The Lost Tudor Princess: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas

3.5/5<br />Margaret Douglas, niece to Henry VIII by his sister Margaret Tudor, Dowager Queen of Scotland, came into the world under rather extraordinary circumstances, when her royal mother of renowned Tudor lineage, heavy in the last stages of pregnancy and in fear of her life, fled from Scotland and her enemies to seek protection under her formidable brother on English soil. In the sixteenth century, England and Scotland had hardly a neighborly, peaceful relationship, the two shared long established hostilities - just 2 years prior, Margaret Tudor's (1st ) husband, King James IV, was slaughtered at "one of the most cataclysmic events in Scottish history", the battle of Flodden. With his death that September, he left behind his heir, 17 month old James V and a 2 month-pregnant Queen (she gave birth to Alexander the following April). <br /><br />In the year of Margaret's birth, 1515, Henry VIII had "no surviving child to succeed him; his nearest heirs were his sister Margaret Tudor, and her children, James V and now Margaret Douglas.". This bloodline fact would later cause conspiracy theories, distrust in the issue of succession to the English throne, and be used to entice advantageous political relations. <br /><br />Margaret's childhood was soured by conflicting loyalties as her parents, Margaret Tudor and Angus Douglas viciously fought each other over royal properties and revenues, infidelities, power struggles and treasonable alliances. More harmfully, her legitimacy and subsequent Douglas inheritance came into question when her mother petitioned for annulment in the circulating belief that Angus had a marriage contract with another lady prior to their own marriage. She was thus from an early age exposed to political parlaying, intrigue, conspiracy and backstabbing.<br /><br /><i>By reason of her royal blood and her claim to the English succession, and as James V's half-sister and Henry VIII's niece, Margaret was a highly desirable bride - a great prize in the European marriage market.</i> <br /><br />Like a dramatic scene from a soap opera, her father, seeking to ally himself to England, actually kidnapped her from her mother's care - afterall, she was at a "marriageable age which for girls was then twelve, and she could be a valuable political asset in terms of a marriage alliance." The one piece of luck that came out of a relationship with Cardinal Wolsey (he having been her godfather), was that Margaret's welfare and safety was transferred indirectly to him and, after his demise, at the behest of King Henry, spent her adolescent years in the household of her cousin, Princess Mary.<br /><br />Though probably sympathetic toward Princess Mary's controversy with her father, Margaret made sure not to involve herself in the issue of the Great Matter between Mary's parents, Queen Katherine and Henry VIII; by doing so, she retained good favor with Henry, who lavished gifts upon her, called her a 'princess,' (though not born one ), treating her better in fact than his daughters (seeing he disowned his own daughters as bastards), and appointed her as the Queen's first lady of honor, a title she held for all his subsequent wives.<br /> <br />She survived the wrath of Henry VIII twice in his reign for love affairs not royally sanctioned, since "a woman of royal blood to indulge in a clandestine romance was to court scandal and disaster." She was thrown in the towers for the first error of love, suffering the thought of a death sentence, and pushed her luck the second time when she was once again arrested for pretty much the same thing. Both love crimes dangerously occurred when Henry's own love-lives ( with Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard) had freshly ended in heads falling. <br /><br />She married finally with the good wishes of her uncle to Matthew Stewart, the Scots Earl of Lennox with whom the political arrangement became one of mutual love and regard. She bore him many children, but the child who most elevated her position in history was Henry, Lord Darnley. Here, Weir's story of Margaret Douglas finally made the connection since prior to this I had not realized this 'Margaret' was Darnley's mother. And in recognizing her leathery toughness, strength of faith and religious views, penchant for conspiracy and political intrigue, and a driven dynastic ambition , she paralleled her great grandmother: the other Margaret Tudor, mother of King Henry VII and matriarch of the Tudor Dynasty. Her plotting to seal the marriage between Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots landed her in the towers again, sent there by a seething Elizabeth I (and it would not be the only time). How tenacious a schemer this woman was for I have counted at least 5 separate times in the book that she had been sent either to the towers or placed under house arrest. And how resilient to have made it to 62 years old, to die of natural causes in medieval times when often heads rolled off blocks or bodies withered, forgotten in stone-walled cells.<br /><br />Problems with Weir's biography include the most annoying thing to me that some biographers of medieval history do, and that is to fill reams of paper with irrelevant fluff about the lavish clothes, the rich textures and garment colors popular at the time. Furthermore, while gathering some detailed information, Weir misunderstood that copying whole passages of poetry (Margaret dappled in it) or reciting large extracts from legal and political documents without the value of her interpretation of them, would be biographically-worthy material. On the contrary, this is more on the lines of superfluous ink in a lazy pen used to fill in blank spots.<br /><br />Generally speaking of the Margaret Douglas story, I found a very interesting medieval figure previously not well sketched. Weir was able to bring some illuminating and appreciable features to Margaret who was, in my estimation, schemer or not, a relevant link in the Tudor/Stewart narrative: always in the top 3 positions in line to the throne of England, surviving many accusations of treason during the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots, and grandmother to the one who eventually united the two realms, King James I and VI. <br /><br />

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.<br /><br /> Ah the Tudors – a Showtime series made you hot all over again. Not that you ever lost the hotness, you understand.<br /><br /> And to be fair to Weir, she was writing about the Tudors long before Showtime got its idea, so she wins.<br /><br /> There are problems with books like this one. There are reasons why full length studies of Margaret Douglas (or Lennox) and Elizabeth of York are not often done. There really isn’t quite much information in terms the ladies themselves. This is more of a sign of the ladies’ times than anything else. Yet, it is true that every so often and historian finds something new about such a personage or presents a new theory that will get people to look at said women differently.<br /><br /> That really isn’t the case here.<br /><br /> This is not to say that Weir’s biography is a bad book; it isn’t. In some places, while not shedding new light on events, Weir moves them into the spotlight and presents the details in one place, something that is not usually done. Weir’s book, however, does fail into the pitfall that most other books about “lost” people fall into.<br /><br /> It’s less about the person and more events that surround that person.<br /><br /> At times, Margaret disappears for pages. This isn’t so surprise –after all she was Mary Queen of Scots’ mother-in-law, her mother was the queen of Scotland, her brother a king, her cousin a queen, and she was a woman living in a man’s world. It is too Weir’s credit that there is discussion and dissection of Margaret’s poetry as well as her early “love affairs”. There is a wonderful section about the symbolism of the Lennox jewel.<br /><br /> Yet, at times, the book is less about Margaret and more about the power politics that she lived with and in. Therefore, if you are a long time reader of Tudor biographies and histories, or even a long time reader of Weir (or Fraser) much of this book is, quite frankly, old hat. Furthermore, the reader comes away still with a vague idea of Margaret. It’s true that this image is better drawn then the power hungry woman that is often seen in connection Mary, Queen of Scots – an image that Weir never endorsed - , yet the Lost Tudor Princess is hardly found and is still less well known than those who shared the stage.<br /><br /> This isn’t Weir’s fault, but it is still the case. If you come to this book for a better look at Margaret Lennox, then you will be disappointed in some ways. If you come to this book because you are trying to complete your Weir reading list or because you enjoy Weir’s writing, you will not be disappointed – Weir’s writing is engaging as always -if one sided in some of her depictions.<br />

Lady Margaret Douglas, daughter of Margaret Tudor (one-time Queen of Scotland) is a woman whom often pops up in Tudor and Stuart history (especially as her son married Mary, Queen of Scots). Douglas was always omnipresent even if sort of lurking in shadows. Despite this appearance, she has yet to be discussed on her own merit. Alison Weir pens the first full-biography of this formidable lady in, “The Last Tudor Princess: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas”. <br /><br />“The Last Tudor Princess” noticeably begins on a stronger note than Weir’s recent works which have been notably thin and flimsy. In “The Last Tudor Princess”, Weir returns somewhat to her roots of meticulously detailed writing, sleuth work, presenting new and fresh angles, and debunking myths. Although Margaret doesn’t come fully to life; a lot is revealed which will definitely present the reader with new information even for those familiar with the history setting.<br /><br />That being said, as per usual Weir bravado, “The Last Tudor Princess” often strays from streamlining Margaret and instead describes events surrounding her (versus Margaret directly). This is coupled with speculative statements and assumptions which weaken some of the credibility and provides false images. For example, p. 48 states, “Already members of Anne’s household were being interrogated as to the conduct of their mistress, and Margaret <u>must</u> have been one of those questioned, although <u>no sources name her”</u> -- Must have? Doesn’t seem likely, then! Why mention this at all?!<br /><br />“The Lost Tudor Princess” also suffers from a slow over-analyzing of minor details such as logistics, spending, and gifts received. Although the research/information gathered is impressive; the pace is slackened and this does not help reveal Margaret at all. Some readers may be inclined to skim large chunks of text.<br /><br />A noticeable flaw to those familiar with the material is Weir’s staunch presentation of information as facts when not fully argued in the notes. Weir often offers factual claims of material that is debated as inconclusive amongst other authors and historians. Readers new to the material will take this as hard-proof when it is not the case.<br /><br />On a positive note, the pace quickens and the text is quite exciting and informative as the book progresses and Weir explains the involvement of Mary, Queen of Scots with Margaret’s son, Lord Darnley. However, this is still more of a discussion of events and circumstances than Margaret, herself. Weir supplements this absence with <b>many</b> letters and documents personally written by Margaret which haven’t been observed in other texts. This certainly adds some meat to “The Last Tudor Princess”.<br /><br />The conclusion of “The Last Tudor Princess” is decently memorable and is a sufficient round-up of the material. Although Margaret’s inner psyche wasn’t every truly revealed; Weir does eulogize her on the final pages.<br /><br />The text is also supplemented by compelling appendices discussing the portraiture of Margaret and poems copied by her into the Devonshire Manuscript (the other poems specifically written by her are discussed elsewhere in the book). This is followed by a well-detailed list of key figures from the time period down to priests, household attendants, servants, etc; which is useful for anyone interested in the period. Weir also includes a bibliography, notes, and a section of color plates (which include more photos than most history books – this is a good thing!). <br /><br />Even though “The Lost Tudor Princess” suffers from flaws and doesn’t necessarily reveal Margaret Douglas completely; it certainly brings to the forefront a woman whom is always mentioned but never completely in the spot light. The text reveals new information and is clearly well-researched. Plus, “The Lost Tudor Princess” is Weir’s best work from most recent years making it worth reading on two counts. “The Lost Tudor Princess” is suggested for all readers interested in Tudor and Stuart politics as much can be learned from the text. Just don’t expect a biography solely on Margaret and you then you won’t be disappointed. <br /><br /><i>**Note: This would be more of a 3.5 but rounding up to 4 in comparison to recent Weir works**</i><br /><br />

This has to be the most mundane biography of any Tudor lady I have yet read. She must have done loads of vicarious living because the majority of the events that happened in her life actually happened to other people. She was a passive participant. Full of quotations from letters and journals, which turned my audio narrator into a cartoon character. I found myself mimicking her to others to their great joy. I'm only about halfway through, so my opinion may change<br />Nope, didn't change I rejoiced when this book ended because I couldn't stand the narrator much longer. However, I did not allow that to affect my rating. This book is an excellent reference tool for the queen of scots drama.

Why do I keep giving Weir chance after chance. Yet another 500 plus pages of history lessons replacing much lacking fact. Another case of quantity over quality.<br /><br />Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, mother of Darnley and mother-in-law of Mary Queen of Scots - yes, a lost Tudor princess; yes, a woman whose life deserves the spotlight; yes, another case where fact is more interesting than fiction. A woman whose life reveals to us very little - and yet - 500 plus pages!<br /><br />I have said this over and over - I would rather 100 pages of what is known rather than 500 pages of boring, rehashed history, personal opinion, and filling in the gaps with dates and documents. As I stated in my review of Weir's "Elizabeth or York" - "I am trying very hard to fathom the amount of actual information there is on Elizabeth that was worthy of 600 odd pages - quite frankly it required barely a quarter in my opinion. The larger the book ... overcompensating for a distinct lack of anything else.". The same can be said, I am sorry to say, of this tome on Margaret Douglas.

This extensive and exhaustive biography of Lady Margaret Douglas covers all documented instances of her and tells about the general goings on around her during her lifetime. <br /><br />She is the daughter of Margaret Tudor (and her second husband), niece of King Henry VIII, and granddaughter of King Henry VII. She had lots of royal ties to both England &amp; Scotland and the current British Royal family are descended through her. <br /><br />Included are lots of letters written by and to Margaret, which are interesting and add to the complete feel of the book. <br /><br />Margaret, as one in line to the throne, led a life full of intrigues, both for herself and her children. Previous to reading this, I didn't know much concrete about her. I feel fully informed now about her and am excited to be able to make connections I previously couldn't do. For example, her son Lord Darnley was married to Mary Queen of Scots and fathered the Scottish heir. I knew previously of him, but didn't quite know how to connect him to the British Royal family. <br /><br />Recommended to those wanting a detailed history of Margaret and Tudor history aficionados!<br /><br />**Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for a review copy**<br />

This is a thorough detailing of the life of Lady Margaret Douglas. She was Henry VIII's niece, the daughter of his sister, who was Queen in Scotland.<br /><br />She lived, for her time, a long life. It was wrought with complicated association to the royals of England, Scotland and other relatives in power hierarchies. This put her into a crack of nearly constant diplomacy/manipulation/power association for survival. <br /><br />She succeeded in surviving and at times thriving. But overall, her life was extremely sad. And all was compromise, even on her luckiest days.<br /><br />This includes many original copy poems, letters, business orders and other first source materials. So there is dense, dense reading upon budgets and expenditures for households and dress, servants, moving etc. Also included are many house views, present day remains of her various lodgings and portraits. Her entire life was directed by without, and not within her own inclinations. But she did try and when she did, to "own" herself- she was also savvy enough to save her own skin. Just!<br /><br />Still, it truly is a sad, sad story, IMHO.

interesting and detailed historical book about the life of a tudor princess who was in both the spheres of the scottish and english courts and survived where alot didnt but her ultimate aim came at a high price

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Alison Weir, and Ballantine Books for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with this review.<br /><br />In a style that she has made popular, Weir chooses a lesser known member of the the English monarchy (more times than not, a Tudor, as is the case again here) and gives a thorough account that leaves amateur enthusiasts astounded and begging for more. Answering that key question, 'Who was Margaret Douglas?', Weir offers the reader an explosive look into her life, filled with an assortment of dramatic and politically monumental events. Born to a Scottish earl and Margaret Tudor (sister to the famed Henry VIII) in England, Douglas spent much of her early years in Scotland, living under the reign of her half-brother, James V. Weir depicts a somewhat rebellious Douglas, who became a thorn in her father's side as she sided with the English in the ongoing skirmishes with Scotland, which was further exacerbated when she entered into an unauthorised engagement to Thomas Howard which saw her uncle, Henry VIII, send her to the Tower of London. Douglas was able to return to her uncle's favour in her young adult life and served within the court to some of her step-aunts, though left for Scotland later in her adult life to make roots of her own. Marrying the 4th Earl of Lennox, she secured a place in the Scottish aristocracy, while remaining on the cusp of being in line for the English throne. It was while Elizabeth I ruled England that Weir presents a new round of trouble for Lady Lennox, whose son was set to marry the famous Mary, Queen of Scots. With Elizabeth I ill-prepared to stomach deception, even by her cousin, Lady Lennox was forced before a tribunal to face charges related to this potential union. When Mary gives birth to a son, the future James VI of Scotland and James I of England, the key player in Weir's story secures her place in English history, as both a mother and grandmother to an English monarch. As Weir paints an interesting portrait of Lady Lennox's waning years, the reader can bask in the depths to which this lesser known Tudor truly reached in her life and the number of key players in history who owe some success to her influence. Weir's recent effort is to be lauded by amateur historians and Tudor fanatics alike, as she brings to life a seemingly obscure character and solidifies the extreme importance of a previously unknown Margaret Douglas.<br /><br />Weir's ability to tell such an intricate story should be applauded on numerous levels. First and foremost, the intricate detail found within the pages of this biography comes from painstaking research and obscure document retrieval. As the scores of footnotes exemplify, Weir relies on first-hand accounts and not solely previous published works to give depth to her book. Secondly, that this is a biography can be lost on the reader at times, as the prose is less a dry presentation of facts, but a well-plotted story, whose narrative flows as seamlessly as a piece of fiction. This could be why Weir is so accomplished at turning some of her non-fiction pieces into works of fiction as well. Her voice flows through the text and the story comers to life, almost allowing the reader to illustrate the goings-on in their mind as they read. Finally, she not only highlights key events in English (and European) history, but places her seemingly lesser-known key figure into the mix and shows how they shaped history and proved to be highly important in the larger narrative. Events well known to the reader are fleshed out and the influences are better understood when told through this narrative.<br /><br />Weir has been a formidable figure in English history, specifically during the reign of the Tudors. For many years I have found myself flocking back to her tomes to learn more about the family, the dynasty, and the legacy that this one family left the English people. That Weir is able to complete thorough and captivating biographical pieces of these figures never ceases to astound me. I will gladly recommend this and all her other pieces of fiction and non-fiction alike to any reader who seeks to better understand the Tudors and those within their tangled family tree who influenced change during their time on the English throne.<br /><br />Kudos, Madam Weir for this fascinating biography. The forgotten and lost princess is surely a wonderful title, though Margaret Douglas is soon seen to be a powerful force in the Tudor court.<br /><br />Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at: <br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/">http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/</a>

A full scale bio of Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox has been long overdue. Alison Weir has now filled in this gap. The book is well researched with long footnoted passages. It is readable, but not a page turner. <br /><br />The narrative of Margaret’s parents, her youthful romance and her eventual love match with Henry Stewart (the 4th Earl of Lennox) necessarily covers the politics of royal succession in England and Scotland. The detailed sequence of events leading up to the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to Margaret’s son Henry Stuart (Lord Darnley) covers not just the Lennox's schemes but also documents the role of Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) and Elizabeth’s approval/disapproval. After the death/murder of Margaret’s son, Weir documents the continued Lennox influence in Scotland (as grandparents to King James VI) and England and Margaret’s scheming for an advantageous match for her only remaining son, Charles Stewart, 5th Earl of Lennox.<br /><br />Through all this, you see the fragility of Elizabeth’s position. The Tudor claim to the throne had solidified, but the issue of which Tudor had rights was clouded by religion. It was an unusual time. Elizabeth was the last remaining legitimate (still questioned by some) heir of the previous king, resulting in suspicion and scheming among the grandchildren of the previous king's father; first cousins to Elizabeth. <br /><br />Weir shows Elizabeth’s inconsistency in her treatment of her cousin claimants through her equivocation on the Darnley-Mary match and her comparative restraint in dealing with Margaret compared with her treatment of the Grey sisters and Mary (Queen of Scots). Margaret Douglas was the most effective of these cousins, and through risk and pluck, managed to put her grandson on the thrones of Scotland and England. <br /><br />The book suggests there is a lot more to Robert Dudley than has appeared in print, and there is a lot in print on him. To name a few books: <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/1369469.Sweet_Robin_A_Biography_of_Robert_Dudley__Earl_of_Leicester_1533_1588" title="Sweet Robin A Biography of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester 1533-1588 by Derek Wilson" rel="noopener">Sweet Robin: A Biography of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester 1533-1588</a> ; <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/846377.Elizabeth___Leicester_Power__Passion__Politics" title="Elizabeth &amp; Leicester Power, Passion, Politics by Sarah Gristwood" rel="noopener">Elizabeth &amp; Leicester: Power, Passion, Politics</a>; <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/8108298.Death_and_the_Virgin_Queen_Elizabeth_I_and_the_Dark_Scandal_That_Rocked_the_Throne" title="Death and the Virgin Queen Elizabeth I and the Dark Scandal That Rocked the Throne by Chris Skidmore" rel="noopener">Death and the Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I and the Dark Scandal That Rocked the Throne</a>. Why did Elizabeth promote him as a match for Mary? Did the suspicious death of his wife play a role? Was Leicester’s promotion of Darnley as equally treasonous as Margaret’s? The male/female friendship of Margaret and Leicester seems unusual for its time and the charges of Leicester as a poisoner were new to me; perhaps these were mentioned in passing elsewhere but so briefly it passed my notice.<br /><br />This book, well documented in footnotes and text, (inclusive of Margaret’s poetry) “finds” this “lost” princess for the general reader. Hopefully the trail Weir blazed will be followed by other writers with interpretive works.