Holyrood Palace [key] [i.e., holy cross], royal residence, Edinburgh, SE Scotland. In 1128, David I founded Holyrood Abbey on this site, where according to legend he was saved from an infuriated stag by the miraculous interception of a cross. The abbey's Chapel Royal, still standing, contains the remains of David II, James II, James V, Lord Darnley, and others. James IV began the present building c.1500. The palace, partially destroyed by the English in 1544, was the scene of the murder of David Rizzio in 1566. It was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1650. Charles II had it rebuilt (1671–79) according to plans by William Bruce.
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