Editing Margaret, Maid of Norway (section)

== Heir presumptive ==
[[Alexander, Prince of Scotland|Alexander]], brother of Margaret's mother and the last surviving child of the King of Scotland, died on 28 January 1284. The Maid was left as the only living descendant of Alexander III. The King did not wait to discover whether his son's widow, [[Margaret of Flanders (d. 1331)|Margaret of Flanders]], was pregnant.{{sfn|Duncan|2002|p=169}} Already, on 5 February, he had all thirteen [[earls of Scotland|earls]], twenty-four [[barons in Scotland|barons]], and three [[clan chief]]s come to [[Scone, Scotland|Scone]] and swear to recognize his granddaughter as his successor if he died leaving neither son nor daughter and if no [[posthumous child]] was born to his son.{{sfn|Duncan|2002|p=170}} By April it had presumably become clear that the young Alexander's widow was not expecting a child and that Margaret was the [[heir presumptive]].{{sfn|Duncan|2002|p=211}} 

Alexander III's wife, another [[Margaret of England|Margaret]], sister of King [[Edward I of England]], had died in 1275, and the oath he exacted strongly implied that he now intended to remarry.{{sfn|Duncan|2002|p=170}} When Edward expressed his condolence to Alexander III that month for the death of his son, the latter responded that "much good may come to pass yet through your kinswoman, the daughter of your niece ... who is now our heir", suggesting that the two kings may have already been discussing a suitable marriage for Margaret. Alexander and his magnates may have hoped for an English match.{{sfn|Duncan|2002|p=171}}

King Alexander took a new wife, [[Yolande of Dreux, Queen of Scotland|Yolanda of Dreux]], on 14 October 1285, hoping to father another child. On the evening of 18 March 1286, he set out, in stormy weather on horseback, against advice, to meet with Queen Yolanda, only to be found dead with a [[broken neck]] the next day.{{sfn|Duncan|2002|p=171}}