Margaret Tudor was Henry VIII’s older sister and became the Queen of Scotland after her marriage to James IV in 1503. Her life was troubled and fraught with tension. She was continually caught between her country of birth and the country she ruled. After James IV’s death, she made the disastrous decision to marry the Earl of Angus, threatening her regency and forcing the Scottish council to send for the Duke of Albany to rule in her stead. Over the years Margaret’s allegiance swung between England and Scotland making her brother Henry VIII both her ally and her enemy at times. Although Margaret wished for peace between the two countries, these were tumultuous years and she didn’t always make the wisest choices. Yet all she did, she did for her son James V and her absolute conviction he would rule Scotland as its rightful king.
Margaret Tudor is perhaps one of the least talked about Tudors and that is certainly undeserved. It is through Margaret’s line that the English crown passed and eventually united England and Scotland. She went on to marry two more turbulent times and was often caught between her loyalty to her brother, King Henry VIII, and her country, Scotland. Sarah-Beth Watkins has managed to write a book that brings Margaret to life and has even managed to not make her simply, “Henry VIII’s sister” as so often happens. She is a person in her own right, even her choices weren’t always the best.
Margaret Tudor: Queen of Scots by Sarah-Beth Watkins is available now in both the UK and the US.
Be the first to comment