‘Outlander’: How Long Was Jamie and Laoghaire Married?
Outlander is a time-traveling fantasy drama that centers on the romance between an 18th-century Scottish highlander and WWII nurse. But as fans know, Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser’s (Caitriona Balfe) love story was put on hold for 20 years. And during those two decades, they didn’t know if they would ever see each other again.
It was during that time apart that Jamie married another woman — Laoghaire MacKenzie (Nell Hudson). A character that still has a major impact on Jamie and Claire’s story in season 6. But how long were Jamie and Laoghaire married?
Jamie and Claire were forced apart at the end of ‘Outlander’ Season 2
Claire and Jamie’s fates have been entangled with Laoghaire since Outlander Season 1. Not long after Claire traveled through the stones, she saw Jamie kiss her romantic rival. In addition to sparking jealousy, that kiss also pushed Claire to reveal her true feelings to Jamie and marry him. In retaliation, Laoghaire accused Claire of witchcraft, had her tried, and almost killed.
At the end of season 2, Jamie and Claire were forced apart when she traveled back to the 20th century. Jamie was sure he would die on the battlefield at Culloden. And he wanted to keep Claire and their unborn child safe.
Claire returned to the 1940s and raised her and Jamie’s daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton) with her first husband, Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies). But Jamie survived Culloden, and he found himself sad and lonely without his true love.
How long were Jamie and Laoghaire married?
In the Outlander books, it was Jamie’s sister Jenny (Laura Donnelly) who convinced him to marry Laoghaire so he could have a family and try to find happiness. But in the TV series, Jamie falls in love with Laoghaire’s young daughters — Marsali (Lauren Lyle) and Joan (Layla Burns) — because they were sweet to him when he was depressed and lonely.
“They brought him out of his shell, and it was the first time he felt happiness again after losing Claire,” producer Toni Graphia explained, per Express. “He didn’t even know they were Laoghaire’s daughters and they brought him joy.”
Facing a life without Claire, Jamie married Laoghaire in 1764 so he could be a father to the girls, since he never got the chance with Brianna or Willie (Clark Butler). However, the marriage didn’t last long and Jamie ended up leaving. When Claire returns in 1766, Jamie and Laoghaire’s marriage is declared in invalid.
Will Laoghaire return to ‘Outlander’?
Outlander fans have not seen Laoghaire since the season 4 episode “Down the Rabbit Hole.” Not long after, the Frasers moved to America and haven’t been back to Scotland since. But, Laoghaire is still connected to Jamie and Claire through her daughter Marsali, who is married to their adopted son Fergus (César Domboy).
If the TV series follows Diana Gabaldon’s books, Laoghaire won’t be back for season 6. But, she does appear in book seven — An Echo In The Bone — when the Frasers return to Scotland. That means that fans probably haven’t seen the last of Laoghaire.
“Well, I know that Laoghaire comes back in book seven of Outlander and Diana just keeps writing these books,” Hudson told Express in 2019. “So there is a potential — And also, Laoghaire has appeared in a series of Outlander on the television that she wasn’t in the book, so we never know when she’s going to rear her angry head.”
Season 7 of Outlander is currently in production.
