle by Spike via Wikimedia Commons CC

The castle is particularly well-known for its Shakespearian connection – the playwright set Macbeth at Glamis.

There is reportedly a creature that lived there, known as the Monster of Glamis. There are several different legends about the Monster, including that a deformed child was born to the family and was locked in a secret room, where other legends claim that the family has vampire children. 

Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth spent quite a bit of time at Glamis in their childhood with their mother’s family and enjoyed their time on the estate.

About author

Historian and blogger at AnHistorianAboutTown.com