So High a Blood: The Story of Margaret Douglas, the Tudor that Time Forgot

by Morgan Ring

Niece to Henry VIII, heir to the throne, courtier at risk of being killed, spy-mistress, and ambitious political player, Lady Margaret Douglas is a vital new character in the Tudor story.

Amidst the Christmas revels of 1530, a fifteen-year-old girl arrived at the court of King Henry VIII. Half-English, half-Scottish, she was his niece, the Lady Margaret Douglas. For the next fifty years, Margaret held a unique and precarious position at the courts of Henry and his children. As the Protestant Reformations unfolded across the British Isles and the Tudor monarchs struggled to produce heirs, she had ambitions of her own. She wanted to see her family ruling a united, Catholic Britain. Through a Machiavellian combination of daring, spying, and luck, Margaret made her son into a suitor to her niece Mary, Queen of Scots. Together, they had a powerful claim to the English throne--so powerful that Queen Elizabeth I feared they would overthrow her and restore both England and Scotland to the Catholic faith. The marriage cost Margaret her position, her freedom, and her beloved son's life.

From the glittering Tudor court to the Tower of London, Lady Margaret Douglas weathered triumphs and tragedies in an era of tremendous change. Yet she never lost hope that she would see her family rule throughout the British Isles, which eventually happened when King James (I of England, VI of Scotland) united the crowns in 1603. Drawing on previously unexamined archival sources, So High a Blood presents a fascinating and dramatic portrait of this forgotten Tudor.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Tudor Period, Royalty, Historical, Scotland

341 pages, Hardcover

First published April 6, 2017

Reviews

[Orsolya · Rating 3 out of 5]

There has been a recent growth of interest in the life of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox. With her ties to the Tudors (Margaret Tudor’s daughter), the Stuarts, and her son marrying Mary, Queen of Scots; Douglas was a formidable figure, to say the least. That being said, Douglas has yet to be the main subject of prominent texts and therefore the current authors of such pieces make ambitious leaps with their attempts. Morgan Ring joins this group of writers bringing Margret Douglas to light in, “So High a Blood: The Story of Margret Douglas, the Tudor That Time Forgot”.

The jacket blurb of “So High a Blood” boasts the text to be a “fascinating and authoritative portrait”. Sadly, that is quite overstating and overreaching. Rather than showcasing Margaret on a main stage; “So High a Blood” is more of an introduction to Margaret and the events surrounding her. Ring even ventures to include speculative assumptions peppered with some historical inaccuracies which weakens the text moreover.

Even though Margaret is more circumstantial than prime; the discussion is strengthened by Ring’s inclusion of documents and letters offering up the primary source credibility. This shines a light on Margaret and helps to reveal a light layer to her readers.

“So High a Blood” carries its pace well with a smooth flow making it an enjoyable read. Again, the piece isn’t singularly about Margaret so some readers will be let down with those familiar to the topic not learning anything new. However, Ring’s writing serves well as an introduction/overview to Tudor/Stuart interactions.

Slightly before the 100-page mark, “So High a Blood” is more Margaret-centric as the machinations with politics and her son (Henry, Lord Darnley) comes into play. This makes sense as Margaret was literally more involved with the events at the time and thus more documentation is available. A bit more of her psyche is revealed in this sense by learning through her actions. One can understand her psychological background by the steps she followed in her life.

With the progression of “So High a Blood”, Ring’s writing becomes more narrative in flow with a literary-sense of flowery writing. This is great in order to create an illustrative image of the events discussed but some readers may argue that the style has no place in a history piece. Ring could certainly pen a terrific historical-fiction novel that would bear down on the history-end of the equation rather than the fluff.

The concluding chapters of “So High a Blood” reveal Margaret’s movements which, by default, help to unravel her personality; but, Ring still fail to give the open, unfiltered reality that one expects from a heady biography/portrait. This makes sense as not many texts exist on Margaret so Ring didn’t have much to work with but this is still disappointing.

The finality of “So High a Blood” isn’t emotionally gratifying or particularly memorable but Ring saves this with an Epilogue that serves as a rather strong epitaph of Margaret. It doesn’t elevate the entire piece but helps to leave a strong ending impact.

Ring supplements “So High a Blood” with ‘Notes’ (although not annotated), a bibliography, and two sections of color photo plates.

Although readable, easy-to-understand and serving as a valuable introduction to Margaret; “So High a Blood” isn’t the authoritative and fascinating piece it claims to be. Credit is given to Ring for compiling a credible-enough text on an important figure lacking definitive biographies. However, “So High a Blood” doesn’t truly reveal Margaret and merely serves as an introduction to her life and events. Although not perfect, “So High a Blood” is suggested for those readers with an interest in Tudor England (and Stuart relations) and/or seeking a look into Margaret Douglas.

Note: Morgan Ring truly should pen a HF novel. It would be quite compelling.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret Douglas buried all 8 of her children, one of whom was assassinated. She buried her husband who was also assassinated. She was imprisoned 4 times over love and marriage. Her teenage love died while in prison due to their relationship. She died in poverty too soon to know that she accomplished her goal: her grandson, made good on her blood and her scheming and was crowned King of Scotland and England.

Tudor fans will have to bear through the first part of this book which re-tells the story of the previous generations in Scotland and England. There is a lot on the internal politics of Scotland, and more than I have read elsewhere on the regency of Mary Guise. After about page 70, the full focus is finally on Margaret Douglas.

While the daughter of a Scottish queen and a niece of a king, little is recorded about her childhood. Some records show that she was moved around a lot. The lack of mention and the moving are signs of the low value placed on her by her parents, particularly in contrast to the attention paid to her half brother the King of Scotland. Author Morgan Ring poses that her flexibility developed in this time.

Throughout her life she was dangerous to the Tudors because of her royal blood. The title is apt: her blood/succession rights could be viewed as higher than that of either Elizabeth or Mary. Given the dearth of male Tudor heirs, marriages for her and her children were of great consequence to Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I.

The marriage message was delivered early. While she had been a favorite of Henry VIII, he sent her and her suitor (Anne Bolyen’s uncle Thomas Howard) to the Tower. A later flirtation (again with a Howard), and maybe other factors, took Margaret, on whom Henry VIII once bestowed gowns and jewels, out of his will; and therefore, line of succession.

The reign of her cousin, Mary I, was a peaceful time for Margaret. The two had bonded as teens and through their Catholic faith. Despite the loss of so many children, Margaret was happily married to Matthew Stewart (4th Earl of Lennox) Scottish exile and leader of pro-English Catholic factions.

The blurb ("The Tudor that time forgot), like the title, is very appropriate. Last year, Margaret was brought out of the shadows by Alison Weir in: The Lost Tudor Princess: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas. In general, the Weir book has more detail and Ring presents new (to me) perspectives. For instance on the Mary/Darnley saga, Weir has lots of detail on murders of Rizzio and Darnley. Ring’s book emphasizes new (to me) angles such the Lennox-Stewart PR initiatives to "sell" their son to the Scots as a match for their queen. Elizabeth's dithering is clearer with Ring. Both hint at a friendship of Robert Dudley and Margaret.

There is a good index and the color plates match the text.

Both are Weir and Ring on Margaret Douglas are very good and recommended for Tudor readers.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very excited when I heard that another book on the Tudor era was coming out. Though I have several interest in different era’s of history , this particular era has always had a special place in my heart.

So High a blood Tells the story of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox. She was the daughter of Margaret Tudor, who was the sister of Henry VIII and mother to James V, and Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus.

This is the first book I have read of Morgan Ring. I have to say that I was disappointed that this was the only book written by her. I am very much looking forward to more books from her. I still say that Lara by Anna Pasternak is still my favorite book of the year, this book right now is coming in at a close second.

I thought this was a very well written and detailed account of Margaret Douglas life. I would go as far as to say that anyone who is wanting to learn more about Margaret should begin with this book. And for those who are familiar with Margaret’s story, I think that this book brings a refreshing insight on her and those around her.

The premise of this book was that Margaret was her own person, and she was also a survivor who was able to adapt to the changing world around her. Morgan Ring does an excellent job in making her case.

One example of this is that Margaret Douglas was a devout Catholic. She was able to forge a good relationship with Elizabeth and other Protestants for a time when being Catholic dangerous.

One of things I liked about this book was that we get a clear and balance view of Margaret. We see both her successes and her failures. Like her determination to get her son and Mary Stuart married, but she was the blind to the faults in her own son which led to the demise of his marriage to Mary and ultimately his death.

Another thing that I liked about this book is that we get detailed picture of the politics that was going on in both England and Scotland. I am defiantly going to be reading more on Scottish history.

Again, I can’t say enough good things about this. If your interested in learning the latter half of Tudor history, I highly recommend this book .

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Douglas is buried in Henry VII's Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey, close to the tomb of her great-grandmother Margaret Beaufort, with whom she has much in common. History remembers both, if they are remembered at all, as dominant, forceful women, scheming and plotting to see their children crowned. How true a portrait that is can only ever be a matter of conjecture - but Margaret Beautfort's son became Henry VII, and Margaret Douglas's son Lord Darnley became, however briefly, King of Scotland, father to her grandson James VI/I, King of Scotland and England.

Like many Tudor women, Margaret's life was shaped by her royal blood and closeness to the throne, yet she is often forgotten as a potential heir of Henry VIII. Her mother was Henry's elder sister, Margaret, wed first to the King of Scotland James IV - their son James V was Margaret's half-brother - and later to the Earl of Angus, Margaret's father. In most histories of the period Margaret's story therefore is told only tangentially through her relationships to the more famous players of Tudor history - granddaughter of Henry VII, niece to Henry VIII, cousin to Mary I and Elizabeth, half-sister of James V, aunt to Mary Queen of Scots, mother to Lord Darnley, grandmother to James VI/I. So it is refreshing to read a biography of Margaret where she takes centre stage, the dramatic and turbulent events of her life recounted to full effect.

And a dramatic life it was, and well told by Morgan Ring. Cast into the Tower of London no less than three times, a staunch Catholic during the Reformation, a friend to Mary I and a potential rival to Elizabeth, a woman who could call upon both French and Spanish monarchs for support, who succeeded in seeing her son married to the Queen of Scots only to see him murdered in mysterious circumstances, who outlived all of her children, and after her death found her plans for her bloodline succeed beyond her dreams, when her grandson James VI was crowned James I of England.

This is a book worthy of its subject, which is all one can wish for in an historical biography. Margaret was a woman who shaped the events around her, and Ring brings both those events and Margaret to vivid life in these pages. She succeeds in taking an historical period many of us are very familiar with and gives it a new form and perspective, seeing the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward V, Mary I and Elizabeth through Margaret's eyes. I'd say for anyone interested in Tudor history, this is a must read.

[Helen Carolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent piece of history covering the life of a woman who gets mentioned in many history books but has never had her own story told. Margaret Douglas was a niece of Henry 8th, mother to lord Darnley,mother in law to Mary queen of Scots and grandmother to James 1st of England. Despite all this she has largely been forgotten by history, a footnote in many books. Ms Ring here gives her the recognition she deserves. A woman who schemed, plotted and spent several terms in the tower of London to achieve the best for her family and her religion. Fab read.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always on the look out for new angles on the Tudor era, and this book is just the ticket. An examination of someone who is always mentioned in Tudor histories but never deeply examined, this neglect is rectified in this excellent, concise, informative work. Lashings of detail yet never entering too-much-minutiae territory, combined with a fluid easy-to-read style makes this an important research tool and an enjoyable recreational read. I am immensely satisfied.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Douglas was a niece of Henry VIII and aunt to Mary, Queen of Scots. She was also the mother of Lord Darnley who married the Scottish Queen and was killed in mysterious circumstances. This is a well-written biography of a woman who was entangled in so many aspects of the Tudor era. Margaret was an interesting woman who was determined in many ways.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Douglas, daughter of Henry VIII's sister. Born in Scotland into the Douglas family, she was brought to England at a young age and lived through all the tumult of Henry's marriages. She found herself in favor at times and at others was labeled, as her first cousins were on and off, a bastard. She was ignored and then she was considered a favorite in Henry's court. He treated her to many luxuries.yet there were times when she was a threat to the succession to the throne and as such found herself in the Tower.

All the players are here--Henry, Mary Tudor, with whom Margaret was quite close, Edward, Elizabeth--with whom she had her problems. Then there are the French, the Spanish, the Scots. Mary Stuart, Darnley--who was Margaret's son--and therein lies the story. Margaret was a Tudor--heir to the throne--she was a Douglas with claim to the throne of Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scots was her niece and first cousin to Darnley. All of these people were Catholic but there was the whole upheaval of Protestantism and the suppression of Catholic practice. Margaret was an agile politician and manipulator, who spent at least three sessions of her life in the Tower. How she managed to keep her head, how her husband, Lennox kept his was fascinating. She was in the forefront of intrigue--sometimes in touch with the Spanish, other times in cahoots with the French--allies of Scotland, but not of England. She intended Darnley would marry Mary and he did but things went really badly there as history tells us. She had eight children--only two lived to adulthood and she and Lennox placed all their hopes and dreams in Darnley. Once he was killed ,Margaret and Lennox believed Mary was the leader in that murder, their sights moved to their grandson. James VI of Scotland, an infant, born Catholic, raised Protestant, would become the King of England, Scotland and Ireland though Margaret did not live to see her dreams fulfilled. She was so high a blood, a Tudor , with possible claim to the throne of England, who spent her life attempting to bring Scotland and England together under one Ruler and back in the good graces of Rome. At least part of her wish was fulfilled.
This is a review of the ARC provided by Goodreads and Bloomsbury.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was on the new books shelf at the library, where I always look, so I figured why not. It was well written and had no annoyance factors like I sometimes find in books by historians who are consciously trying to find a grain to go against. I have read about Mary Stewart (Queen of Scots) so I have heard of Margaret Douglas but didn't know much about her life.

What amazed me when I was done was how much she got away with. People were beheaded for less in Tudor times, and very frequently. Somehow she managed to be an inveterate schemer and gatherer of intelligence and was never even charged with treason let alone tried and executed.

The names of the nobility in those times always leave me confused (was the Duke of Chatelherault a Hamilton? was the Earl of Angus a Douglas?); whenever the title appeared I had to either remind myself who they were and what side they were on, or go look at the genealogical tables in the front.

When it was all said and done, religion made strange bedfellows. While Margaret's overriding goal was to unite the crowns of England and Scotland under a Catholic, it sometimes seemed to me that if she'd chosen her allies more carefully she would have been better able to accomplish this. As it was, she took against Mary Stewart because she believed her complicit in the murder of her useless husband Henry Darnley, who was Margaret's son, so she did what she could to aid those who were overthrowing Mary, but if she'd supported Mary she'd have had a better chance of Mary's son James growing up Catholic, when in fact once Mary was out of Scotland and James was held by the regency, he was raised a confirmed Protestant. I guess one out of two isn't bad...

Above all it seems Margaret was a survivor, and not everyone could make that claim in the 1500s.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Douglas was, according to the subtitle, "The Tudor That Time Forgot". I would have said "Balderdash!" but I was also reading "Elizabeth : the Struggle for the Throne" by David Starkey, and Dr. Starkey did not even mention her, although she was the daughter of Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII's elder sister, and thus a contender for "the Throne" of England. Henry VIII sent Margaret and her beau, Thomas Howard, to the Tower because they had betrothed themselves without his consent and that of James V, King of Scotland. Margaret was "near in blood" to both thrones, and King Henry made sure that the Howard family knew he disapproved. Queen Mary Tudor (Mary I) placed Margaret before Elizabeth in processionals, intimating that Margaret, not Elizabeth, was her legitimate heir. [Mary, Queen of Scots, was born in Scotland but Margaret Douglas was born in England, so she had a better claim in English law. Mary I kept saying that Elizabeth was not Henry VIII's daughter, and even if she was, her mother Anne's marriage to Henry was not legitimate.]

So, maybe Margaret Douglas was "the forgotten Tudor"; but not by the Tudors themselves. Her son was Henry Stewart [Ring's form of the name], Lord Darnley - and Margaret intrigued that her beloved son would marry Mary, Queen of Scots. Each partner would bolster the other's claim to rule England and restore it to the Roman Catholic Church should Queen Elizabeth meet with an unfortunate fate. Mary's and Darley's son James would have double the blood and be Elizabeth's obvious choice.

This is a thorough, yet popular biography. A good read.

[Alch · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent biography of the life of Margaret Douglas. This woman is the woman who all British monarchs are directly descended from yet her story has been neglected. A Catholic who had a strong marriage to Matthew Stewart, Count of Lennox, She was the granddaughter of Henry VII daughter of Margaret Tudor, (James IV's Queen of Scots), half sister to James V, a member of the prominent Douglas family, aunt and later mother in law to Mary, Queen of Scots, mother of Lord Darnley and Grandmother to James VI. She served all of Henry VIII's queen's, was high in the line of succession, imprisoned 4 times, 3 of which were in The Tower and close to both Mary I and Elizabeth I - her cousins. Intelligent, brave, and adaptable she survived and deserves her story to be told. This book does a great job of doing so.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

In So High a Blood: The Story of Margaret Douglas, the Tudor that Time Forgot, Morgan Ring presents Margaret Douglas a strong and adaptable personality, a key figure in the religious and political upheaval of Elizabeth I’s reign and a consummate survivor. Margaret enjoyed the rare ability of reconciling with Henry VIII after incurring his displeasure on more than one occasion because of her romances with members of the Howard family. The exclusion of the Scottish line from Henry VIII’s will, however, suggests that they were in conflict at the time of his death and Ring provides a convincing analysis of these circumstances in her book.

Read my full review here: http://www.royalhistorian.com/tudor-b...

[sminismoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exceptionally researched and well written biography of a Tudor royal many people will never have heard of. Margaret was the daughter of Henry VIIIs sister Margaret by her second marriage. She was half sister to James V of Scotland, and therefore the aunt of Mary Queen of Scots. She played the game of Tudor politics masterfully, manoeuvring for her son Henry, Lord Darnley to marry his first cousin the Queen of Scots, thereby setting up their son (and her grandson) to inherit the English throne as James I after the death of Elizabeth I. She survived stints in the Tower and the murder of her husband and eldest son and sailed the perilous seas of being a Catholic in post-reformation England. In short, the woman was a badass fighter and survivor, never doubting herself or her place in the world. A great topic, well written and very enjoyable.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and very readable account of the life of Lady Margaret Douglas who became Countess of Lennox on her marriage. Margaret was a niece to King Henry VIII, half sister to James V of Scotland and aunt and mother in law to Mary Queen of Scots. She spent her life plotting to have her family restored to their inherited titles and to rule over a united Catholic Britain. A remarkable and resilient woman, she did not live long enough to see her wish fulfilled when her grandson James VI of Scotland was crowned King of England and Ireland in 1603 following Elizabeth I’s death.

[Karen Keane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about a little known royal lady. Margaret Lennox was actually niece to Henry VIII, mother in law to Mary Queen of Scots and grandmother of James I and this book is a historic account of her life. Margaret comes across as a loyal wife and mother who could be stubborn and ambitious especially for her family. Living in very dangerous times Margaret's life was fraught and full of tragedy. If like me you love history this book is really worth reading.

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about Margaret Douglas. I had come across her in other people's stories many times, but had never read a story purely about her life. The author did a good job of capturing the roller coaster of highs and lows that occurred throughout Margaret's life. It allowed you to see Margaret as an actual person and not just some dusty historical figure.

[Jojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched and well written history of Margaret Countess of Lennox. I learned a lot about her life and times. The book was easy to read with plenty of additional information. Would recommend to anyone interested in Tudor history.

[Cynthia Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent biography from start to finish. I highly recommend it.

[Jessica]

So much information. An overload of the senses.
I had to walk away.

[Rosaleen Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly told narrative of this significant and forgotten tudor princess

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good biographic book about Lady Margaret Douglas , a Tudor who survived life at Tudor court .
Margaret was a strong woman , a catholic who survived during the Protestant reformation by her uncle Henry VIII .
I loved the way this book highlighted a different telling of times at Tudor court , it was fresh and interesting to read .

[D.E. Ring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incisive historiography -- nothing left to assumptions -- yet the exhaustive research has been woven into a very human story of a woman whose personal aspirations and powerful connections changed the course of British political history.

[Claire Biggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The complicated life of Margaret Douglas is well researched and the highs and lows of her life are fascinating to read about