Lady Margaret Douglas had quite the life, especially since being a woman in Tudor England was difficult, even if you were the niece of HenryVIII. While this book is ostensibly focused on Margaret's life, it also gives quite a bit of information about her relations and friends, which is understandable as her entire family is one that had quite a bit of historical impact (her grandson was King James I of England). All in all a good read on this time period in Tudor England that isn't focused on Henry VIII and his heirs.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I love everything Tudor so was thrilled to be able to read this

It was wonderful to read about a lesser Tudor - I felt that I learned loads

Wonderfully researched and written

Thank you to Beverley Adams and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I very much enjoyed this look into Margaret Douglas's life. In all of the things that I have read and heard about the Tudors, Margaret has always been sort of a foot note. So it is very refreshing to see that her story is getting the attention that she deserves.

Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (8 October 1515–7 March 1578), was the daughter of the Scottish queen dowager Margaret Tudor and her second husband Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, and thus the granddaughter of Henry VII of England. She was the grandmother of James VI and I.In her youth she was high in the favour of her uncle, Henry VIII, but later incurred his anger for her unauthorised engagement to Lord Thomas Howard(Anne Boleyn's uncle), who died imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1537. In 1540, Margaret was again in disgrace with the King when she had an affair with Lord Thomas Howard's half-nephew, Sir Charles Howard. He was the son of Thomas' elder half-brother Lord Edmund Howard and a brother of Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard.In 1544, she married Scottish nobleman Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox(1516-1571), who later became regent of Scotland in 1570–1571.In total the couple had eight or nine children, four boys: Henry, Henry, Philip and Charles, and four unnamed daughters, though only two sons—Henry Stuart,Lord Darnley (1546–1567), and Charles Stuart (1557–1576), survived to manhood.Margaret hoped to unite England and Scotland, so she married her elder son, Lord Darnley, to his first cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, thus uniting their claims to the English throne. Queen Elizabeth I disapproved of this marriage and had Lady Margaret sent to the Tower of London in 1566, but after the murder of Margaret's son Darnley in 1567, she was released. Margaret denounced her daughter-in-law but eventually reconciled with her.In 1574, she again aroused Queen Elizabeth's anger by marrying her younger son Charles to Elizabeth Cavendish, the stepdaughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury. She was again sent to the Tower, unlike the Countess of Shrewsbury, but was pardoned after her son Charles' death in 1576.After the death of her younger son, she helped care for his daughter, Lady Arbella.
Although she died in debt, she was given a grand funeral in Westminster Abbey.Lady Margaret's diplomacy largely contributed to the future succession of her grandson, James VI of Scotland, to the English throne.Margaret had moxie.

I want to thank Netgalley and Pen & Sword Publishing for an uncorrected copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I knew very little about Margaret or her life until recently. As Adams argues Margaret is often cast as a supporting character in the stories of others rather than the focus of biographies. Adams's work is one of four that I can name where Margaret is the focus. What I believe makes Adams's work stand out is that they do an excellent job of humanizing Margaret in their writing. This book felt both like a biography written by a historian and a documentary written by a friend.

My favourite part of this book was how Adams was able to highlight the relationships that Margaret had throughout her life. By interpreting the available evidence Adams was able to highlight why Margaret likely made certain decisions, from her first love affair to the marriage of her sons. It made the historical narrative more dynamic and highlighted the major players of the Tudor court in new ways. I particularly enjoyed Adams's argument that Henry VIII and Margaret had such an affectionate relationship. Learning about the dynamics of Margaret and Henry's relationship and how Margaret was able to navigate that within such violent and uncertain times in my mind makes her a formidable character of the period.

I also really enjoyed that Adams was able to highlight the men and events in Margaret's life without pulling too much focus. I think that this was likely very hard given that many of the events central to Margaret's life happened when she was not present (e.g., the murder of her elder son). However, when Margaret disappeared from the story line I didn't feel that the book was too far off script.

Adams's views on Mary, Queen of Scots were also very interesting. I always enjoy exploring the nuances of Mary as a woman and as a Queen and I think that Adams did an excellent job. It would have been easy to simply vilify Mary given that she was implicated in the murder of Margaret's son, but by stopping to pose important questions Adams was able to provide evidence for both sides and let the reader come to their own conclusion about Mary. I also appreciated how Adams spent some time exploring the relationship between Queen Mary Stewart and Margaret after Mary fled to England.

This is a fantastic book for any Tudor or Stuart history lover. I think that it adds to the understanding of Margaret by highlighting aspects of the historical record that may allow us to better comprehend Margaret the woman, rather than simply Margaret the historical figure. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Child death, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Rape, and Sexual assault

As niece and cousin of Tudor monarchs, Lady Margaret Douglas held an influential position. Yet her proximity to power also exposed her to scandal. Despite imprisonments in the Tower of London, she held fast to her belief in her own right to rule. Defying Queen Elizabeth, she arranged her son Lord Darnley’s fateful marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots. Margaret endured profound losses, including husband and children, yet clung to her vision of uniting England and Scotland under her grandson, King James VI & I.

This engrossing and readable book fills in many of the blanks in the popular depictions of the Tudors. Margaret Douglas led a fascinating life and courted danger in pursuit of her ambitions. The book is well-researched and enjoyable.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

What an absolutely fantastic read, I was totally engrossed from the first page until the last.

I knew very little of Margaret Douglas apart from her parentage, being the niece of Henry VIII & mother of Darnley; my eyes have been opened to what an astounding woman she truly was!

Her veins were filled with royal blood of England & Scotland, she lived through out the most turbulent times in English / Scottish history.

She negotiated life through out the reign of four Tudor monarchs and relatives, sometimes in favour and sometimes not, depending who was ruling.

Margaret lived her life to the full, she did not do things by halves, she fully committed - she was either riding high, powerful and wealthy or incarcerated in the tower at her monarchs pleasure, lands and properties seized.

What a fantastic biography of the 'forgotten Tudor'.

Headstrong, politically astute, intelligent, charming, independent and courageous.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

It was refreshing to read about Margaret. She has always been seen as a background character on many of the books about the Tudor period. The book is easy to read, plenty of evidence presented which builds up an interesting portrait of an influential woman. Respected on both sides of the border, England and Scotland she was influential on the history of both kingdoms. Margaret remained a devoted Catholic all her life. Much loved by both her Uncle, Henry VIII and Queen Mary but fell found of Elizabeth 1. She was the mother of Lord Darnley who later married Mary Queen of Scots with disastrous consequences. It was this marriage that produced a son who would go on to become James 1 of England and James VI of Scotland, realising her dream of uniting both nations. Margaret outlived all of her children and was clearly no stranger to heartbreak and loss. She was passionate, clever, resourceful and diplomatic woman who helped shape the times in which she lived.

This is a PHENOMENAL biography! Every time I picked up "The Forgotten Tudor Royal", I was whisked back in time, and learned something new about Margaret Douglas, and the times in which she lives.

The Tudor Era is one of my absolute favorite time periods in history to read and learn about! As soon as I heard about this book, I just knew I needed to read it. I wasn't as familiar with Margaret Douglas' story, and can't wait to do more research on my own time about her as well.

Beverley Adams brings history to life in such a vivid, detailed, gripping, and intriguing way. I can only imagine the amount of research Ms. Adams must have done, as each aspect of this novel is so thorough , and I felt so immersed in the world from the first page to the last. This book reads like a novel at times, and I truly learned so much.

This biography tells the story of Margaret Douglas, who lived from 1515-1578. This book delves into her beliefs, actions, and so much more. The author also explores many events from the time, and how Margaret plays an important part in so many of them. She was an incredibly strong woman who stayed true to her beliefs, and was extremely intelligent, driven, and strong-willed.

If you enjoy anything related to the Tudors, I highly recommend this non-fiction book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for the ARC of this biography, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

There ares several women who stand out in the Tudor period, and Lady Margaret Douglas is one. She was the niece of King Henry VIII and a close friend of Queen Mary I. Margaret was a head strong and rebellious woman who suffered much heartbreak and loss. Her husband and son were both murdered at the hands of the Scots and she outlived all her children.

Against the orders of Queen Elizabeth I she plotted the marriage of her eldest son Lord Darnley to Mary, Queen of Scots, with disastrous consequences.

A devout Catholic all her life, she lived at a time when religious division split the country in half yet she remained loyal to her faith.

She never gave up on her dream of uniting the thrones of England and Scotland, which was finally realised through her grandson King James VI/I.

This book is published on 31 August. Thanks to NetGalley and Pen and Sword for the eARC.

Beverly Adams brings Lady Margaret Douglas, niece of Henry VIII and cousin to Mary I and Elizabeth I, to life in the most recent biography of this sixteenth-century Scottish princess. Margaret Douglas is born the half-sister and daughter to kings of Scotland and the granddaughter, niece, and cousin to kings of England, eventually becoming the mother-in-law to the famous Mary Queen of Scots. Adams, throughout this biography, weaves the larger political situations preceding and following Margaret Douglas’s birth into the narrower narrative centered on Margaret Douglas. This additional context places Margaret Douglas’s life in reference to the rest of the Tudor dynasty and English and Scottish sixteenth-century politics in a way that allows readers to better understand Adams’s work without having to seek out another book. Adams presents the information incredibly well and creates a strong narrative, using her expertise on the topic and her strong writing skills to do so. Adams has successfully created a strong, detailed, and immersive biography of Lady Margaret Douglas that engages readers with the topic, and this book further adds to the larger Tudor historical narrative via the different perspective of a relatively forgotten Scottish princess.

MARGARET DOUGLAS DEFINITELY NEEDED A BIOGRAPHY

I have always loved Tudor history and recently got into Arbella Stuart (Margaret Douglas' granddaughter), so this was a great story to get into. However, while the subject was interesting, I could hardly get past the writing. It was just super clumsy. More often than not, the sentence constructions were super weird. So many commas that should have been full stops. So many sentences, that just kept on going even though the subject was changed. And many of the phrases were repeated time and again during the course of the book. I am not usually someone who gets caught up in writing. But this was just too much, I couldn't get past it.

As a woman close to the crown, Margaret Douglas lived a turbulent life. Often times among Tudor enthusiasts she takes a back seat to her daughter-in-law, Mary Queen of Scots, and others. However, it does not make her less interesting.

Beverly Adams writes a biography of Margaret's life in her book "The Forgotten Tudor Royal: Margaret Douglas Grandmother to King James VI and I." It goes in chronological order, documenting the many events of Margaret's life from birth to death.

I did not know much more about Margaret aside from she was Henry Darnley's mother, making her the mother-in-law to Mary Queen of Scots, and grandmother of King James I and that she was granddaughter of Henry VII.

I noticed throughout Margaret's life she ended up in the Tower of London a few times. Perhaps this was because she followed her heart, not thinking or caring what the current King or Queen thought of her. She was released and escaped execution.

Although she probably knew she was never expected to become a Queen, she made sure her oldest surviving offspring would be on the throne. This diplomatic woman never gave up on uniting the thrones of Scotland and England, which was realized through her grandson, James VI/I. Her descendants still remain on the throne today.

Although her life was tragic, losing her husband and multiple children, was heartbreaking to her, she was successful in her mission and lived more than most people of the period, dying at aged 62.

I overall enjoyed the book. It was well-written and I learned a lot about the subject. I think more people should make an effort to learn about this Tudor Royal.

4.5/5 stars.

The forgotten Tudor Royal tells the story of Margaret Douglas. Her life influenced the course of scotish and English history more than most yet she is mostly ignored by historians.

Beverly Adams lays out her life story in an interesting way. Although it does get confusing at times but I thing thats more to do with so many royals having the same names than Adams writing style.

On the whole I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history or strong women.

It was so thoroughly interesting to read about Margaret Douglas and her contribution to the royal line of monarchs, past and present. Thoroughly researched and abundant with contemporary context, Beverley Adams’ biography of Margaret Douglas, The Forgotten Tudor Royal, highlights the perils of navigating the royal courts of Scotland and England during a time of political instability.

The title is so perfect. In all my obsessive reading on the Tudors Margaret Douglas has been a side player. She is always eclipsed by Henry VIII, his wives, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scotts. I strangely have never fully focused my brain on her and her role in all of their lives. What an absolutely remarkable woman whose connection to, influence on and relationship with every person whose stories you've heard a million times is stunning. I'm so glad that Beverley Adams has focused the spotlight squarely on Margaret and her dramatic life. I throughly enjoyed this book and now feel like I have a deeper understanding of not only Margaret Douglas, but her Tudor family as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone who, like me, has a deep love for British history. Especially the Tudor era. Thank you NetGalley and Pen and Sword History for the ARC.

Very interesting look at a woman who's descendents changed English history. The writing was smooth and engaging and kept you interested to the end.

While so much tends to be written about King Henry, Jane Seymour, or Anne Boleyn, it was a nice change to see the approach to this time in Tudor history going further in understanding the influences on King Henry, the royalty of the time, and especially the politics. The Forgotten Tudor Royal was eye-catching because while most works tend to be more focused on the "known players" of this time period, learning more about Lady Margaret Douglas helps serve as a reminder of the role family, friends, and advisors play with the royal court, and in the future of the monarchy.

The primary and secondary sources made available at the end of the book are helpful for scholars, writers, and those interested in the Tudor period, and especially in cross-referencing, it helped to see several books repeatedly showing up, and in validating their importance in understanding and appreciating Tudor history.

The overall narrative of the book is smooth and keeps the readers invested in learning not only about Lady Margaret Douglas but also isn't presented in a way that is either dry or invalidating of those who are familiar with the Tudor time period.

Along with the balanced use of references, portraits, and the presentation of the research material, the book opens up to many of the forgotten or overlooked "players" of the Tudor time period and lends insight into both the political and religious intrigue which dominated this time, influenced in many ways King Henry, and is a reminder how complicated the overlap of personal and political life had for the royal court.

As a reference source, the book plays an essential part for any historian, scholar, or writer's bookshelf, and simply for the general public, the book is well-written history for those who are still fascinated by the Tudor royal court.

Thank you to Netgalley, and Pen & Sword for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This tale of an ambitious Tudor woman, the niece of Henry VIII, read like a novel. What a life Margaret Lennox had! Raised in England, she fell into unsuitable love affairs twice, and found herself in the Tower. Luckily, Henry VIII had great affection for her, or she may have suffered worse punishment. She had a very happy marriage with the handsome soldier Lennox, but lost most of her children, and the couple also had money problems because of Lennox's falling out with the Scots, and taking England's side in the many fights between the two countries.

A strong Catholic, Margaret fared well under the reign of her friend, Queen Mary 1. However, when Elizabeth 1 came to the throne it would be a different story. Margaret and her husband had overwhelming ambitions for their handsome and charming son Lord Darnley, wanting him to marry Mary, Queen of Scots. They also wanted to see England and Scotland united. This didn't go over well with Queen Elizabeth, and Margaret was forced to endure years of imprisonment once again. She also had to face the death of one of her sons, and eventually her husband.

She was reckless, but Margaret was an intelligent woman who managed to negotiate the machinations of the times pretty well, and she stuck to her beliefs in the face of great danger.

I enjoyed this well-researched biography, and recommend it for history-lovers. I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Beverley Adams, The Forgotten Tudor Royal Margaret Douglas, Grandmother to King James VI & I, Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History, 2023.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

I was impressed with Beverley Adams’ ability to assemble a plausible story and character development from a small amount of material in The Rebel Suffragette The Life of Edith Rigby (Pen & Sword History 2021) and Ada Lovelace The World’s First Computer Programmer (Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History 2023). Unfortunately, The Forgotten Tudor Royal Margaret Douglas does not meet the standard of Adams’ previous work. There is repetition, some awkward phrasing and, more importantly, Margaret Douglas does not shine from the pages as do Edith Rigby, in particular, and Ada Lovelace. Nevertheless, for those interested in Tudor history, this book makes a solid contribution to evoking the period, the ramifications of religious, geographic and personal interests that permeated the finery and theatre of the royal courts of Henry V11, Henry V111, Mary 1, Elizabeth 1 and Mary Queen of Scots. From her birth in 1515 to her death at sixty-two, Margaret Douglas had an important role in the Tudor hierarchy as she matured, grasping opportunities for herself and her children. She achieved her aim, her grandson, James became James V1 of Scotland and James 1 of England.

Adams tells this story well, and Margaret becomes known as more than an aside as Lord Darnley’s mother or Henry V111’s niece. This is a major achievement, highlighting the behaviour of a woman of the period who played an instrumental role in mounting a successful intercession in the royal hierarchy. Portrayal of Margaret’s ambition, foolishness, determination and fall in and out of favour sometimes relies on speculation. However, Adams always make a case for her findings that can meet scrutiny. After all, interpretation is an important part of writing any history, and where a case can be made for an opinion it is worth consideration.

Adams links Margaret’s flight in the late stage of pregnancy with that of her mother, Margaret Tudor’s flight from Scotland when she is also bearing a child – the Margaret who is the main protagonist in this work. However, her mother also is given the place she deserves as more than Henry V111’s older sister and wife of James V. Writing of the strength both women demonstrated in this most unenviable position is an inspired touch – the femaleness of the courage of both women is without doubt established. What wouldn’t each of them stop at to achieve their aims? Together with the acknowledgement that their hearts often ruled their heads, to a foolish and dangerous degree, portraying the way women were instrumental in events of state could not be more graphically depicted.

Beverley Adams has provided a well-researched account of the fortitude of two Tudor women – Margaret Tudor and her daughter Margaret Douglas. She has written an excellent explanation of her reasons for opinions that cannot be supported by documentation. Here Adams demonstrates her understanding of women’s place in the Tudor world, but more than that, the way in which women of this calibre met those challenges. There is a useful bibliography of secondary sources and inline resources. At the end of the book the photos make yet another contribution to making less well-known actors in the period recognisable amongst those that are so familiar.