Editing Malcolm III of Scotland (section)

== Early reign ==
If [[Orderic Vitalis]] is to be relied upon, in the time of [[Edward the Confessor]] Malcolm was betrothed to the English king's kinswoman [[Saint Margaret of Scotland|Margaret]], and it is possible this happened when he visited England in 1059.<ref>Duncan, p. 43; Ritchie, pp. 7–8.</ref> If a marriage agreement was made in 1059, it did not stop the Scots plundering [[Lindisfarne]] in 1061.<ref>Duncan, p. 43; Oram, ''David I'', p. 21.</ref> It was common practice in medieval Gaelic-speaking societies for kings to launch an invasion, the so-called ''crech ríg'', of a neighbour soon after taking power, and the [[Lindisfarne]] raid may have been used to boost the stability of the new regime.<ref>McGuigan, ''Máel Coluim III'', pp. 146, 213–219</ref> Since the invasion affected directly only the territory of the [[rulers of Bamburgh]], it is unlikely to have particularly bothered either King Edward or the [[Earl of Northumbria|ealdorman of Northumbria]] in York, [[Tostig Godwinson]], who at that time on [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimage to Rome]] and who did not enjoy a good relationship with the Bamburgh family.<ref>McGuigan, ''Máel Coluim III'', pp. 213–219.</ref> Malcolm may have had specific political motives. For instance, it has been suggested that he may have been trying to advance the position of [[Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria|Gospatric]], his possible cousin, at the expense of the ruling [[Rulers of Bamburgh|Eadwulfing]] family.<ref>McGuigan, ''Máel Coluim III'', pp. 218–219.</ref> It has also been suggested that the raid may have been part of a dispute about the status of [[Strathclyde]].<ref>Oram, ''David I'', p. 21.</ref>

A tradition in the thirteenth-century ''[[Orkneyinga saga]]'' related that Malcolm married the widow of Thorfinn Sigurdsson, [[Ingibiorg Finnsdottir|Ingibiorg]], a daughter of [[Finn Arnesson]].<ref>''Orkneyinga Saga'', p. 33, Duncan, pp. 42–43.</ref> Ingibiorg may have died prior to Malcolm's marriage with Margaret.<ref>See Duncan, pp. 42–43, dating Ingibiorg's death to 1058. Oram, ''David I'', pp. 22–23, dates the marriage of Malcolm and Ingibiorg to c. 1065.</ref> Malcolm may also have discarded Ingibiorg when the opportunity to marry a higher status lady arose in 1068.<ref>McGuigan, ''Máel Coluim III'', pp. 392–393.</ref> The ''Orkneyinga Saga'' also claims that [[Duncan II of Scotland|Duncan]] (Donnchad mac Maíl Coluim), later king, was a product of this union. Some Medieval commentators, following [[William of Malmesbury]], claimed that Duncan was illegitimate, but this claim is propaganda reflecting the need of Malcolm's descendants by Margaret to undermine the claims of Duncan's descendants, the [[MacWilliam pretenders|MacWilliams]].<ref>Duncan, pp. 54–55; Broun, p. 196; Anderson, ''SAEC'', pp. 117–119.</ref> Similarly, however, the importance of the MacWilliams to the earls of Orkney around 1200 would have provided an incentive to strengthen the historical ties between the two families, and thus Ingibiorg's marriage to Malcolm may have been created to fabricate common descent.<ref>McGuigan, ''Máel Coluim III'', p. 392, suggests this possibility but remains neutral.</ref>

The obituary of a certain Domnall, another son of Malcolm, is reported in 1085; since Domnall has no recorded mother, he may also have been born to Ingibiorg<ref>Duncan, p. 55; Oram, ''David I'', p. 23. Domnall's death is reported in the Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1085: "... Domnall son of Máel Coluim, king of Alba, ... ended [his] life unhappily." However, it is not certain that Domnall's father was this Máel Coluim. M.O. Anderson, ''ESSH'', corrigenda p. xxi, presumes Domnall to have been a son of [[Máel Coluim of Moray|Máel Coluim mac Maíl Brigti]], King or Mormaer of Moray, who is called  "king of Scotland" in his obituary in 1029.</ref> or else to some other unrecorded woman.<ref>McGuigan, ''Máel Coluim III'', p. 391.</ref> If historical, Malcolm's marriage to Ingibiorg would have helped create a favourable political position in the north and west. The ''[[Heimskringla]]'' tells that her father Finn had been an adviser to [[Harald Hardrada]], [[Monarchy of Norway|king of Norway]], and, after falling out with Harald, was then made an Earl by [[Sweyn II of Denmark|Sweyn Estridsson]], [[Monarchy of Denmark|king of Denmark]], which may have been another recommendation for the match.<ref>''Saga of Harald Sigurðson'', p. 45ff; ''Saga of Magnus Erlingsson'', p. 30. See also Oram, ''David I'', pp. 22–23.</ref> Malcolm appears to have enjoyed a peaceful relationship  with the [[Earldom of Orkney]], ruled jointly by his possible stepsons, [[Paul and Erlend Thorfinnsson]]. The ''Orkneyinga Saga'' reports strife with Norway but this may be misplaced as it associates this with [[Magnus Barefoot]], who became king of Norway only in 1093, the year of Malcolm's death.<ref>''Orkneyinga Saga'', pp. 39–41; McDonald, ''Kingdom of the Isles'', pp. 34–37.</ref>

Malcolm gave sanctuary to Tostig Godwinson when the Northumbrians drove him out in 1065 and appears to have offered indirect support to the ill-fated invasion of England by Harald Hardrada and Tostig in 1066,<ref>McGuigan, ''Máel Coluim III'', pp. 222–225</ref> which ended in defeat and death at the [[battle of Stamford Bridge]].<ref>[[Adam of Bremen]] says that he fought at Stamford Bridge, but he is alone in claiming this: Anderson, ''SAEC'', p. 87, n. 3.</ref> In 1068, he granted asylum to a group of English exiles fleeing from [[William of Normandy]], among them [[Agatha (wife of Edward the Exile)|Agatha]], widow of Edward the Confessor's nephew [[Edward the Exile]], and her children: [[Edgar Ætheling]] and his sisters Margaret and [[Cristina (daughter of Edward the Exile)|Cristina]]. They were accompanied by Gospatric, by this time [[Rulers of Bamburgh|earl of Bamburgh]]. The exiles were disappointed, however, if they had expected immediate assistance from the Scots.<ref>Oram, ''David I'', p. 23; Anderson, ''SAEC'', pp. 87–90. Orderic Vitalis states that the English asked for Malcolm's assistance.</ref>