- 1503-1513: Queen Consort of Scotland
- 1513-1514: Regent of Scotland
- 1524-1525: Regent of Scotland
Lady Margaret Tudor was born 28 November 1489 to Henry VII of England (1457-1509) and Elizabeth of York (1465-1503) and died 18 October 1541 of unspecified causes. She married James IV of Scotland (1473-1513) 1 August 1503 JL in Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom. She married Archibald Douglas (1489-1557) 1 August 1514 JL . She married Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven (c1495-1552) 1 March 1528 JL .
Biography
Margaret Tudor was a notable figure in English and Scottish history, born on November 28, 1489, as the eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. She was also the sister of King Henry VIII, and the wife of James IV, King of Scotland.
Early Life
Margaret Tudor was born in Westminster, London, and was raised alongside her siblings in the royal court. She received an excellent education and was well-versed in languages, music, and literature.
1st Marriage: James IV
In 1502, Margaret married James IV of Scotland, as part of a treaty of peace between England and Scotland. The marriage was seen as a significant event, as it brought the two countries closer together. Margaret became Queen of Scotland and was highly respected by the Scottish people.
The marriage was completed by proxy on 25 January 1503 at Richmond Palace. The Earl of Bothwell was proxy for the Scottish king and wore a gown of cloth-of-gold at the ceremony in the Queen's great chamber. He was accompanied by Robert Blackadder, archbishop of Glasgow, and Andrew Forman, postulate of Moray. The herald, John Young, reported that "right notable jousts" followed the ceremony. Prizes were awarded the next morning, and the tournament continued another day.[1]
The new queen was provided with a large wardrobe of clothes, and her crimson state bed curtains made of Italian sarcenet were embroidered with red Lancastrian roses. Clothes were also made for her companion, Lady Catherine Gordon, the widow of Perkin Warbeck.[2] The clothes were embroidered by John Flee.[3] In May 1503, James IV confirmed her possession of lands and houses in Scotland, including Methven Castle, Stirling Castle, Doune Castle, Linlithgow Palace and Newark Castle in Ettrick Forest, with the incomes from the corresponding earldom and lordship lands.[4]
Later in 1503, months after the death of her mother, Margaret came to Scotland; her progress was a grand journey northward. She left Richmond Palace on 27 June with Henry VII, and they travelled first to Collyweston in Northamptonshire. At York a plaque commemorates the exact spot where the Queen of Scots entered its gates. After crossing the border at Berwick upon Tweed on 1 August 1503, Margaret was met by the Scottish court at Lamberton. At Dalkeith Palace, James came to kiss her goodnight. He came again to console her on 4 August after a stable fire had killed some of her favourite horses. Her riding gear, including a new sumpter cloth or pallion of cloth-of-gold worth £127 was destroyed in the fire.[5]
At a meadow a mile from Edinburgh, there was a pavilion where Sir Patrick Hamilton and Patrick Sinclair played and fought in the guise of knights defending their ladies. On 8 August 1503, the marriage was celebrated in person in Holyrood Abbey. The rites were performed by the archbishop of Glasgow and Thomas Savage, archbishop of York, and Margaret was anointed during the ceremony.[6] Two days later, on St Lawrence's day, Margaret went to mass at St Giles', the town's Kirk, as her first public appointment.[7] The details of the proxy marriage, progress, arrival, and reception in Edinburgh were recorded by the Somerset Herald, John Young.[8]
Margaret and James had six children, including the future King James V of Scotland. Margaret was very devoted to her children and played an active role in their upbringing. Only one child survived infancy.
- James Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (1507-1508)
- Unnamed daughter Stewart (1508-1508)
- Arthur Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (1509-1510)
- James V of Scotland (1512-1542)
- Unnamed daughter Stewart (1512-1512)
- Alexander Stewart, Duke of Ross (1514-1515)
Regency
After James IV's death in the Battle of Flodden in 1513, Margaret became regent of Scotland on behalf of her son, who was only a toddler at the time. She faced many challenges during her regency, including conflicts with powerful Scottish nobles and tensions with England.
Second Marriage: Earl of Angus
In 1514, Margaret married Archibald Douglas (1489-1557), 6th Earl of Angus, a Scottish nobleman. However, the marriage was not a happy one, and Margaret eventually separated from him in 1524.
- Margaret Douglas (1515–1577), who married Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox, Regent of Scotland from 1570 to 1571.
Third Marriage: Lord Methven
In 1528, Margaret married Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven. They had no issue.[9]
Margaret's coup
In most essentials, Margaret remained an Englishwoman in attitude and outlook, and at root, she genuinely desired a better understanding between the land of her birth and her adopted home. Necessity demanded an alliance with Albany and the French faction, especially after the devastating border wars with England in the early 1520s.
But no sooner was Albany off the scene than she set about organising a party of her own. In 1524, the Regent was finally removed from power in a simple but effective coup d'état. With Albany once more in France (where he was to die in 1536), Margaret, with the help of Arran and the Hamiltons, brought James, now 12 years old, from Stirling to Edinburgh.[10] It was a bold and popular move.
In August, Parliament declared the regency at an end, and James was elevated to full kingly powers. In practice, he would continue to be governed by others, his mother above all. When Beaton objected to the new arrangements, Margaret had him arrested and thrown into jail. In November, Parliament formally recognised Margaret as the chief councillor to the King.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| James Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (1507-1508) | |||
| unnamed daughter Stewart (1508-1508) | |||
| Arthur Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (1509-1510) | |||
| James V of Scotland (1512-1542) | 10 April 1512 Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgowshire, Scotland, United Kingdom | 14 December 1542 Falkland Palace, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom | Madeleine of Angoulême (1520-1537) Mary of Guise (1515-1560) Margaret Erskine (bef1515-1572) Helen Stewart (c1518-1564) Euphemia Elphinstone (1509-aft1541) |
| unnamed daughter Stewart (1512-1512) | |||
| Alexander Stewart, Duke of Ross (1514-1515) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Margaret Douglas (1515-1578) | 18 October 1515 | 9 March 1578 | Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (1516-1571) |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Dorothea Stewart (1528-c1528) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Roland de Velville (1474-c1533) | 1474 | 1533 | Agnes Griffith (c1474) |
See Also
Bibliography
- Bain, Joseph (1888). Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, Vol. 4: Preserved in Her Majesty's Public Record Office, London; A. D. 1357–1509. HM Register House. pp. 419–425. https://archive.org/stream/calendarofdocume04edin#page/n5/mode/2up.
- Buchanan, Patricia Hill (1 November 1985). Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots. Scottish Academic Press. ISBN 9780707304243. https://books.google.com/books?id=tKtnAAAAMAAJ.
- Emond, Ken (2019). Minority of James V. John Donald. ISBN 978-1-910900-31-4.
- Leland, John (1770). Joannis Lelandi Antiquarii de Rebus Britannicis Collectanea. Impensis Gul. & Jo. Richardson. pp. 258–300. https://archive.org/details/joannislelandia19lelagoog.
- Perry, Maria (2000). The Sisters of Henry VIII: The Tumultuous Lives of Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France. Perseus Books Group. ISBN 978-0-306-80989-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=5RGM600qh5IC.
- Strickland, Agnes (1855). Lives of the queens of Scotland and English princesses connected with the regal succession of Great Britain. Harper & brothers. pp. 151–. https://books.google.com/books?id=cYwxAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA151.
- Tasioulas, Jacqueline (1 July 2010). The Makars. Canongate Books. pp. 4–. ISBN 978-1-84767-501-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=0FZ4ioF8kKYC&pg=PR4.
External Links
- wikipedia:en:Margaret Tudor
- Margaret Tudor at thePeerage
- Margaret Tudor, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/Margaret-Tudor-Queen-consort-of-Scots/6000000003858820967, retrieved 01 May 2023
- Margaret Tudor at Find A Grave
- A short profile of Margaret alongside other influential women of her time
- Lucy Dean, 'Rituals to Celebrate Perpetual Peace: The Marriage of Margaret Tudor and James IV in 1503'
- Margaret Tudor Gallery
- List of clothing fabrics sent to Margaret Tudor by Henry VIII in 1536, British Library Add MS 32646 ff. 53–54
"Margaret, Queen of Scotland". Encyclopædia Britannica. 17 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 701.- Margaret Tudor at Genealogics
Ancestry Trees
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- Rurik Family Ancestry
- Rollo Family Ancestry
- Alfred the Great Family Ancestry
- House of Stuart
- Plantagenet Family Line
- Capetian dynasty
Contemporary References
Some of the best contemporary references for Margaret Tudor, include:
- "Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII" - This collection of letters and papers from the reign of Margaret's brother, King Henry VIII, contains many references to Margaret and her activities.
- "The Correspondence of Reginald Pole" - Reginald Pole was a Catholic cardinal and theologian who corresponded extensively with Margaret during her time as regent of Scotland. His letters provide valuable insight into Margaret's political and religious views.
- "The Life of Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland" by Margaret Sanderson - This biography, first published in 1903, remains one of the most comprehensive accounts of Margaret's life and reign.
- "Margaret Tudor: A Life" by Melanie Clegg - This more recent biography, published in 2018, offers a fresh perspective on Margaret's life, drawing on new research and archival sources.
- "The Tudors" - This television series, which aired from 2007 to 2010, includes a portrayal of Margaret Tudor by actress Gabrielle Anwar. While the series takes some liberties with historical accuracy, it offers an entertaining and visually stunning depiction of Margaret's life and times.
Original Citations
The Chronicles of Scotland
Here is a contemporary account of the marriage of Margaret Tudor to James IV of Scotland, as recorded by the Scottish chronicler, Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, in his work The Chronicles of Scotland. This account provides a vivid picture of the grandeur and ceremony surrounding Margaret Tudor's arrival and marriage to James IV of Scotland, as well as the enthusiasm and excitement of the Scottish people for the union of their king and queen. (Original Scots language)
"On the aught day of August, the king past to the abbay of Halierudhous, for to meit his bride, the princess of Ingland, and ressavit hir with gret reverens and gladnes. And the said king James was accompanyit with all the prelatis, erllis, lordis, baronis, and frehaldaris of his realme, cled in thair richast clething, and convoyit the said princes in the maist solempne maneir thai culd devyss, to the castell of Edinburgh, quhair ane royall feist was preparit for the haill cumpany. And eftir the said feist was endit, the said king and quene wer maryit in the gret hall of the said castell, with gret joy and triumphe, be the bischope of Dunkeld, and thair was sic rejoyssing, triumpheing, and banketing, as had not bene seine for mony yeris afore in Scotland."
English Translation: "On the 8th day of August [1503], the King passed to the abbey of Holyroodhouse to meet his bride, the Princess of England, and he received her with great reverence and gladness. And the said King James was accompanied with all the prelates, earls, lords, barons, and freeholders of his realm, clothed in their richest attire, and conveyed the said Princess in the most solemn manner they could devise to the castle of Edinburgh, where a royal feast was prepared for the whole company. And after the said feast was ended, the said King and Queen were married in the great hall of the said castle, with great joy and triumph, by the Bishop of Dunkeld, and there was such rejoicing, triumphing, and banqueting, as had not been seen for many years before in Scotland."
Royal Succession Chart
Margaret Tudor (1489-1541) Born: 28 November 1489 Died: 18 October 1541
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Scottish royalty
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|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by Margaret of Denmark
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Queen consort of Scotland 8 August 1503 – 9 September 1513 |
Vacant Title next held by Madeleine of France
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References
- ^ Leland (1770, pp. 258–264)
- ^ Bain (1888, pp. 419–425)
- ^ Samuel Bentley, Excerpta Historica: Or, Illustrations of English History (London, 1831), p. 130.
- ^ Bain (1888, pp. 342–345), nos. 1707–1718.
- ^ James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), 214–215.
- ^ Leland (1770, p. 294)
- ^ Buchanan (1985, pp. 30–32)
- ^ Leland (1770, pp. 258–300)
- ^ Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 2nd Edition, 2011, pg 589
- ^ Cite error: Invalid
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Footnotes (including sources)
Thurstan, Afil, Phlox, Rtol, MainTour
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