History Corner: Margaret Tudor - the Queen Between Two Kingdoms
Nothing makes me more genuinely heartbroken that hearing the words “history is boring” come from someone’s mouth. “No!” I want to scream. I’m afraid to tell you that you’ve just not had a good teacher. History is many, many things, but boring? It is not.
History is regal; history is battles; history is plots and conspiracies! It is filled with disease, medical advancement, tragedies, triumphs, laughter, tears, and so, so much more. History is gossip-fuelled drama that would make an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians almost inconsequential! You and I are here today, wherever you’re sitting reading this and me at my desk writing, because of history.
Too often it is neglected that, in order to even scratch the surface of understanding the present or the future, we must look behind us. So, I would love to invite you to my little corner of the wonderful world that is Scribbled. Here, we will look at the people, the mysteries, the plots, the battles, and the big whoopsie-daisy moments that have led us to the present day. If you don’t just want to read my yapping (fair), I would encourage you to please get involved! Submit your history-related works; it would be a privilege to read and publish them!
So, without further ado, welcome to Scribbled History. Find yourself a comfy and cozy place to sit, get yourself a lovely cup of tea, and enjoy our walk down memory lane.
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It’s November 1489, and Margaret Tudor is born in Westminster Palace. She is the second child and eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England, and his wife, Elizabeth of York. Their marriage, uniting the Houses of Lancaster and York, brought the bloody battles of The Wars of the Roses to a conclusion (well, mostly, there were a few dramatic plot twists left in the Tudor family saga yet - but that is for another day). Margaret’s early years were split between the royal court and nursery, being raised alongside her younger surviving siblings (Henry - yes, that Henry - and Mary, who would later become Queen of France for roughly five minutes). It was a royal childhood of ceremony, silk, and probably a lot of people telling her to sit still and smile.
By age 6, Henry and Elizabeth were already playing dynastic Cupid for their eldest daughter. Scotland has been England’s moody upstairs neighbour for centuries, so betrothing Margaret to James IV of Scotland was a pretty bold political flex. And so, her grooming for queenship began, not that she had much say in the matter. Only 7 years later, at the ripe old age of 13, Margaret was married - by proxy - to the king of the Scots at Richmond Palace; the Earl of Bothwell stood in as the king. The pair would recite vows, with Bothwell speaking on behalf of James. Bothwell would sometimes touch the young bride’s hand or arm to symbolise the union, but don’t worry, not the consummation. That part would wait.
Soon, Margaret was carted off north, leaving behind her home, her family, and the comfort of the English court on a grand Tudor-themed road trip. Along the way, she stopped at York and other major cities in a show of royal PR - complete with cheering crowds, civic banquets, and probably at least one awkward poetry recital by a local scholar. In August of 1503, Margaret finally met the man she would call her hubby at Dalkeith Palace in south-east Scotland. Their formal wedding was held on the 8th at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, and she was crowned Queen of Scots shortly after - tiara, title, and all.
Despite being a political marriage, there’s some evidence that Margaret and James actually got on (or at least managed not to kill each other, which in royal terms is almost romantic). James, ever the overachiever in the illegitimacy department, had already fathered at least nine children outside of wedlock before Margaret had even arrived. (Nice one, mate.) However, their union was shrouded in tragedy: Margaret bore James 6 children, though only one survived. Her position as queen consort was relatively strong, and she engaged in patronage and court life. Tragedy struck again in 1513, when Margaret was just 23. Her husband was killed at the Battle of Flodden, in a showdown between the Scots and the English led by none other than Margaret’s own brother, Henry VIII (imagine the awkward family dinner after that one). The battle was a catastrophe for Scotland - James IV dead, most of the Scottish nobility wiped out, and the throne left to a toddler. Their new king was just 17-months-old.
Amongst the ensuing chaos, Margaret was named regent for her son. However, her authority was conditional: she may only hold the regency as long as she did not take another husband (classic). But, in 1514, Margaret wed Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus in a secret ceremony. This marriage was politically disastrous, alienating the Scottish nobility and replacing her as regent with John Stewart, the Duke of Albany, the grandson of James II of Scotland. Margaret’s union with Angus was an unhappy one, marked by betrayal: without her consent, Angus took control of Margaret’s money and assets soon after their marriage, allegedly to fund his own ambitions and bolster the Douglas family’s power. Worse still, while pregnant with their daughter Margaret Douglas, Angus abandoned her in Scotland and fled to England with much of her property (what a great guy!). Unsurprisingly, the marriage quickly collapsed. Margaret sought an annulment - eventually granted in 1527 - but her political position was weakened.
She managed to flee to England in 1516, where she gave birth to her daughter, Margaret Douglas - a key figure in the future of both English and Scottish dynasties (and mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots, because of course this family tree was going to get complicated).
By 1524, she managed to return to Scotland, engineering a coup against Albany to have her son declared of age at 12. This removed the regency council. Now acting as a queen mother and adviser, Margaret tried to steer James towards a pro-English policy, though he increasingly resisted.
Margaret’s romantic choices didn’t get any better, unfortunately. In 1528, she married Henry Stewart, Lord Methven, in another relationship that brought scandal and disappointment. (Third time’s the charm? Not quite.) She soon believed Methven was squandering her money too – if nothing else, Margaret deserved an award for marrying men with consistently terrible financial habits. Meanwhile, her daughter Margaret Douglas was thriving at the glittering Tudor court in England, while Margaret herself was caught between two crowns, trying to negotiate peace between her son and her brother. Spoiler: Margaret never saw peace between England and Scotland.
After several months of deteriorating health, Margaret Tudor, the daughter and sister of English kings, the wife and mother of Scottish kings, died in October 1541 at Methven Castle, near Perth, at 51. At the time of her death, Margaret was in a strained position politically and personally. She was estranged from her third husband, and had largely been sidelined by James V, who no longer relied on her for political guidance. Her final months were marked by increasing isolation and financial difficulties. She was buried in the Carthusian priory of St John’s in Perth. This was a prestigious burial location at the time. Her interment there was a mark of her status as Queen Dowager of Scotland. However, the fate of her burial site is marred with the tragedy that followed Margaret through her life. Just 18 years later, in 1559, during the height of the Scottish Reformation, Scottish reformers attacked and destroyed many Catholic institutions across Scotland. The graves of Margaret Tudor and other royals were desecrated, and the exact location of her remains were lost. There are no visible traces of the priory today. There is no surviving tomb for Margaret.
Margaret’s life was shaped by dynastic ambition, personal misfortune, and relentless political upheaval. As Queen of Scots, she was a peace treaty in a dress; as a widowed regent, she struggled to maintain control in a fractious court; and as a mother, she became the link between two royal houses. It is through her great-grandson, James VI of Scotland (I promise there were other names of Scottish men!) that the kingdoms of Scotland and England would be united in 1603 after he inherited the English crown from Margaret’s niece, the Virgin Queen herself, Elizabeth I. Though overshadowed by many in her family, Margaret’s significance lies in her cross-border influence and the long-term consequences of her marriages and offspring. Her story is not just of a Tudor princess abroad - it is the foundation of the Stuart claim to the English throne.
Katelyn is an editor, aspiring author, and history fanatic living in the south of England. She graduated from the University of St Andrews with a degree in English and is now attempting to navigate the chaotic world of adult responsibility in the ways she knows best: writing and having fun. When she’s not sat at her desk working or writing, she can be found swimming, embroidering, or spending time with her loved ones.