1468

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Original marriage contract between James III and Margarete (1468), with mortgage of Orkney. Image of copy in the Danish State Archives in Copenhagen. Due to a mistake, the seals are unfortunately not readable.

James III of Scotland and Margarete, daughter of Christian I, King of the united Kingdoms Denmark, Norway and Sweden, married. Christian I mortgaged Orkney because he couldn't afford the whole of his daughter's dowry. This was done without permission from his Norwegian Council, the "Riksråd". Nine months later he had failed to raise most of the rest of the dowry. As a result, Shetland was pledged in 1469 instead of the 8,000 Rhenish florins outstanding.