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Tudor Saga #8
The Thistle and the Rose
From the pen of the legendary historical novelist Jean Plaidy comes the story of Princess Margaret Tudor, whose life of tragedy, bloodshed, and scandal would rival even that of her younger brother, Henry VIII.
Princess Margaret Tudor is the greatest prize when her father, Henry VII, negotiates the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with neighboring Scotland. The betrothal is meant to end decades of bloody border wars, but it becomes a love match: To Margaret’s surprise, she finds joy in her marriage to the dashing James IV of Scotland, a man sixteen years her senior. But the marriage, and the peace it brings to both nations, does not last. When King James is struck down by the armies of Henry VIII, Margaret—Princess of England, but Queen of Scotland—finds herself torn between loyalty to the land and family of her birth and to that of her baby son, now King of the Scots. She decides to remain in Scotland and carve out her own destiny, surviving a scandalous second marriage and battling with both her son and her brother to the very end. Like all the Tudors, Margaret’s life would be one of turmoil and controversy, but through her descendants, England and Scotland would unite as one nation, under one rule, and find peace.
Princess Margaret Tudor is the greatest prize when her father, Henry VII, negotiates the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with neighboring Scotland. The betrothal is meant to end decades of bloody border wars, but it becomes a love match: To Margaret’s surprise, she finds joy in her marriage to the dashing James IV of Scotland, a man sixteen years her senior. But the marriage, and the peace it brings to both nations, does not last. When King James is struck down by the armies of Henry VIII, Margaret—Princess of England, but Queen of Scotland—finds herself torn between loyalty to the land and family of her birth and to that of her baby son, now King of the Scots. She decides to remain in Scotland and carve out her own destiny, surviving a scandalous second marriage and battling with both her son and her brother to the very end. Like all the Tudors, Margaret’s life would be one of turmoil and controversy, but through her descendants, England and Scotland would unite as one nation, under one rule, and find peace.
373 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
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2859 people want to read
About the author
Jean Plaidy
187 books1,586 followersEleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
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-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
September 18, 2019
Princess Margaret, sister of Henry VIII, marries King James IV of Scotland at the age of 13. She becomes Queen of Scots and seals a peace agreement between England and Scotland.
The story goes: he is so handsome, she is so beautiful, and everything is so peachy until she finds out about his mistresses and illegitimate children. At the age of 17, she gives birth to her first child, a son, and hopes that this will change everything and everything will be peachy and rosy again. But it doesn’t. As she matures and conflict between two countries arises again, she turns into politics, but this is in author’s words rather than action.
The story sounds like repetition, he continues to conquest mistresses and she continues to get angry at his dallying. After the death of her husband, she becomes a pursuer of a young man. “She marries in secret to satisfy her lust before her husband had been dead a year.”
The story and characters are flat, not much depth. It is as deep as dirt under fingernails. You’d better off reading a biography than this book.
@FB: Best Historical Fiction
The story goes: he is so handsome, she is so beautiful, and everything is so peachy until she finds out about his mistresses and illegitimate children. At the age of 17, she gives birth to her first child, a son, and hopes that this will change everything and everything will be peachy and rosy again. But it doesn’t. As she matures and conflict between two countries arises again, she turns into politics, but this is in author’s words rather than action.
The story sounds like repetition, he continues to conquest mistresses and she continues to get angry at his dallying. After the death of her husband, she becomes a pursuer of a young man. “She marries in secret to satisfy her lust before her husband had been dead a year.”
The story and characters are flat, not much depth. It is as deep as dirt under fingernails. You’d better off reading a biography than this book.
@FB: Best Historical Fiction
July 27, 2023
*sigh* Margaret Tudor is a horny, horny woman. And kind of dumb, too, when she's being guided by her horniness. "Ooh, this guy's hot. He'll be perfect for me. ... What? He cheated on me? How dare he?! Ooh, this guy's hot. He'll be perfect for me. He'll love me and be faithful to me, unlike the last guy. ... What? He cheated on me?? How dare he?!?! Ooh, this guy's hot. He'll be perfect for me. He'll love me and be faithful to me, unlike the last two. ... " Also throw in that she attempts to lead Scotland based on who she's horny for this month, and it's just craziness.
The book is historical fiction, and I know nothing about English history, so I don't know how much of the lustiness of the Kings and Queens is well-known fact (How many men did she really sleep with? Did she really get it on with her son, the King's, servant? And did *all* of those men really have *all* of those affairs?), and how much is creative license. However, the writing is good, and the story is a quick read, a nice morsel of history. Although the historical fiction tends to focus more on the romance side, and less on the political side, it has enough political backstabbing and wheeling-and-dealing that it doesn't feel like an all-out Romance novel.
The book is historical fiction, and I know nothing about English history, so I don't know how much of the lustiness of the Kings and Queens is well-known fact (How many men did she really sleep with? Did she really get it on with her son, the King's, servant? And did *all* of those men really have *all* of those affairs?), and how much is creative license. However, the writing is good, and the story is a quick read, a nice morsel of history. Although the historical fiction tends to focus more on the romance side, and less on the political side, it has enough political backstabbing and wheeling-and-dealing that it doesn't feel like an all-out Romance novel.
September 17, 2013
For a book that was number 8 in a series I'd never heard of before, this actually worked very well as a stand alone book. This is the story of Margaret of Scotland, older sister of King Henry VIII of England. You generally don't see too many books about her, so this one was rather refreshing. She'd be considered a fairly modern woman by our standards, 3 marriages, 2 in defiance of her much married brother, & of the Crown of Scotland to boot. However, all 3 of those were doomed to failure, as the poor woman had to endure disappointment in the guise of her husbands' infidelities & children by those dalliances. She had children of her own, James V of Scotland, by her first husband James IV, Lady Margaret Douglas, by her 2nd husband Angus Douglas, & 2 by her third & last husband, Henry(Harry) Stuart, but it never gave their names or what happened to them in the story.
I also learned that this author is but one of three pen names the ACTUAL author used to write under, & she was VERY prolific. I really enjoyed this, since I'm a history geek, & a fan of historical romance, & I'm going to HAVE to go read more of her books!
I also learned that this author is but one of three pen names the ACTUAL author used to write under, & she was VERY prolific. I really enjoyed this, since I'm a history geek, & a fan of historical romance, & I'm going to HAVE to go read more of her books!
May 31, 2020
This was a flawed but fulfilling read. Very standard historical fiction fare; rivalry! Intrigue! Affairs! War! Politics! More Affairs! But Jean Plaidy perfected her craft over the more than a hundred books she published in her lifetime, and what she does she does very well.
Queen Margaret of Scotland is a messy, messy woman to the point where, if her persona was even slightly exaggerated, then I think Plaidy might have owed the real Margaret an apology. Margaret through Plaidy's eyes is arrogant, impulsive, naïve, hysterical, conniving, petulant, self-pitying, and falls in and out of love very easily. Yet there is a tragedy to her that keeps her somewhat sympathetic. Margaret is doomed by her own privilege and status; being the Princess of England and then the Queen of Scotland, she is a shiny prize for men but not quite a real human being to them. She is a political asset, a cash cow, a sugar mummy, but never quite a person worth loving for herself. And that is what saves our tragic heroine from being completely unlikable.
Sometimes this book felt schmaltzy, but more often it was compelling. A flawed book I am nevertheless fond of.
Queen Margaret of Scotland is a messy, messy woman to the point where, if her persona was even slightly exaggerated, then I think Plaidy might have owed the real Margaret an apology. Margaret through Plaidy's eyes is arrogant, impulsive, naïve, hysterical, conniving, petulant, self-pitying, and falls in and out of love very easily. Yet there is a tragedy to her that keeps her somewhat sympathetic. Margaret is doomed by her own privilege and status; being the Princess of England and then the Queen of Scotland, she is a shiny prize for men but not quite a real human being to them. She is a political asset, a cash cow, a sugar mummy, but never quite a person worth loving for herself. And that is what saves our tragic heroine from being completely unlikable.
Sometimes this book felt schmaltzy, but more often it was compelling. A flawed book I am nevertheless fond of.
January 23, 2009
Not in the same league as Gregory or Weir but I like learning about the loves and losses of Margaret Tudor, Henry's sister. Those Tudors!!!!! They must have been sooooo indulged as children. She married 3 times divorced once. Can't really think of anything wrong about the writing. Would read her again.
July 4, 2023
Another good historical fiction by someone who is becoming one of my favorite authors. All of the characters feel like real people and I always feel like I'm truly there, watching events unfold from a hole in the ceiling of their world.
September 1, 2014
Decent story, covering events and a period I am not really familiar with, namely the life of Margaret Tudor in Scotland. However, far too much emphasis on sex and Margaret's love life for my liking.
Not that there was anything graphic, it was just tiresome for her falling for one handsome man after another, and incessantly being reminded of how 'passionate' she was.
As such, it was hard to sympathize or relate to her as a whiny, sex-mad overgrown spoiled brat who seemed incapable of realizing the damaging consequences of her own decisions, and having spent most of her life chasing men- yet always wanting men to 'love' her for who she was. If the fictional depiction was anything to go by- there was nothing much to love.
Also, her attitudes and values, and those of other characters did not seem very plausible for the time period- she seemed far too liberal in her attitude to divorce and sexuality for the time, and hardly cared for religion at all. Labelling of preachers as 'fanatical' also did not seem very authentic for the time.
Overall, not a satisfying read- more one I wanted to get finished with. I would have liked more of an overview of major political events and perhaps more developed well-rounded characters, or some notion of their personality and motivations. In spite of many good reviews elsewhere this was certainly not my favourite Plaidy.
Not that there was anything graphic, it was just tiresome for her falling for one handsome man after another, and incessantly being reminded of how 'passionate' she was.
As such, it was hard to sympathize or relate to her as a whiny, sex-mad overgrown spoiled brat who seemed incapable of realizing the damaging consequences of her own decisions, and having spent most of her life chasing men- yet always wanting men to 'love' her for who she was. If the fictional depiction was anything to go by- there was nothing much to love.
Also, her attitudes and values, and those of other characters did not seem very plausible for the time period- she seemed far too liberal in her attitude to divorce and sexuality for the time, and hardly cared for religion at all. Labelling of preachers as 'fanatical' also did not seem very authentic for the time.
Overall, not a satisfying read- more one I wanted to get finished with. I would have liked more of an overview of major political events and perhaps more developed well-rounded characters, or some notion of their personality and motivations. In spite of many good reviews elsewhere this was certainly not my favourite Plaidy.
November 25, 2017
Margaret Tudor (Henry VIII’s older sister) was sent to Scotland when she was 12 or 13 to marry King James IV. She fell immediately in love when she met him, but he died young, in battle. In the years to come, she would fall easily in love and eventually be disappointed. But, she always had her and James’ son, James V, to fight for the crown for.
I don’t remember reading anything about Margaret before (though it appears that I have, but it was a number of years ago), so this was quite interesting. It’s funny, with all I’ve read about Henry (and a little bit about their youngest sister, Mary), I always thought Margaret was kind of boring, but Plaidy made her interesting to me. That may be more because she focused on her personal life than on the politics, though. Of course, the politics always came in to play to determine how her life would go. Of the few by Plaidy I’ve read, this might be one of my favourites.
I don’t remember reading anything about Margaret before (though it appears that I have, but it was a number of years ago), so this was quite interesting. It’s funny, with all I’ve read about Henry (and a little bit about their youngest sister, Mary), I always thought Margaret was kind of boring, but Plaidy made her interesting to me. That may be more because she focused on her personal life than on the politics, though. Of course, the politics always came in to play to determine how her life would go. Of the few by Plaidy I’ve read, this might be one of my favourites.
September 18, 2012
This is a historical novel about King Henry VIII's older sister Margaret who is married off to Scotland. I'd read about Mary, the younger one, before, so i was interested to read more about this sister. This family...wow they were just so messed up! There's so many books, movies and shows about them just because if they existed now, they'd be the hit reality show. The spoiled, self-indulgent rich kids living off their daddy's money, who think that no rules apply to them. Margaret seemed even more like her brother than mary did, she did pretty much the same things with the same motivation, only she happened to be female. still, i'm surprised she got away with as much as she did. I feel like maybe this book was dramatacized a bit more than it should have been, writing only ok, but it was entertaining, i liked it.
December 2, 2016
The POV in this story is weird and off-putting. It felt disjointed and skippy feeling. It felt like it was a checklist of scenes that needed to put in, not a real narrative. It was an example of telling, not showing. I also found the characters really annoying. They didn't feel like people, but tropes that were repeated over and over (all of the husbands seemed to have the exact same childish personality). There was no difference between them.
March 6, 2014
Looking back through teenage reading journals - my auntie had given this for christmas and I seem to have liked it.
March 21, 2024
"To love would mean never to hurt the loved one by deed or word" - Margaret Tudor
"Why do I have to love these faithless men? Why cannot I escape from my emotions as easily as they can from theirs?"- Margaret Tudor
I never read any books about Margaret Tudor but since I was very eager to dig down more deeper about her history and Stuart family line in Scottish throne, I tried to find any books related with her and this book comes up as one of the top suggestion. Also this is the first time I read Jean Plaidy works so I was really new to her books. Truthfully, I am not dissapointed or displeased by the books. Jean really put the storyline from the details from the beginning to the end. The story was weaven from Margaret Tudor's wedding proxy day (in which was done in her very young age, in her 12th years) until the story when she was death. As someone, who knew her from the information in the internet, I really astonished at the way Jean told the story from (mostly) Margaret Tudor perspective. The book also told how Margaret Tudor who at first never interested in the Scottish throne but because the indulging and urgent matters that related with his brother ambition (Henry VIII) to rule over Europe empire, she was "forced" to filling her brother shoes in Scottish court until finally she is obsessed with her position as Queen and Regent for her son. Eventhough, she must faced many turmoils during her Regency as she was not a Regent alone. Other than that, the storyline also focused on her three times (disaster) marriages with James IV (Scottish King), Earl of Douglas (ambitious earl in the parliament), and Henry Stuart which bring disaster to her Regent days. And I should say that actually Margaret Tudor was a good wives and mother as in this book she was depicted as someone who isn't really interested as her position and her reign in Scotland (AT FIRST) but because the formidable forces from his brother and ambitious earl that shaken and potentially her shaken relationship with her son, James V was on the edge, she was "forced" do anything she could to protect his son interest so he could ruled Scotland one day. Including the fact that James V is the only heir to the Scottish throne at that time. Through this story, we'll find more the truth how was ambitious and evil King Henry VIII during his reign which was depicted in this book very despicable even to her own older sister (Margaret Tudor). In fact Margaret's life almost threatened because her brother ambition to rule over Europe and her (foolish) love over the man she loved. Yes, in this book it will be explained Margaret who as someone who at foolish at love as she changed her feelings so easily because she always being the 2nd choices for the man that she loved.
I will definitely give 4.5 stars to this book, as this book really gave out the detail of Margaret Tudor's (challenging life) which never revealed to the public as I though Jean really a master and did her own distinct research when it comes to write about Tudor family history. And be careful to read this since you will be swaying over emotions by Margaret reckless actions to love and Henry VIII devil deeds. I shall say that this book will be my top hisfic book for this year.
"Why do I have to love these faithless men? Why cannot I escape from my emotions as easily as they can from theirs?"- Margaret Tudor
I never read any books about Margaret Tudor but since I was very eager to dig down more deeper about her history and Stuart family line in Scottish throne, I tried to find any books related with her and this book comes up as one of the top suggestion. Also this is the first time I read Jean Plaidy works so I was really new to her books. Truthfully, I am not dissapointed or displeased by the books. Jean really put the storyline from the details from the beginning to the end. The story was weaven from Margaret Tudor's wedding proxy day (in which was done in her very young age, in her 12th years) until the story when she was death. As someone, who knew her from the information in the internet, I really astonished at the way Jean told the story from (mostly) Margaret Tudor perspective. The book also told how Margaret Tudor who at first never interested in the Scottish throne but because the indulging and urgent matters that related with his brother ambition (Henry VIII) to rule over Europe empire, she was "forced" to filling her brother shoes in Scottish court until finally she is obsessed with her position as Queen and Regent for her son. Eventhough, she must faced many turmoils during her Regency as she was not a Regent alone. Other than that, the storyline also focused on her three times (disaster) marriages with James IV (Scottish King), Earl of Douglas (ambitious earl in the parliament), and Henry Stuart which bring disaster to her Regent days. And I should say that actually Margaret Tudor was a good wives and mother as in this book she was depicted as someone who isn't really interested as her position and her reign in Scotland (AT FIRST) but because the formidable forces from his brother and ambitious earl that shaken and potentially her shaken relationship with her son, James V was on the edge, she was "forced" do anything she could to protect his son interest so he could ruled Scotland one day. Including the fact that James V is the only heir to the Scottish throne at that time. Through this story, we'll find more the truth how was ambitious and evil King Henry VIII during his reign which was depicted in this book very despicable even to her own older sister (Margaret Tudor). In fact Margaret's life almost threatened because her brother ambition to rule over Europe and her (foolish) love over the man she loved. Yes, in this book it will be explained Margaret who as someone who at foolish at love as she changed her feelings so easily because she always being the 2nd choices for the man that she loved.
I will definitely give 4.5 stars to this book, as this book really gave out the detail of Margaret Tudor's (challenging life) which never revealed to the public as I though Jean really a master and did her own distinct research when it comes to write about Tudor family history. And be careful to read this since you will be swaying over emotions by Margaret reckless actions to love and Henry VIII devil deeds. I shall say that this book will be my top hisfic book for this year.
February 20, 2018
I've definitely got mixed feelings about this one. This author churned out over 200 works in her lifetime (under pseudonyms like Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr) so one assumes that some, like this one, can't be super deep. On the one hand, the fact that it was very juvenilely written makes it a great way to quickly and easily learn some basics of Tudor history. On the other hand, the story reads more like a transcription of ordered events than a novel read for pleasure. I decided to take the book as a simple introduction to this branch of the family but will be looking for something more detailed and interesting in the future.
Margaret was portrayed as a very simple and naive woman. I found it hard to believe that she would not be aware of her first husband, the King's, children and reputation with women prior to marrying him. I highly doubt her childhood was innocent and idyllic enough to leave her ignorant to his reputation and politics, in general. In this account, Margaret turned desperate fast and lived desperately until she died---always in need of a man's attentions. I'm not totally sure this was really the case since, according to this account, she willingly left her husbands on multiple occasions.
To sum it up, there was a lot of summing it up in this story. At one point, I read something like "she had not seen him for several years", when she'd actually been with him just two pages earlier. Lots of skipping ahead and "wrapping it up". Lots of flippant attitudes: So and so child died---oh well, there would be others.
I don't know that I'll actively seek out this author again but if I come across something that seems interesting, I might talk myself into it.
Margaret was portrayed as a very simple and naive woman. I found it hard to believe that she would not be aware of her first husband, the King's, children and reputation with women prior to marrying him. I highly doubt her childhood was innocent and idyllic enough to leave her ignorant to his reputation and politics, in general. In this account, Margaret turned desperate fast and lived desperately until she died---always in need of a man's attentions. I'm not totally sure this was really the case since, according to this account, she willingly left her husbands on multiple occasions.
To sum it up, there was a lot of summing it up in this story. At one point, I read something like "she had not seen him for several years", when she'd actually been with him just two pages earlier. Lots of skipping ahead and "wrapping it up". Lots of flippant attitudes: So and so child died---oh well, there would be others.
I don't know that I'll actively seek out this author again but if I come across something that seems interesting, I might talk myself into it.
March 12, 2019
This is the story of Margaret Stuart, née Tudor, Princess of England and Queen of Scotland. It is very poorly written.
Firstly, the writing style is deplorable. it feels like a summary - 314 pages of summary - glossing over events that, rightly, should have had pages devoted to them. Episodes that could have been compelling and exciting were delivered in an almost sterile fashion. And it is repetitive; you cannot go 20 pages without the author harping back on a theme. The foreshadowing is pitiful, made all the worse because it is there at all.
The characterization is a joke. There is far too much "tell" and almost no "show" whatsoever. Repetitiveness, again - every time we are privy to Margaret's thoughts (the one place where artistic license belongs in a historical novel that holds itself out as being well-researched), they are incessantly dull, monotonous, and fickle. A great personality change is trumpeted all about by the narrator, only to have the characters' thoughts revert back to boring vapidity within the paragraph.
I was disappointed by this novel. I expected more from Jean Plaidy - of course, it has been some time since I had read a novel by her, so perhaps her writing simply doesn't hold up as well as I had thought.
There is little graphic violence or language, and though there are allusions to sex none is graphically described. I would recommend this for middle-school level readers. Two stars.
Firstly, the writing style is deplorable. it feels like a summary - 314 pages of summary - glossing over events that, rightly, should have had pages devoted to them. Episodes that could have been compelling and exciting were delivered in an almost sterile fashion. And it is repetitive; you cannot go 20 pages without the author harping back on a theme. The foreshadowing is pitiful, made all the worse because it is there at all.
The characterization is a joke. There is far too much "tell" and almost no "show" whatsoever. Repetitiveness, again - every time we are privy to Margaret's thoughts (the one place where artistic license belongs in a historical novel that holds itself out as being well-researched), they are incessantly dull, monotonous, and fickle. A great personality change is trumpeted all about by the narrator, only to have the characters' thoughts revert back to boring vapidity within the paragraph.
I was disappointed by this novel. I expected more from Jean Plaidy - of course, it has been some time since I had read a novel by her, so perhaps her writing simply doesn't hold up as well as I had thought.
There is little graphic violence or language, and though there are allusions to sex none is graphically described. I would recommend this for middle-school level readers. Two stars.
March 29, 2025
2.5
All right, Jean Plaidy is not the author for me. I've read her Lucrezia Borgia series, and the same complaints I had about that series also apply to this book. To quote directly from my review on the Borgias: "A lot of information is dumped at the reader, and it is very hard to get a sense of time passing as months can pass in a paragraph, and years are never explicitly stated. I found Plaidy’s writing to be tedious at times, as she is quite fond of mentioning certain details over and over again throughout the story."
I try not to penalize historical fiction books for the choices and decisions a historical figure has made, but I was severely tested here. To put it frankly, Margaret Tudor is the architect of her own suffering because most of her problems stem from her terrible decision-making. It's hard to feel any sympathy for her because Plaidy's writing is so lackluster. Plaidy makes the choice to focus mainly on Margaret's love life rather than the political malcanations occurring in Scotland, which only highlights how vapid Margaret is.
A misery to get through by the end.
All right, Jean Plaidy is not the author for me. I've read her Lucrezia Borgia series, and the same complaints I had about that series also apply to this book. To quote directly from my review on the Borgias: "A lot of information is dumped at the reader, and it is very hard to get a sense of time passing as months can pass in a paragraph, and years are never explicitly stated. I found Plaidy’s writing to be tedious at times, as she is quite fond of mentioning certain details over and over again throughout the story."
I try not to penalize historical fiction books for the choices and decisions a historical figure has made, but I was severely tested here. To put it frankly, Margaret Tudor is the architect of her own suffering because most of her problems stem from her terrible decision-making. It's hard to feel any sympathy for her because Plaidy's writing is so lackluster. Plaidy makes the choice to focus mainly on Margaret's love life rather than the political malcanations occurring in Scotland, which only highlights how vapid Margaret is.
A misery to get through by the end.
September 25, 2018
3.5/5
While I can't fault Plaidy's writing style, this book was a bit repetitive. It was oh this handsome guy likes me, I am in love, wait he's cheated on me, I hate him. The main problem I had with this book was that there felt like there wasn't any real depth to the characters, they were all archetypical. The men were pretty much all the same and in the end and I felt a bit like Albani. I wondered, what was the point of chasing after Margaret when all I really wanted to do was go back to real life where I was happy and content. I understand that when writing about a time period from 500 years ago and especially when writing about women, there was a real lack of information. It means that writers rely heavily on what little facts they do have and in the process, they as well as we do, forget that at one time these were real people. Leading on to a story that lies at its best at the surface.
While I can't fault Plaidy's writing style, this book was a bit repetitive. It was oh this handsome guy likes me, I am in love, wait he's cheated on me, I hate him. The main problem I had with this book was that there felt like there wasn't any real depth to the characters, they were all archetypical. The men were pretty much all the same and in the end and I felt a bit like Albani. I wondered, what was the point of chasing after Margaret when all I really wanted to do was go back to real life where I was happy and content. I understand that when writing about a time period from 500 years ago and especially when writing about women, there was a real lack of information. It means that writers rely heavily on what little facts they do have and in the process, they as well as we do, forget that at one time these were real people. Leading on to a story that lies at its best at the surface.
April 10, 2018
That 'Jean Plaidy' was a pen mane for Victoria Holt explains a lot about this book. It was a well written historical, romantic, tragedy . I gave the book four stars because the author's writing mechanics were very good. It was a soft read never delving too deeply into the lives of the kings and queens and other nobles who made the world go 'round. Was a queen ever more scorned more by her mates than Queen Margaret? Did any queen ever walk off the deep end for love's sake more than she did? I think there was too much inbreeding betwixt and between the royals which would explain, in part, the foolish mistakes the main characters made.
Thank you (posthumously), Ms. Plaidy, for a good read.
Thank you (posthumously), Ms. Plaidy, for a good read.
November 18, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Told a deep dive story into the life of Princess Margaret (Henry VIII's eldest sister) and her life. It reflects her struggles, hopes and many disappointments along the way. The book portrays her as desperately wanting love in her life and never achieving it. It shows her difficult struggles in trying to obtain divorces, claim regency of her son and what an exhausting life she had (although much of it was caused by her imo). It did seem that the book went at a nice pace but then near the end it was a race to the finish and I don't know why but I loved the book as I seem to do with all Jean Plaidy novels.
June 14, 2019
Lots of history in a fictional story
Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, became Queen of Scotland a very young age. Married three times, this book shows the repeating pattern in her marriages. It also points out the irony of her brother’s marriages while he did not condone her divorce from her second husband and fought against it. But the story shows the personal biases as well as the political stresses that were at play at different times in her life. So, the reader comes away understanding the events and times better and seeing history is shaped by individual choices and there impact on others.
Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, became Queen of Scotland a very young age. Married three times, this book shows the repeating pattern in her marriages. It also points out the irony of her brother’s marriages while he did not condone her divorce from her second husband and fought against it. But the story shows the personal biases as well as the political stresses that were at play at different times in her life. So, the reader comes away understanding the events and times better and seeing history is shaped by individual choices and there impact on others.
July 8, 2019
I enjoyed this book insofar as it was nice to learn more about this period in history, and it was very easy to read. However the story lacked narrative and felt a bit like a beginners guide to history. Because of this I couldn’t really get in to any of the characters and found their changing whims annoying. I wouldn’t chose to read any more Plaidy, but it has made me want to read similar style books, perhaps by different authors.
July 26, 2019
I'm reading these out of order, so I haven't read most of the others but I am familiar with Jean's work. While quite a fascinating read, it was also slightly off-putting reading about the sister of Henry VIII as so love struck that she just kept making mistakes in such matters without remembering what happened the last time she was impulsive. However I do look forward to reading more of Jean's works.
May 8, 2019
The life story of Margaret Tudor, older sister of Henry VIII, who was married to James IV of Scotland and mother to James V. Not one of JP's best - maybe because the events of Margaret's life after the early death of James IV were not that intersting - but nevertheless interesting to learn more about a lesser-known Tudor.
August 3, 2022
The Thistle and the Rose is about Margaret Tudor who became Queen Margaret of Scotland. She was Henry VIII's older sister, and seemed to get into, or create, almost as much trouble through imprudent marriages as her more famous little brother.
If this book can be seen to have a moral, it might be "watch who you marry."
If this book can be seen to have a moral, it might be "watch who you marry."
June 4, 2017
I've only read one other book based around Margaret Tudor (Philippa Gregory) and this was better overall. It was a quick read and Plaidy does a really good job with the third person perspective in her novels. There were some issues with grammar but otherwise a decent read.
March 29, 2018
Being a woman in the 16th century guaranteed a hard life; your job was to marry and have children, hopefully many boys. Margaret, a princess of England, grew up to become the wife of the king of Scotland, who wanted sons and heirs to his throne. Being a woman was tough, as Margaret found out.
June 23, 2018
Wonderful
Loved this tale of Margaret! Learned some interesting things about her that I did not know, and some things about Henry the VIII...not surprised he was a control freak with her too.
Loved this tale of Margaret! Learned some interesting things about her that I did not know, and some things about Henry the VIII...not surprised he was a control freak with her too.
October 11, 2018
Enjoyable
I enjoyed reading this. To me, it was a quick read. I always wanted to know more or what next. I did feel like it was hard to know how much time elapsed between things. I felt bad for her. All she wanted was to be loved and cherished.
I enjoyed reading this. To me, it was a quick read. I always wanted to know more or what next. I did feel like it was hard to know how much time elapsed between things. I felt bad for her. All she wanted was to be loved and cherished.
May 15, 2019
A well paced telling of the story of Henry VIII's lesser known sister, Margaret and her life as Queen of Scotland. Plaidy portrays Margaret as searching for love and fidelity in an age when men loved whoever and whenever they wanted.
November 5, 2021
I read this book as a young teen and seem to remember enjoying it. I could not finish it this time. The characters seemed to have to real depth and the storyline through the years at a fast and unclear pace.
January 9, 2024
Margaret Tudor, the grandmother of Mary Stuart, comes to life in this novel. She was a true Tudor, and although selfish and self-centered in many ways, this book is very interesting for anyone wishing to understand Margaret Tudor better.
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