Margaret Tudor

Margaret was the formidable eldest daughter of Henry VII. Margaret was used as an emollient to ease tensions between England and Scotland by marrying the King of Scotland, James IV. Tensions continued because of the inadequate dowry provided by her famously parsimonious father.

When he came to the throne her brother Henry VIII frustrated the peace by declaring war on France, Scotland’s ally. In response, James IV invaded England and was slaughtered with the flower of Scottish nobility at Flodden

Margaret became regent to her infant son, James V. She naturally preferred England over France in defiance of Scotland’s treaty. Then she secretly married Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, known as a “young witless fool”. The Scottish nobility was given the excuse to exile her to England.

Later Margaret divorced Angus and returned to Scotland. She was placed back as regent in a coup d’etat. She shifted her alliance to France. After her son came of age and started to rule on his own, Margaret married for the third time to Henry Stuart.

Margaret was the formidable eldest daughter of Henry VII. She was crowned queen and wife of the Scottish king, James IV. The purpose of this marriage was to create peace between the two countries. She gave birth to the future king James V.

Peace was not to be and Margaret found herself torn between the two countries and their shifting alliances with France. Her husband was killed by the English at Flodden as a result of this conflict. She went on to marry two more times, mixing exile, coup d’etats, regencies, politics, intrigues and divorces into her nimble dance to survive.

Margaret’s legacy can be seen in the ascendancy of her great grandson James I who succeeded Elizabeth I, establishing the Stuart dynasty.