Glamis Castle is the ancestral home of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, but is perhaps more famous for being the birthplace of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother.
Glamis Castle
Glamis (pronounced Glamz) Castle is situated in the village of Glamis in Angus. The estate covers 14,000 acres which includes the gardens, walking trails and forest. Even before the castle was built, the land itself was a favourite hunting place for the kings of Scotland and St Fergus began the difficult process of converting the Scots to Christianity here. In 1034, Malcolm II died in the castle from wounds received in battle and it was also used by William Shakespeare as the backdrop for Macbeth.
Room in Glamis, 1993 by Vittoriano Rastelli
Originally a hunting lodge, the castle was given to John Lyon in 1372 by King Robert II (Robert the Bruce) for services rendered and John became a knight four years later when he married the king’s daughter. The castle was inherited by John’s son, also John, who married King Robert’s great granddaughter and began building the castle as it looks today. The second John’s son became the first Lord Glamis and in 1606, the ninth Lord Glamis was given the title of Earl of Kinghorne.
Bedroom at Glamis, 1993 by Vittoriano Rastelli
During the eighteenth century, the ninth Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne developed the present village of Glamis which is still dependent on the income of the castle estates in the present day. Much of the main structure of the castle was refurbished or completely rebuilt at this time.
Dining Room at Glamis, 1993 by Vittoriano Rastelli
Glamis Castle’s links with the royal family became stronger when Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore, married Prince Albert (later George VI) in 1923. After the marriage, a suite of rooms was converted in the Castle for the newlyweds to escape the pressures of public life and this was where Princess Margaret was born in 1930.
Glamis is often referred to as a fairytale castle and like many fairytale castles, it has its dark side and is in fact reputed to be the most haunted place in Scotland. The most famous legend surrounding the castle is the existence of a secret room which has been subject to much speculation over the past 600 years. One version of the tale states Earl Beardie, a guest, played cards there with the Devil on the Sabbath and lost his soul. There have also been stories of a hideously deformed male heir born in 1821 who was kept there and became known as the Monster of Glamis. No one knows where the secret room actually is in the castle, except for the Earls and their respective heirs.
The castle chapel is also said to be haunted by the Grey Lady, the ghost of Lady Janet Douglas who was executed in 1537 for witchcraft. Allegedly, a seat in the chapel is reserved for the Grey Lady and no one is allowed to sit there.
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was born on 4 August 1900 to Scottish aristocrats who inherited the titles of Earl and Countess of Strathmore when she was three. Elizabeth was the ninth of ten children and she spent much of her childhood at Glamis and the family home in England. During the First World War, Glamis was turned into a convalescent home for wounded soldiers and Elizabeth helped run it. After the war ended, Elizabeth was courted by Prince Albert and married him on 26 April 1923. In 1926, their first child, Elizabeth, was born and four years later, their second daughter, Margaret Rose, was born at Glamis.
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
In 1936, Albert’s father, George V, died and the succession past to Albert’s older brother, Edward. However, Edward abdicated when he fell in love with American divorcee Wallis Simpson and the throne was passed to Albert. Albert was crowned as King George VI in May 1937.
Queen Mother Memorial Gates at Glamis
Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, died on 30 March 2002 and the picture above shows the memorial gates at Glamis Castle.
