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Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty
Divorced at ten, a mother at thirteen & three times a widow. The extraordinary true story of the 'Red Queen', Lady Margaret Beaufort, matriarch of the Tudors. Born in the midst of the Wars of the Roses, Margaret Beaufort became the greatest heiress of her time. She survived a turbulent life, marrying four times and enduring imprisonment before passing her claim to the crown of England to her son, Henry VII, the first of the Tudor monarchs. Margaret's royal blood placed her on the fringes of the Lancastrian royal dynasty. After divorcing her first husband at the age of ten, she married the king's half-brother, Edmund Tudor, becoming a widow and bearing her only child, the future Henry VII, before her fourteenth birthday. Margaret was always passionately devoted to the interests of her son who claimed the throne through her. She embroiled herself in both treason and conspiracy as she sought to promote his claims, allying herself with the Yorkist Queen, Elizabeth Woodville, in an attempt to depose Richard III. She was imprisoned by Richard and her lands confiscated, but she continued to work on her son's behalf, ultimately persuading her fourth husband, the powerful Lord Stanley, to abandon the king in favour of Henry on the eve of the decisive Battle of Bosworth. It was Lord Stanley himself who placed the crown on Henry's head on the battlefield. Henry VII gave his mother unparalleled prominence during his reign. She established herself as an independent woman and ended her life as regent of England, ruling on behalf of her seventeen-year-old grandson, Henry VIII.
255 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
23 people are currently reading
3766 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Norton
46 books346 followersElizabeth Norton is a British historian specialising in the queens of England and the Tudor period. She obtained an Master of Arts in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Cambridge in 2003 and a masters degree in European Archaeology from the University of Oxford in 2004.
Elizabeth Norton is the author of five non-fiction works: She Wolves, The Notorious Queens of England (The History Press, 2008), Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's Obsession (Amberley, 2008), Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's True Love (Amberley, 2009), Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's Discarded Bride (Amberley, 2009) and Catherine Parr (Amberley, 2010).[2]' She is also the author of two articles: Anne of Cleves and Richmond Palace (Surrey History, 2009) [3] and Scandinavian Influences in the Late Anglo-Saxon Sculpture of Sussex (Sussex Archaeological Collections, 2009)
Elizabeth Norton is the author of five non-fiction works: She Wolves, The Notorious Queens of England (The History Press, 2008), Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's Obsession (Amberley, 2008), Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's True Love (Amberley, 2009), Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's Discarded Bride (Amberley, 2009) and Catherine Parr (Amberley, 2010).[2]' She is also the author of two articles: Anne of Cleves and Richmond Palace (Surrey History, 2009) [3] and Scandinavian Influences in the Late Anglo-Saxon Sculpture of Sussex (Sussex Archaeological Collections, 2009)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
October 20, 2010
I really enjoyed this book and it was interesting to read about the real Margaret. As a secret long time fan of hers, I now feel justified in believing there was so much more to this woman than is usually presented by (popular) historical fiction authors.
While this biography could probably be classed as 'history lite' it was accessible, readable and informative. While there are probably more thorough biographies out there, this is a great place start.
June 30, 2012
Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty reminds me a great deal of the non-fiction history I just finished; Jane Boleyn: The Infamous Lady Rochford. Both had as their subject an historical figure about whom only scraps of evidence survive to present day, and as a result have rather sparse material to work with. As a direct consequence, specific biographic detail on their chosen individuals is somewhat scarce and meagre fare. However, whilst Julia Fox padded out her work with vivid description and supposition – imaginatively engaging, however, questionably unacademic – Elizabeth Norton sticks to the known facts, and this is a rather short work by comparison. I would say it is a shade less engaging that Fox’s biography, however its greater professionalism will please, and if you have an existing interest in Margaret Beaufort you won’t find it difficult to get through this, smoothly written and easily readable as it is.
Even more coincidentally, Norton, like Fox, makes but one single glaring error which unfortunately detracts from the work. On page 83 she makes the mistake of referring to Dominic Mancini as a “contemporary” of Edward IV’s wedding to Elizabeth Woodville in 1464 CE and repeats as fact, without even attributing it as having come from Mancini, the tale of Cecily Neville being so outraged at the match that she threatened to declare that her son was illegitimate. Dominic Mancini was not a contemporary of that time and in fact visited England between 1482 and 1483 CE, around the time of Edward IV’s death and Richard III’s usurpation of the throne from his young nephews. Mancini was not admitted to the royal court, and relied on London street gossip and possibly some unknown sources within the court – possibly Dr John Argentine, physician to the princes in the Tower, who was known to speak Italian and who later joined the court of Henry VII. Mancini’s command of English appears not to have been fluent, and it is not clear how much he actually understood and how much was translated to him – and may have got lost in translation. This mistake on Norton’s part admittedly set me on my guard whilst reading the rest of her book.
However, Margaret Beaufort is reasonably well referenced, citing endnotes and a thorough bibliography, and as an added bonus Norton includes all known letters written by Margaret in an appendix at the end, allowing us to read Margaret’s own words.
8 out of 10.
Even more coincidentally, Norton, like Fox, makes but one single glaring error which unfortunately detracts from the work. On page 83 she makes the mistake of referring to Dominic Mancini as a “contemporary” of Edward IV’s wedding to Elizabeth Woodville in 1464 CE and repeats as fact, without even attributing it as having come from Mancini, the tale of Cecily Neville being so outraged at the match that she threatened to declare that her son was illegitimate. Dominic Mancini was not a contemporary of that time and in fact visited England between 1482 and 1483 CE, around the time of Edward IV’s death and Richard III’s usurpation of the throne from his young nephews. Mancini was not admitted to the royal court, and relied on London street gossip and possibly some unknown sources within the court – possibly Dr John Argentine, physician to the princes in the Tower, who was known to speak Italian and who later joined the court of Henry VII. Mancini’s command of English appears not to have been fluent, and it is not clear how much he actually understood and how much was translated to him – and may have got lost in translation. This mistake on Norton’s part admittedly set me on my guard whilst reading the rest of her book.
However, Margaret Beaufort is reasonably well referenced, citing endnotes and a thorough bibliography, and as an added bonus Norton includes all known letters written by Margaret in an appendix at the end, allowing us to read Margaret’s own words.
8 out of 10.
October 10, 2022
3.5 rounded down
This was easily readable and digestible. Perfect for lay readers of history.
I rounded down only because of sexist treatment of Elizabeth Woodville.
This was easily readable and digestible. Perfect for lay readers of history.
I rounded down only because of sexist treatment of Elizabeth Woodville.
June 17, 2015
I listened to the audio version of this book. Despite the somewhat monotonous tone of the narrator, which might be offputting for some, it is worth reading through. Not least because it serves to challenge a lot of popular misconceptions that have grown up around Lady Margaret recently- propogated by works of popular fiction like 'The White Queen' TV series and the novels it was based on.
Beaufort does not equal evil, or mother of Henry Tudor, super evil. Margeret was actually known as being a pious Lady- and does not seem to have been a natural schemer. During most of the period of the Wars of the Roses she seems to have kept her head down, and genuinely cared for her second, husband Henry Stafford.
Certainly she was dedicated to looking after the interests of her only son- whom she gave birth to at barely 14, but it is, in some sense, hard to condemn a woman for being a dedicated mother in such circumstances. Even in the midst of civil war, when her son, as rival claimant, was seen as an enemy of the state.
She does seem to have made some attempt at rehabilitation, negotiating a marriage to Elizabeth of York even before her father Edward IV's death.
Most of all, this was an interesting apprisal of a life and career of a fascinating woman- a woman subject to many extreme and unenviable circumstances, who usually seems to have come out fighting. Also a useful counter to the popular 'Tudor evil, Yorkists good' conception of the period, providing a more nuanced view.
I am very tempted to purchase the Kindle or Paperback edition to add to my library.
Beaufort does not equal evil, or mother of Henry Tudor, super evil. Margeret was actually known as being a pious Lady- and does not seem to have been a natural schemer. During most of the period of the Wars of the Roses she seems to have kept her head down, and genuinely cared for her second, husband Henry Stafford.
Certainly she was dedicated to looking after the interests of her only son- whom she gave birth to at barely 14, but it is, in some sense, hard to condemn a woman for being a dedicated mother in such circumstances. Even in the midst of civil war, when her son, as rival claimant, was seen as an enemy of the state.
She does seem to have made some attempt at rehabilitation, negotiating a marriage to Elizabeth of York even before her father Edward IV's death.
Most of all, this was an interesting apprisal of a life and career of a fascinating woman- a woman subject to many extreme and unenviable circumstances, who usually seems to have come out fighting. Also a useful counter to the popular 'Tudor evil, Yorkists good' conception of the period, providing a more nuanced view.
I am very tempted to purchase the Kindle or Paperback edition to add to my library.
October 14, 2018
Highly readable biography of one of the most underlooked but badass women from English history. Norton uses Lady Fortune and her wheel as a metaphor for Margaret’s story, a woman who by all rights should have been queen (her son took half his right to inherit from her, the other from his wife). She was a behind the scenes agitator for her only child, a son who eventually (SPOILER alert) became King Henry VII, the first Tudor king; she was a spider who spun webs of intrigue and treason for her son against the ruling might of male power. Most especially these webs were woven to defeat Richard III, that most infamous of kings. Once her son gained the throne, she ruled almost jointly with him, and became one of his most trusted advisors. Because of the times, because she was a woman, we know little about her (although thousands of times more than most women from the same time period). Norton takes the dots of her life that do show up in the record - her wills, the books she had published, her marriage records, the letters that survive - and connects them to create a highly readable and enjoyable biography of one of the major players in the Wars of the Roses.
December 20, 2010
Already have a book on Margaret Beaufort (and have her covered via books on other Tudors) and find her a fascinating biography. Norton did a good job of laying out the bare bones of Margaret’s life—using many primary sources and quoting from them extensively. Wouldn’t say there was a great deal of analysis but there really isn’t the need. Margaret managed to survive and formulate much of her life in an era when women had little power let alone rights. She did become a huge influence (not in any official capacity) to her son once he became Henry VII.
Have had my own mother-in-law issues over the years and can’t imagine what poor Elizabeth of York had to go through with Margaret even ordering what cushions should be in Elizabeth’s chambers. Certainly a formidable woman!
Have had my own mother-in-law issues over the years and can’t imagine what poor Elizabeth of York had to go through with Margaret even ordering what cushions should be in Elizabeth’s chambers. Certainly a formidable woman!
August 27, 2013
I enjoyed this biography of Margaret Beaufort very much. She was such an interesting woman with a passion for her family and a love of learning. It was good to read about her actual life rather than the usual panto bad guy you get it many works of fiction. It turns out that Margaret was an actual woman, a woman with beliefs and dreams, a pious, intelligent and brave woman. Not deserving of that Mag-The-Hag monika that she seems to unfairly be given in recent times.
April 28, 2017
It was okay, a bit on the light side but for anyone with only the basic knowledge this would be a great bio to get to know Margaret Beaufort better.
January 7, 2013
While this could have been simply yet another re-telling of the War of the Roses, Norton really digs in deep to pull out every primary source she can get her hands on to try and shone a light on Margaret Beaufort, quite rightly given the title “Mother of the Tudor Dynasty.”
While I LOVED all the primary sources she quoted I think it wouldn’t have hurt her historiography street cred to update the language to modern spelling – ye ole spelling maketh my eyes bleed’d.
Also, she keeps jumping forward in time, interrupting her own points about Margaret in the 15th century to jump ahead and throw in information about her role in the 16th century.
Considering how little she had to go on, it’s very well done portrayal and a needed presentation of an important political figure who helped bring about a new dynasty.
August 16, 2015
Fairly quick read about a woman intent on shaping her son's destiny. Margaret was married off much too young, "spoiled" quickly by her husband, and took matters into her own hands at fifteen when arranging a more advantageous match. The book painstakingly details all there is to know about her, which admittedly is not much -- her character is only fleetingly outlined by her contemporaries (primarily by the adoring Bishop Fisher), so most of what we are left with are the plain facts of her risks, rewards, and the cunning, skilled, and often dangerous maneuvers that eventually placed her son Henry VII on the throne.
June 16, 2014
A fascinating and detailed study of the life of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, grandmother of Henry VIII.
December 14, 2025
Synopsis: This biography tells the story of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII, the first Tudor king. A recurring motif in the book is Fortune’s Wheel, a medieval concept regarding the randomness of good and ill fortune. Throughout her life, Margaret Beaufort experienced both highs and lows. The biography is geared towards a general audience and focuses on the humanity of the people involved.
Context: This book was released in the same year as Philippa Gregory’s novel about Margaret Beaufort, The Red Queen. The book was marketed as a tie-in to the novel, since it includes the words, “The true story of the ‘Red Queen’” on the cover. It is unclear if Elizabeth Norton has herself read the novel.
Review: This is a balanced biographical account of the life of Margaret Beaufort that focuses a lot on her humanity. She comes across as a strong-willed, likeable figure who is funny, somewhat officious, ambitious, and a little greedy. She adored her only son and devoted her life to his interests. The author makes good use of both primary and secondary sources to tell her story.
The book makes good use of pathos to humanize its subjects. For example, after Margaret’s husband Edmund Tudor dies, the book reminds us that she is a heavily pregnant thirteen-year-old widow in fear for her life. Later, when her twelve-year-old son is taken to a battle by his guardian, who is promptly killed, the book checks in with Margaret:
“Margaret did not know what had become of her son, and she must have been distraught, immediately sending a trusted servant, William Bailey, and a party of men to try to locate him.”
At the same time, the author refrains from getting too emotionally invested. For example, she says that Margaret’s husband “shows an unpleasant side of [his] character” when he immediately consummates his marriage to his twelve-year-old bride. While making it clear that people disapproved of his actions even at the time, she doesn’t emphasize her condemnation of him.
Elizabeth Norton also makes good use of primary and secondary sources to back up her statements. When arguing that Margaret was close with her mother, she provides a passage from the Crowland Chronicles where, when Margaret’s mother is made a sister of Crowland Abbey, she asks Margaret to become a sister along with her. Norton also points out that Margaret was highly educated for a woman of her time and that her mother “would have been responsible for her early education.”
The book also contains a section of notes at the back where Norton gives more information on the sources of her ideas. If someone wanted to check up on her claims, they could easily do so.
There are some claims that seem unsubstantiated. For instance, Norton asserts that Margaret believed that Richard III was responsible for the murder of his nephews. Norton does a good job of showing that that was the general belief, but provides no evidence that this was Margaret’s personal belief. Considering that this book is a tie-in to Philippa Gregory’s The Red Queen, which presents Margaret herself as the murderer of the Princes in the Tower, I feel that this book should have addressed this view, if only to dismiss it.
Overall, though, this book was balanced and its claims are backed up with evidence. It is a good book for anyone who wants to learn more about a fascinating woman from the fifteenth century.
Context: This book was released in the same year as Philippa Gregory’s novel about Margaret Beaufort, The Red Queen. The book was marketed as a tie-in to the novel, since it includes the words, “The true story of the ‘Red Queen’” on the cover. It is unclear if Elizabeth Norton has herself read the novel.
Review: This is a balanced biographical account of the life of Margaret Beaufort that focuses a lot on her humanity. She comes across as a strong-willed, likeable figure who is funny, somewhat officious, ambitious, and a little greedy. She adored her only son and devoted her life to his interests. The author makes good use of both primary and secondary sources to tell her story.
The book makes good use of pathos to humanize its subjects. For example, after Margaret’s husband Edmund Tudor dies, the book reminds us that she is a heavily pregnant thirteen-year-old widow in fear for her life. Later, when her twelve-year-old son is taken to a battle by his guardian, who is promptly killed, the book checks in with Margaret:
“Margaret did not know what had become of her son, and she must have been distraught, immediately sending a trusted servant, William Bailey, and a party of men to try to locate him.”
At the same time, the author refrains from getting too emotionally invested. For example, she says that Margaret’s husband “shows an unpleasant side of [his] character” when he immediately consummates his marriage to his twelve-year-old bride. While making it clear that people disapproved of his actions even at the time, she doesn’t emphasize her condemnation of him.
Elizabeth Norton also makes good use of primary and secondary sources to back up her statements. When arguing that Margaret was close with her mother, she provides a passage from the Crowland Chronicles where, when Margaret’s mother is made a sister of Crowland Abbey, she asks Margaret to become a sister along with her. Norton also points out that Margaret was highly educated for a woman of her time and that her mother “would have been responsible for her early education.”
The book also contains a section of notes at the back where Norton gives more information on the sources of her ideas. If someone wanted to check up on her claims, they could easily do so.
There are some claims that seem unsubstantiated. For instance, Norton asserts that Margaret believed that Richard III was responsible for the murder of his nephews. Norton does a good job of showing that that was the general belief, but provides no evidence that this was Margaret’s personal belief. Considering that this book is a tie-in to Philippa Gregory’s The Red Queen, which presents Margaret herself as the murderer of the Princes in the Tower, I feel that this book should have addressed this view, if only to dismiss it.
Overall, though, this book was balanced and its claims are backed up with evidence. It is a good book for anyone who wants to learn more about a fascinating woman from the fifteenth century.
July 17, 2017
Margaret Beaufort is one of those enigmatic figures from late medieval history. Obviously she was an important woman of her time, but we know little about her due to the lack of primary (and even secondary!) sources. This author does a great job of finding as much as she can about Margaret, and the conclusions she comes to absolutely make sense. For example, the idea that she cared deeply for her second husband (Stafford), due to the fact that they were known to celebrate their anniversary.
Also, the demand that Margaret and Queen Elizabeth made regarding her granddaughter and namesake Margaret to not be married off at a young age. Henry VII told the Spanish ambassador, "Beside my own doubts, the queen and my mother are very much against this marriage. They say if the marriage were concluded we should be obliged to send the Princess directly to Scotland, in which case they fear the King of Scots would not wait, but injure her, and endanger her health." Of course, Margaret herself notoriously had her son at the age of 13, so she would absolutely know about being injured. Heartbreaking. The author did a fabulous job with the sources she could find.
Also, the demand that Margaret and Queen Elizabeth made regarding her granddaughter and namesake Margaret to not be married off at a young age. Henry VII told the Spanish ambassador, "Beside my own doubts, the queen and my mother are very much against this marriage. They say if the marriage were concluded we should be obliged to send the Princess directly to Scotland, in which case they fear the King of Scots would not wait, but injure her, and endanger her health." Of course, Margaret herself notoriously had her son at the age of 13, so she would absolutely know about being injured. Heartbreaking. The author did a fabulous job with the sources she could find.
August 26, 2018
This was my favorite of hers so far. With only one queen to write about, and furthermore one she admired and who was not notoriously wicked or seductive, Ms Norton evidently felt no need to continually justify her actions by comparing the judgement on Margaret to judgements made on male rulers. As she did say, because Margaret was acting on behalf of her son, rather than herself, history did not make the harsh judgements it made on other women who had the nerve to be ambitious for their own selves. Not saying that any of that is wrong but I just really enjoyed this biography without the extraneous editorializing. It is fascinating how on occasion one person's lifetime will encompass sweeping societal changes, and Margaret Beaufort was at the center of history as England and Europe moved from the Medieval to the Renaissance. Highly recommend.
August 16, 2025
As an introduction it's fine.
However for me it was the slabs of old English that were quoted, large paragraphs (not annotated with what some of the words might mean) that did me in. As another reviewer said, a tad lazy & felt like a space filler.
Also another writing style, the repeating of things already stated - eg she was 13 and vulnerable...again a few paragraphs later - she was 13 and vulnerable - um yeah, we get that. Felt like how the end of a doco summarises something and then the new episode says exactly the same thing.
I did learn more about Beaufort, a child at 13, married twice by 13. Yikes. Let alone the perilous political position she had to negotiate at that age, and how her child was brought up - mostly not by her.
A good introduction, however I couldn't stay the distance, and skim read.
However for me it was the slabs of old English that were quoted, large paragraphs (not annotated with what some of the words might mean) that did me in. As another reviewer said, a tad lazy & felt like a space filler.
Also another writing style, the repeating of things already stated - eg she was 13 and vulnerable...again a few paragraphs later - she was 13 and vulnerable - um yeah, we get that. Felt like how the end of a doco summarises something and then the new episode says exactly the same thing.
I did learn more about Beaufort, a child at 13, married twice by 13. Yikes. Let alone the perilous political position she had to negotiate at that age, and how her child was brought up - mostly not by her.
A good introduction, however I couldn't stay the distance, and skim read.
March 14, 2019
This book isn't terribly well-written (the Fortune's Wheel could've been an interesting sort of frame for the book but as it is, the metaphor was just clumsily inserted too often), but it's thoroughly researched and so I found it an interesting read anyway. I liked all of the quotes from primary sources– it really gives a feel for the time period– and the appendix with all of Margaret's extant letters is great. Overall it is nice to get a fuller picture of Margaret, who usually seems pretty severe and one-note in all the Tudor pop culture.
May 14, 2017
You can't blame the lack of sources on biographers, but books on poorly documented figures get frustrating to read if their authors don't al least try to fill the gaps with something other than "may or may not". In Margaret Beaufort's case the context is so wide and fascinating any writer is spoiled for choices, so I can't help but think this book could have been far richer and incredibly more engrossing. Still, I quite enjoyed its first part.
May 26, 2019
I can see all the positive reviews of this book but I didn't enjoy it.
The main reason for that is all the great slabs of quotes from documents in 15th century English.
It ruins the narrative for me.
When I was a university student we were encouraged not to do that in our essays and to put things in our own words.
I wish Elizabeth Norton had followed that process in this book.
It would have been a much more enjoyable read for me.
The main reason for that is all the great slabs of quotes from documents in 15th century English.
It ruins the narrative for me.
When I was a university student we were encouraged not to do that in our essays and to put things in our own words.
I wish Elizabeth Norton had followed that process in this book.
It would have been a much more enjoyable read for me.
January 19, 2023
I was struggling at first to get into this one. Just a very slow pace at first and a ton of information thrown at you at once which made it sometime hard to follow who was being talked about but I am so glad I stuck with it because was complete taken in with the Maragaret's story by chapter 3 unable to drop it. Maragaraet Beaufort had so much upheaval in her life yet wound up being at the head of the Tudor Dynastys birth. Queen mother of England. Her life was fascinating!
May 7, 2019
This was a fascinating and detailed biography of Margaret Beaufort. It was highly readable and concentrated on her life rather than being simply one of the characters involved in the Wars of the Roses and the rise of the Tudors.
March 10, 2024
This was an interesting read. I read it for my Tudor and Stuart England course. It is designed for anyone who likes to read about history. Margaret Beaufort was a strong leader and helped to create the Tudor monarchy of England.
April 5, 2026
A fascinating read about a woman who I knew very little about but whom I didn't really like. This book gives a look knto Margaret's world and all that she endured and survived. I have a new appreciation for Margaret and all she achieved.
May 28, 2019
Very informative, enjoyable, clear and well structured.
March 30, 2025
This was an enjoyable read. But she's such a fascinating figure and I felt this biography only touched the surface. I'll be looking for another one on her.
October 12, 2025
A interesting insight that helps to balance the more popular reputation of Margaret as a bit of a villain. I'd highly recommend to anyone interested in Tudor history.
September 26, 2021
Weak 3 stars. I was hoping for more Margaret and less general history lesson. I should have known better. Back then, women's lives were not as documented as men's lives were. It was only after Henry VII came to power that there became more of a record of Margaret's thoughts and activities. I guess historical fiction is the only way to flesh out her story.
As a sort of general primer of that era, the book satisfies nicely. The War of the Roses was such a convoluted mess and the author managed to summarize events concisely and clearly. It was the last time that English kings got down and dirty, fighting hand to hand combat. The bit about Henry riding around with Richard's dead body strapped to the side of a horse....man life sure was short, nasty and brutish back then.
52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge/ #8 900's dewey decimal system
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2021/book that's been on your TBR list the longest amount of time
As a sort of general primer of that era, the book satisfies nicely. The War of the Roses was such a convoluted mess and the author managed to summarize events concisely and clearly. It was the last time that English kings got down and dirty, fighting hand to hand combat. The bit about Henry riding around with Richard's dead body strapped to the side of a horse....man life sure was short, nasty and brutish back then.
52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge/ #8 900's dewey decimal system
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2021/book that's been on your TBR list the longest amount of time
July 16, 2021
There are so many women's stories missing throughout the historical records. Men, after all, were the ones who wrote things down. It was her connection to a powerful man that gave Margaret Beaufort's life the weight it needed to be documented at all. And what a life it was! In her book, Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty, Elizabeth Norton chronicles the times of the woman who gave birth to Henry Tudor, later to become King Henry VII of England. At age 12, she was married to Edmund Tudor, the son of former Queen Catherine of Valois with her second husband, who was literally twice her age. Despite this gap, she became pregnant before Edmund was slain when fighting for Lancaster against the Yorkists in the Wars of the Roses, leaving her a 13 year-old pregnant widow. The birth was apparently traumatic...despite two subsequent marriages during her potential childbearing years, there's no reason to believe she ever again became pregnant.
As was not uncommon at the time, Henry's life diverged from his mother's. Only about a year after she had him, she was married to Henry Stafford, while Henry remained with his father's family. Her marriage to Stafford lasted longer than her first one, but he too perished in the Wars of the Roses (fighting for York) and Margaret became a widow again in her late 20s. This time, she married Thomas Stanley, whose military support would prove crucial to Henry's eventual reign. While the conflict was ongoing, though, she almost certainly plotted with her former rival, Dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, against King Richard III. After Henry became king, Margaret exercised a significant amount of control over his court, almost equal to his queen. She outlived not only her third husband but ultimately, her son.
What I found remarkable about this book was how little Norton had to go on until after Henry's reign began. Margaret Beaufort was a significant heiress, close to the royal family, and a political player in the power games of the day. This, however, was not enough to create much of a record about her life...Norton does an excellent job of walking the line between a very dry recitation of the bare facts Margaret's life and extrapolating too heavily to make things more exciting but less accurate. When she does draw conclusions about subjective reality from the objective record, she explains how she got there, such as when she concludes that Margaret's second marriage was likely a fairly happy one because there's evidence that the couple renewed their vows.
Margaret's life had some quality high drama, and I appreciated the way Norton told her story. As fun as it can be to read something embellished like Philippa Gregory's The Red Queen, getting a sense of the actual person that existed, who is plenty interesting on her own, was something I thought Norton did well. The readership for this book is honestly probably pretty niche: unless you're particularly interested in the history of the English monarchy, particularly the Wars of the Roses, you're not likely to find this especially engaging. If you are interested in historical royal women, though, this is a very solid read and I'd recommend it!
As was not uncommon at the time, Henry's life diverged from his mother's. Only about a year after she had him, she was married to Henry Stafford, while Henry remained with his father's family. Her marriage to Stafford lasted longer than her first one, but he too perished in the Wars of the Roses (fighting for York) and Margaret became a widow again in her late 20s. This time, she married Thomas Stanley, whose military support would prove crucial to Henry's eventual reign. While the conflict was ongoing, though, she almost certainly plotted with her former rival, Dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, against King Richard III. After Henry became king, Margaret exercised a significant amount of control over his court, almost equal to his queen. She outlived not only her third husband but ultimately, her son.
What I found remarkable about this book was how little Norton had to go on until after Henry's reign began. Margaret Beaufort was a significant heiress, close to the royal family, and a political player in the power games of the day. This, however, was not enough to create much of a record about her life...Norton does an excellent job of walking the line between a very dry recitation of the bare facts Margaret's life and extrapolating too heavily to make things more exciting but less accurate. When she does draw conclusions about subjective reality from the objective record, she explains how she got there, such as when she concludes that Margaret's second marriage was likely a fairly happy one because there's evidence that the couple renewed their vows.
Margaret's life had some quality high drama, and I appreciated the way Norton told her story. As fun as it can be to read something embellished like Philippa Gregory's The Red Queen, getting a sense of the actual person that existed, who is plenty interesting on her own, was something I thought Norton did well. The readership for this book is honestly probably pretty niche: unless you're particularly interested in the history of the English monarchy, particularly the Wars of the Roses, you're not likely to find this especially engaging. If you are interested in historical royal women, though, this is a very solid read and I'd recommend it!
April 8, 2015
Very readable and informative, Elizabeth Norton’s book is packed with fascinating snippets of information about Margaret Beaufort and the times she lived in. I particularly liked the well-chosen excerpts from letters and writers of the time. Often portrayed as an austere, domineering figure, it was refreshing to see examples of Margaret Beaufort’s sense of humour and evidence that she did have a sensitive side.
It can’t have been easy for her to be betrothed at the age of six then married to Edmund Tudor at twelve, finding herself pregnant almost immediately afterwards. This was apparently considered a bit hasty of him, even by the very different standards of the time, so it is hard to have much sympathy when Edmund dies of the plague before he even sees his son.
It is important to remember that Margaret Beaufort could have been queen – and perhaps paved the way for Elizabeth 1st, who saw her as a role model. It is also interesting to consider how much influence she had over her son, Henry VII – and how different Tudor history could have been if she had been around a bit longer to restrain her grandson, Henry VIII.
Inspired by Elizabeth's fascinating research I made the 'pilgrimage' to the room in Pembroke Castle where Margaret Beaufort gave birth to Henry VII and felt much closer to the real woman after reading this book. I rarely give a book five stars but in this case I enjoyed it so much I will—and I know this is a book I will return to in the future. Highly recommended!
It can’t have been easy for her to be betrothed at the age of six then married to Edmund Tudor at twelve, finding herself pregnant almost immediately afterwards. This was apparently considered a bit hasty of him, even by the very different standards of the time, so it is hard to have much sympathy when Edmund dies of the plague before he even sees his son.
It is important to remember that Margaret Beaufort could have been queen – and perhaps paved the way for Elizabeth 1st, who saw her as a role model. It is also interesting to consider how much influence she had over her son, Henry VII – and how different Tudor history could have been if she had been around a bit longer to restrain her grandson, Henry VIII.
Inspired by Elizabeth's fascinating research I made the 'pilgrimage' to the room in Pembroke Castle where Margaret Beaufort gave birth to Henry VII and felt much closer to the real woman after reading this book. I rarely give a book five stars but in this case I enjoyed it so much I will—and I know this is a book I will return to in the future. Highly recommended!
April 29, 2014
I was so engrossed in this book that I couldn't put it down to walk down the stairs - as a result I missed 2 steps, and injured my ankle quite badly. I finished reading the book in bed - which is testament to how engrossing it is!
I find the women of the late Plantagenet / Tudor period fascinating, and Margaret Beaufort is a prime example of a woman surviving and even excelling, in what was very much a man's world. This book sets out the facts of her life clearly but not coldly.
I find the women of the late Plantagenet / Tudor period fascinating, and Margaret Beaufort is a prime example of a woman surviving and even excelling, in what was very much a man's world. This book sets out the facts of her life clearly but not coldly.
December 20, 2015
An interesting and well researched book about a somewhat lesser known figure of the early Tudor age. The author doesn't delve deeply into Margaret's head, but more or less presents the facts as they are known, with lots of cites from contemporary writings. There are a lot of excerpts of letters of the time, and the appendices have all of Margaret's surviving letters in full.
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