19th September, 2024 in History, Women in History

The rebellious Tudor princess you should know about

By Emily Murdoch Perkins

Henry, the king who was married six times and started his own church. Mary, the first regnal queen. Elizabeth, the queen who refused to marry. These are the Tudor royals that we all know about – but there’s one who has slipped through the history books and yet is, in my opinion, the most rebellious of them all.

Her name is Margaret.

Daughter of Henry VII and sister of Henry VIII, Margaret was married to the King of Scotland at a young age in an attempt to create ‘Perpetual Peace’, as her marriage contract was termed – but after her husband died leaving her with two children, Margaret was no longer going to accept being a pawn for the men in her life.

Though she had been raised for a life of duty and service to her country, Margaret had decided she would rather take a young, handsome, charming husband. So against the advice of all, she did.

It is truly a tragedy for Margaret that her husband was unfaithful to her, something that many women of the time, even noblewomen, had to accept.

But Margaret wasn’t going to accept that. She was a Tudor. They aren’t known for accepting their lot.

In 1519, while her brother Henry VIII was happily married to Catherine of Aragon, Margaret demanded a divorce from her husband. Henry VIII was—hilariously, in hindsight—absolutely outraged. A divorce, in the royal family? Absolutely not.

Margaret was determined, and petitioned anyone who would listen for a divorce for eight years…to the point that Henry VIII eventually delegated replying to her begging letters (for a divorce and for money) to Cardinal Wolsey—because Henry himself was too busy writing letters to Anne Boleyn.

You couldn’t make it up.

After many years and military skirmishes with her second husband, including firing cannons at him from Holyrood Palace, Margaret finally gained her divorce in 1527. What she did next? Well, you’ll have to read Regina: The Queens Who Could Have Been to find out…

Make sure you follow Emily Murdoch Perkins on social media – @emilyekmurdoch