Royal Connections

Royal Connections. Melrose Abbey. For centuries, Melrose Abbey was connected to the Scottish Crown. While it never gained the regal position of Iona or Dunfermline, its location close to England and association with kings has given it a special place in Scottish history., David I, David was instrumental in inviting the pious Cistercians to Melrose. The abbey's location on the border with England sent a strong message about the wealth, power and worldliness of the Scottish king. , (Caption:) Above: David was a great patron of the monastic orders. He founded more than a dozen monasteries between 1124 and 1153., Robert I, During the Wars of Independence, Melrose's location near the border put it at risk from the fighting. After the church was damaged in 1322, Robert the Bruce helped pay for it to be rebuilt. Before his death Robert instructed that his heart be buried here., (Caption:)Right: While the body of Robert the Bruce was interred at Dunfermline Abbey, Robert's heart was buried in Melrose., Alexander II, In 1294 Alexander broke the tradition of royal burials at Iona and Dunfermline Abbeys, by asking to be buried at Melrose. After he died whilst campaigning against the Norse, his body was brought here from Argyll. Burial at Melrose never caught on with later monarchs., (Caption:) The Royal Seal of Alexander II - Alexander was an active king, campaigning in Argyll, Galloway and Moray., Richard II of England, Melrose was again at the center of conflict with England in 1385, when the English monarch laid to waste Scotland's border region. Although Melrose was 'burnt down with fiery flames', rebuilding began almost immediately. Funding was provided by Richard II himself, perhaps because he now viewed Southern Scotland as conquered or perhaps to salve his conscience.