He's the Highland warrior that an army of fans have fallen in love with after reading the Outlander books and watching the TV hit show.
But what do we know about the woman who was Jamie Fraser's mother, Ellen MacKenzie?
Said to have more than a passing resemblance to Jamie and Claire's daughter Brianna, Ellen was the red-haired daughter of a clan chief with a sharp tongue who captured the heart of not only Jamie's father Brian but also that of his godfather Murtagh.
Not shown on the show, other than in a self-portrait at Lallybroch, Ellen (unlike her husband Brian) remains a figure from the past when we first hear about her.
Ellen and Brian's romance
Set to be the focus of a new prequel novel confirmed by Diana Gabaldon, the romance of Brian and Ellen is almost as fascinating as that of Jamie and Claire.
First meeting at the Great Gathering, which was called to decide on Jacob MacKenzie's successor for the title of clan chief after his death, Ellen (Jacob's oldest offspring) was courted by Brian, the illegitimate son of Lord Lovat, Simon Fraser.
Secretly eloping over fears Ellen's brother and Brian's father wouldn't approve, Ellen fell pregnant with her new husband's child – Jamie's older brother, William.
The Fraser Children
Sadly William would go on to die at a young age of smallpox, however, their second and third children Jenny (Laura Donnelly) and Jamie would both go on to survive to adulthood.
The tragedy also followed with the birth of their fourth child, who was to be named Robert, with both Ellen and the baby dying in childbirth.
Legacy
Though she died before the events of the show, Ellen left a lasting impression on the characters who had met her.
Murtagh in particular worshipped her and even transferred that love to her son Jamie, who became his godson after she chose Brian over him.
The gruff Highland warrior later confesses to Claire that he worshipped Jamie's mother, and in a bid to impress her at the Gathering, killed an impressive boar with just a dagger.
Having taken the tusks as his prize, he turned them into beautiful bracelets and gifted them to Ellen, a fact we only discover later in the books.
A talented painter, her work is found in the future in the Scottish National Gallery, though it originally hung on the walls of Lallybroch, where she and Brian were wed.
The portrait features Ellen wearing freshwater pearls, which Jamie would go on to gift to Claire.
Said to resemble Jamie and Claire's daughter Brianna, she is described as having "hair like fire" and grey eyes like her brother Colum.
Intriguingly, according to the Outlander Wiki, her middle name is Caitriona, which was chosen as an homage to the actress Caitriona Balfe, who plays Claire.
The Outlander prequel novel
Posting on her social media, the 70-year-old shared an exclusive clip featuring Ellen from the new book, which may or may not be the opening line: "Ellen MacKenzie, eldest of the children of Jacob Ruadh MacKenzie, chief of Clan MacKenzie—well, the late chief, if only by moments, but she’d think about that later—grabbed Ailidh Watt from behind and dragged her out of sight, clapping a hand over her slobbering mouth to stifle her cries."
We can't wait to read the book itself when it eventually comes out!
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