Did you know… on this day in 1489 Margaret Tudor, the first Tudor princess was born. Read our guest post from Melanie Clegg  who is the author of the newly released book Margaret Tudor.  

Read on to find out more about Margaret Tudor’s fascinating and eventful life.

Margaret Tudor, the first Tudor princess, was born in Westminster Palace, London on this day in 1489, to Henry VII and his consort Elizabeth of York. Married at the age of  fourteen to James IV of Scotland, Margaret would preside over the lively Scottish court until her husband was killed fighting the forces of her brother Henry VIII at the battle of Flodden. As a vulnerable, twenty four year old widow with two small children, Margaret found herself forced to navigate the tricky and dangerous world of politics as she struggled to protect the interests of her eldest son, who had succeeded his father as James V. Although James IV’s will had stipulated that she should act as regent should he die during his son’s minority, she forfeited the role when she unwisely married a Scottish nobleman, Archibald Douglas, 6^th Earl of Angus in 1514. Margaret’s second marriage was already beginning to unravel when the couple’s only child Lady Margaret Douglas was born in October 1514 and they would spend the next thirteen years fighting bitterly over possession of the young King James and Margaret’s lands and revenue before she was finally granted a divorce in 1527, after which she married again to Henry Stewart, 1^st Lord Methven, who also proved to be a disappointment. Margaret’s life was not an easy one – she struggled to cope with the warring Scottish factions and constantly felt let down by her husbands, brother Henry VIII and son, James V. She died in Methven Castle in October 1541 at the age of fifty one.

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Sounds eventful, right?! If you’d like to learn more about Margaret Tudor then have a read of Melanie Clegg’s new release. It’s available to order from Pen and Sword now.