2009年6月10日 下午7點56分38秒Linlithgow Palace

Here is my entry on Linlithgow Palace in Scotland. Originally it was a manor house built in the 12th century, probably by David I of Scotland as he founded the former Royal Burgh of Linlithgow. However, upon Edward I of England's invasion into Scotland, he came to Linlithgow and built a stockade around it called a 'peel', which is an old English word for stockade, or fortress. The peel is now completely gone, but the name still remains with the parkland surrounding the Palace and this is still called the peel. The park keeper has always been called the "Peelie".

Some years later the manor house was destroyed in a fire, and James I began to build the Palace in 1424 after his return from England after they stopped holding him as a prisoner. However, by the time of James I's death, only the east range of the Palace had been built. James II, James III and James IV all continued building the Palace and James V, who was born in the Palace on the 10th April 1512, built the current entrance to the Palace.

There is a tower in Linlithgow Palace known as 'Queen Margaret's Bower'. In 1513, Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, wife of James IV and mother of the future James V, awaited her husband's return from the Battle of Flodden, where he went to fight the English army. Unfortunately, he was killed and Margaret was so heartbroken that she remarried soon after.

In 1537, James V married Madeleine of Valois, the daughter of Francis I of France in January. However, she died later on the same year in July. James had a fountain built in Linlithgow Palace, which still functions today. James married Mary of Guise, the daughter of Claude, Duke of Guise in June 1538. On the 8th of December 1542, James' daughter was born in Linlithgow Palace. Her name was Mary, and she was to become Scotland's ill-fated Queen. The Scots had lost a battle at Solway Moss, and it is believed that James suffered a nervous collapse, and as he lay on his deathbed at Falkland Palace, he learnt of his daughter's birth and said "It came wi' a lass, it'll gang wi' a lass." This was a reference to how the Stewart dynasty came to the throne-his ancestor, Walter Stewart, the 6th High Steward of Scotland, who married Marjorie, the daughter of Robert I (Robert the Bruce).

Mary had now become Queen at 6 days old after her father died on the 14th of December. She was crowned months later. During her time in France the spelling of Stewart was changed to Stuart.

After her return from France, she visited Linlithgow Palace once more. Eventually she fled to England, hoping that her cousin and the Queen of England, Elizabeth I, would assist her. However, Elizabeth had her imprisoned for 20 years before finally having her executed.

Upon her death in 1603, Elizabeth named James VI her successor, possibly because he was her only living relation (her grandfather, Henry VII, was James' great-great-grandfather) and she may also have felt guilty for having his mother executed. James VI was now James I of England.

In 1607, the north range of the Palace collapsed. The Palace keeper wrote to James, asking him to pay for the north range to be rebuilt. In 1618, James finally returned to Linlithgow Palace for the final time and agreed to rebuild the north range. He never returned to the Palace.

In 1633, Charles I became the last monarch to stay in Linlithgow Palace, and some years later he became the first King to be executed in Britain.

In 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie came to Linlithgow and stayed for one night. After he left, the Duke of Cumberland's army came to stay in the Palace and as they left to go to the Battle of Culloden, for which they arrived too late, they left the fires in the Palace burning, and soon the entire Palace was ablaze. Since then the Palace has stayed in poor conditions and renovation works have never been carried out on the Palace again.

Nowadays Linlithgow Palace is a popular tourist attraction, and during the summer holidays children from Linlithgow Primary School and Linlithgow Academy volunteer as Junior Palace Guides, and they offer free tours to tourists.

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