Tag: James V

Book Review: “The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I and Her Greatest Rival” by Kate Williams

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40554521Two cousins fighting for the right to rule England during the 16th century. One was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn who fought tooth and nail to rule without a man by her side. The other was the daughter of Mary of Guise and King James V of Scotland whose marriage record would prove to be fatal. Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, may have been sister queens, but the way they were treated in their own countries differed completely. While Elizabeth I was praised and protected from harm in England, Mary was a scapegoat for so many in Scotland. The way that Mary was used as a pawn even though she wore a crown was nothing short of extraordinary. The story of how these two queens came on a collision course that would leave one queen beheaded and the other forever changed has been told in many different ways from both sides of the tale, but it has rarely been told as a cohesive nonfiction book. That is until Kate Williams’ marvelous biography, “The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I and Her Greatest Rival”.

Before we get to the part of the tale that many Tudor fans know very well, the end of the tale, we must understand what shaped Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots to be the queens of England and Scotland respectfully. As someone who knows quite a bit about Elizabeth I’s story, I found Williams’ explanation of her childhood informative and relatively brief.

Williams chooses to focus on the much-maligned Mary, Queen of Scots. We tend to assume that Mary’s life as a pawn with a crown began after her first husband, King Francis II of France, tragically died and she had to go back to her native Scotland. However, Mary was a pawn in someone else’s game her entire life. The only man that Mary loved and who loved her back was Francis. Her other relationships with Darnley and Bothwell were trainwrecks that would cause Mary immense pain and sorrow. Bothwell was the epitome of a disastrous relationship that was doomed to ruin Mary’s life. The two people who Mary thought she could depend on, Elizabeth I and Mary’s own son King James VI, ultimately chose to save face than to help protect a queen who had nowhere else to go.

I will be honest and say that before I read this book, I felt that Mary was the villainess of Tudor propaganda. She, after all, was wanting to dethrone Elizabeth I so that she could become the Catholic Queen of England. I have always been someone who has been a big fan of the reign of Elizabeth I, so I assumed that I would not be a fan of Mary, Queen of Scots. However, that all changed after reading this book. To see Mary put her faith and trust into those who she thought had her best interest at heart and to be betrayed every single time was utterly heartbreaking.

This is a gorgeously written biography of Mary, Queen of Scots that shows Mary in a sympathetic light while portraying how cataclysmic the numerous betrayals she endured affected her life. It was my first time reading a biography about Mary, Queen of Scots, or a book by Kate Williams, and I have to say it is one of my favorite biographies that I have read so far this year. I did not want to stop reading this biography. It made me feel so sympathetic towards Mary and her plight. If you want an exceptional biography about Mary, Queen of Scots, “The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I and Her Greatest Rival” by Kate Williams is a must to have in your collection.

Book Review: “Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII’s Sister” by Melanie Clegg

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38507404The children of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York lived rather eventful and fascinating lives. We all know the stories of Prince Arthur, who tragically died, his younger brother Henry, who would become the notorious King Henry VIII, and Mary, who would become Queen of France and then marry the man she loved, Charles Brandon. The one sibling that many tend to forget about is Margaret Tudor, who would become the wife of King James IV and the mother of King James V and Margaret Douglas. Her love life was quite rocky, but she kept fighting for what she believed was right for her family and her adoptive country of Scotland. This remarkable woman didn’t receive much attention in her lifetime, but Melanie Clegg hopes that people today will know Margaret’s story. This is why she wrote this delightful biography of the Tudor princess turned Queen of Scotland, “Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII’s Sister”. 

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. I really like learning about Margaret Tudor and I really enjoyed the last book that I read by Melanie Clegg, so I was really excited to read this book.

Clegg begins her book by explaining how Margaret’s father, Henry VII, became King of England and how his relationship with his wife Elizabeth of York was like in the beginning. Since Henry’s throne was not secure, with pretenders like Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck around, having heirs was extremely important. Henry and Elizabeth had several children; Arthur, Margaret, Henry, Elizabeth(who is hardly mentioned because she died at a young age) and Mary. Clegg goes into immense detail about the Tudor royal children and how they were raised, including the marriage arrangements between Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon and, of course, Margaret Tudor and King James IV of Scotland.

Margaret and James IV had a loving relationship, although he had numerous affairs that Margaret was aware of. They also faced hardships, with the death of two heirs within 24 hours of each other and the struggles of the Scottish court, with clans fighting against other clans for power. Margaret’s world came crashing down around her when James IV was killed at the Battle of Flodden by her brother Henry VIII’s army. Margaret did have to marry again, but her next husband was an awful pick. It was so bad that she had to flee Scotland for England. Margaret never truly recovered from her disastrous second marriage. Her legacy would pass onto her children, the future King James V, and Lady Margaret Douglas. 

When you read Margaret’s tragic tale, you really want to give her a hug. It felt like everyone around her used her as their own tool and she never really had anyone who she could truly depend on. Like Melanie Clegg said in her acknowledgments, Margaret Tudor really needed a best friend who she could chat with, who could give relationship advice to Margaret, and just be there for her when times got rough.

Clegg brings Margaret’s catastrophic tale to life to readers of the 21st century with a light writing style that makes you feel like you are having a conversation with Clegg. Reading this book makes you sympathetic for a Tudor Princess and a Scottish Queen who made some bad choices and who faced unbelievable hardships. If you want an engaging biography about this exceptional woman, I highly recommend you read, “Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII’s Sister” by Melanie Clegg.   

 

Book Review: “Margaret Tudor Queen of Scots: The Life of King Henry VIII’s Sister” by Sarah-Beth Watkins

On By hmalagisiIn Book Reviews1 Comment

51d3s18bI5L._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_When one thinks about Queens of Scotland during the time of the Tudors, many automatically think of Mary Queen of Scots and her tragic life. However, there was another queen who had a deep connection to the Tudors and was also a queen of Scotland. She tends to be pushed aside in favor of her more famous siblings; Arthur Tudor, Henry VIII, and Mary Tudor. Her story is full of turmoil and triumphs. Her only desire was to unite England and Scotland peacefully, but the choices that she made in her lifetime would prove foolish, leading to more troubles between the two nations. This is the story of Henry VIII’s oldest sister Margaret, which is brought to life in Sarah-Beth Watkins’ book, “Margaret Tudor Queen of Scots: The Life of King Henry VIII’s Sister”.  

I would like to thank Sarah-Beth Watkins and Chronos Books for sending me a copy of this wonderful book. Before I read this book, I didn’t know a whole lot about Henry VIII’s eldest sister so it was quite a delight to learn a lot about this remarkable woman.

Watkins begins her book with the birth of Margaret Tudor on November 28, 1489. She was named after her formidable grandmother, Margaret Beaufort, and although she was not the desired second son that her parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York wanted, she was beloved. She proved herself to be a great big sister for her younger siblings, Henry and Mary. Margaret ’s early life in England was one full of love, but it was also full of training for her future role in life, that of a future queen. Her father, King Henry VII, like any good European ruler, wanted to build strong alliances with other European powers so he made advantageous marriages for his children. Margaret’s eldest brother Arthur was married to the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon. Margaret’s first marriage was to the King of Scotland, James IV, through the Treaty of Perpetual Peace, which ceased hostility between England and Scotland.

Margaret married James IV through a proxy marriage ceremony on January 25, 1503. Later that year, Margaret made her way to Scotland, where she met her charismatic first husband. The first couple of days with James were quite happy until she found out that James had many mistresses and illegitimate children. Talk about an awkward situation, but Margaret and James were able to make their marriage work. Margaret did have six children with James but sadly only one survived infancy, the future King James V.  

The situation between England and Scotland was peaceful for a decade and then James decided to break the Treaty of Perpetual Peace in 1513 and attack England, in order to support his ally France. This was a huge mistake by James because it led to the Battle of Flodden on September 9, 1513, which was fought between English and Scottish forces, resulting in the death of James IV. His infant son, James V, was now King of Scotland and Margaret was named regent. Unfortunately, Margaret made a horrible decision in marrying her second husband Archibald Douglas 6th Earl of Angus, who the Scottish council hated. She had a daughter with Archibald named Margaret Douglas, who would later become the Countess of Lennox.

Margaret had to give up her regency to the Duke of Albany and had to rely on the aid of her brother Henry VIII to help her son James V. Margaret’s relationship with her brother is told through the letters that Watkins includes in this book. It adds another layer of depth to this book by including Margaret and Henry’s letters to one another. She would marry a third time, to Henry Stewart 1st Lord Methven but it was just as bad as her second marriage. Margaret would have three sons with Henry Stewart; Arthur, James, and Alexander.

Margaret struggles to keep the peace between  England and Scotland for her son. Through failed marriages and strained relationships with her family, Margaret finally sees her son become the rightful King of Scotland. It would take decades after Margaret’s death for her true vision of Scotland and England united under her great-grandson James I of England. Margaret Tudor was a woman who was strong, even if she did make some very foolish decisions, and would do anything to make sure her son James V was safe and secure. Margaret’s life and legacy comes to life in Sarah-Beth Watkins’ wonderful book. If you are interested in learning about the life of Henry VIII’s eldest sister and the politics between England and Scotland during the tumultuous time after James IV’death, I highly recommend you read “Margaret Tudor Queen of Scots: The Life of King Henry VIII’s Sister”.