The Tudors have been an area of fascination for historians and history nerds alike for centuries. The attention tends to focus on either Henry VIII and his six wives or his daughter, Elizabeth I, but we need to remember that they were not the only Tudors. In fact, we should remember that Henry VIII had siblings, Arthur, Margaret, and Mary. While Arthur and Mary tend to get more attention due to their proximity to Henry VIII and his marital life, Margaret Tudor had her own eventful life as Queen of Scotland and the mother of King James V. Linda Porter tells Margaret’s story in her latest biography, “The Thistle and the Rose: The Extraordinary Life of Margaret Tudor.”
I had heard that Porter was writing a new biography about Margaret Tudor, so I knew I wanted to read it. I have read a few books about Margaret Tudor, but they have been relatively short, so I wanted to see what new information Porter would include in this book.
Margaret Tudor was the second child of King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York. As such, she was destined to marry a foreign prince and create a strong alliance for the brand-new Tudor dynasty. Since her brother Arthur was betrothed to Catherine of Aragon, Margaret’s parents chose a match with Scotland and King James IV, who was twice the age of Margaret. As Queen of Scotland, Margaret did her best to bridge the gap between England and Scotland, deal with her husband’s mistresses and illegitimate children, and be a mother to her son, King James V.
Everything changed when James IV died at the Battle of Flodden. Margaret was now a widow and regent for the young King James V. To protect her family, Margaret decided to marry Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, which turned out to be a trainwreck. Although Archibald did give Margaret her daughter, Margaret Douglas, he was stealing from Margaret’s own properties, which was a jerk move. Margaret wanted a divorce, but her dear brother Henry VIII was against the idea. A bit hypocritical, especially since he would divorce Catherine of Aragon a few years later. Eventually, Margaret would divorce Archibald and marry a third time to Henry Stewart, Lord Methven.
Throughout history, Margaret Tudor has been viewed negatively because she married Archibald so quickly, but Porter showed that Margaret should be applauded for how she survived during difficult circumstances. She fought for herself and her children, even if it meant that she was at odds with her husbands or her brother. Through her letters, we see how Margaret was a diplomat trying to make peace between England and Scotland.
Porter does an excellent job telling Margaret’s story in a respectful manner. This book is extremely well researched and easy to read. If you are a Tudor fan and you want to learn more about Henry VIII’s sister Margaret Tudor, I highly recommend you read “The Thistle and the Rose: The Extraordinary Life of Margaret Tudor” by Linda Porter.
It is March 1603, and the Virgin Queen is dying. She has no children to inherit her throne directly, so she must choose a successor. She chooses the son of Mary Queen of Scots, the queen who had been executed a few years before. James VI of Scotland will become James I of England, but was it as easy as William Camden makes it in his account? What does a recent discovery about Camden’s original manuscript of Annales tell us about James’ succession to the throne of England? Tracy explores the messy conflict to find an heir to the English throne in her latest book, “The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty.”
When we think about the Norman Conquest, we often think about how it impacted England, Wales, and Scotland, but we tend to forget about Ireland. Early medieval Ireland do not get a whole lot of attention in historical fiction. That is, until Shauna Lawless’s Gael Song trilogy. Now, fifty years after the events of the original trilogy, Lawless has brought in a new cast of characters, as well as old characters, into the fight between the Descendants of the Tuatha De Danann and the Fomorians. When a child of prophecy is introduced into the mix that is said to be able to defeat the Fomorians, the race is on to protect the child or to kill her. Will the Descendants survive, or will the Fomorians torch the land and the Descendants’ hope? Shauna Lawless jumps back into this work with the Gael Song Era 2 book 1, “Daughter of the Otherworld.”
Medieval Europe was a time of conflicts and change. While smaller disputes between countries or civil wars would define borders, the most prominent conflict during this period was the Hundred Years’ War. A conflict that has been traditionally taught to have lasted 116 years between England and France. It is often told from the English perspective, with battles such as Agincourt, Crecy, and Poitiers celebrated. But what if we look at the bigger picture and expand our lens to the whole of Europe while keeping a neutral approach to the France vs England conflict? What if the conflict did not last a mere hundred years, but in fact two hundred years? What type of story would this kind of approach tell when it comes to medieval European history? Michael Livingston takes on the mammoth challenge of telling the tale of how this war changed European history forever in his latest book, “Bloody Crowns: A New History of the Hundred Years War.”
The weather is getting colder, and life is getting a bit busier in preparation for winter and family gatherings. It’s time to get ready for the holiday season, and there is one that is universally loved. No, it’s not Halloween, even though it is October when I am writing this review. No, I am talking about Christmas. But one wonders what the origins of Christmas and how our traditions evolved? Toni Mount explores this most important holiday time in her latest book, “Medieval Christmas: The Origins and Traditions of Christmas in the Middle Ages.”
When we think of Elizabethan England, we tend to think of the Golden Age of England. A time of discoveries and for the arts to flourish under the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. However, there is a darker side. It was also a time of espionage, fears of invasions from other countries, and the hatred between Catholics and Protestants. The dangers of the Elizabethan underworld have reached the queen, as there is an attempt on her life. Can Jack, the son of a crime boss, change his life and find the culprit before they find him, or will he be betrayed by those he calls his friends? Amie McNee explores the seedy underworld of Elizabethan England in her novel, “To Kill a Queen.”
Stonehenge, a marvel of the ancient world that still stands centuries after it was built. It has been the center of mystery and wonder for all who gaze upon it. A gigantic monolithic structure, whose purpose has been a source of discussion since its origins, but that raises another quandary: who were the people who built such an impressive landmark? This single question presents a grand opportunity for historical fiction writers as we don’t have many written records for this period of time, which means authors have room to play. Ken Follett took on the daunting task of telling the tales of those who built this imposing monument in his latest novel, “Circle of Days.”
The Plantagenets, one of England’s most dynamic dynasties, were always in the middle of some sort of conflict. Whether they were fighting foreign adversaries, their own people, or their own family, it felt like the Plantagenets were always getting into some sort of trouble. And there was one king who knew how to use the weaknesses of the kings of England to his advantage. He was King Philip II of France, also known as Philip Augustus. He had to deal with four different Plantagenet kings and had a strategy for each one of them. Just what were Philip II’s strategies, and how did his reign affect English/French relationships as a whole? These questions are answered in Catherine Hanley’s book, “Nemesis: Medieval England’s Greatest Enemy.”
One would assume that, since England is an island nation, its navy has been its strength since its foundation. That, however, was not always the case. While there were naval battles during the Middle Ages, it was not a navy like we know today. The concept of the Royal Navy was founded during the time of the Tudors, especially under the reign of Henry VIII. So, how did Henry VIII turn a navy from 7 ships to over fifty ships that could stand with other European navies? Geoffrey Moorhouse examines the creation of the English navy in his book, “Great Harry’s Navy: How Henry VIII Gave England Sea Power.”
A single deck of cards changed the fate of generations of women. The tarot cards, created in 16th-century Italy, will connect two women separated by centuries. One was a woman in 17th-century London, originally from Milan, who used the cards to rescue women from abusive relationships. The other is a woman from modern-day London starting her life anew when she comes across an old tarot card deck with a missing card. What began as a hunt for a missing card will connect the two women and change lives forever. The cards hold secrets to the past, but will they bring hope or disaster? This is the premise for Clare Marchant’s latest dual-timeline novel, “Daughter of the Tarot.”
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 