Princess Margaret Tudor
Name Given at Birth: Margaret Elizabeth Tudor—Margaret after my grandmother (and godmother) Margaret Beaufort, and Elizabeth for my mother, Elizabeth of York.
Nicknames: Meg is what my brother called me as a child. My first husband called me Maggie.
Hometown or where you were born: London, at the palace of Westminster
Current Residence: My brother Henry has graciously granted me the use of the palace of Scotland Yard in London while I am in England, but at the moment we are on progress in Canterbury.
Age: 36
Class: Royal
What do you do, your main function in life/society: As the eldest daughter born to the King and Queen of England, I was first and foremost a means of political alliance. My marriage to Scotland was contracted before I reached my teens, though I did not actually travel to my new country until I was 14. Many things have changed in my life since then. Now, as the Queen Dowager of Scotland I have at times ruled as Regent and currently serve as advisor to my son James, the Scottish King. As a Princess of England I represent the Crown as His Majesty my brother requires, fulfill my role as a member of the Court at official functions, and administer the many charitable works expected of royal ladies.
Have you ever gone skinny-dipping / do you know how to swim: I do know how to swim, having been forced to learn quickly when six-year-old Henry pushed me into a pond. Fortunately I was not in formal dress at the time. After some sputtering, I found that I was able to float, and so enjoyed the feeling that my nurse had trouble persuading me to come out. Swimming is one of the pleasures I missed in Scotland, as the lakes were much colder than in England.
Do you make fun of people: Never in public, as I have always tried to be a credit to my mother and her careful instruction in manners. I do tease my brother in private, as is the privilege of an older sister.
Favorite Color: Burgundy. It was the color of the bed hangings in my chamber from the time I was tiny and it has always made me feel safe and warm.
Have you ever committed or been convicted of a crime: No, but I have at times been on the wrong side of battles between Scotland and England, according to my brother. It was quite a dilemma, as I owed loyalty to Scotland through my husband and my position as Queen, yet England and my Tudor blood had the prior claim on my heart.
Closest friends/How did you meet:
I have only been back in England for a year, but have made some close friends:
Lady Esmerelda Highgate—when I returned from Scotland, most of the ladies of the court were much younger than I, so Lady Esmerelda and I had more in common, and I find her Gypsy roots exotic and exciting.
Her husband the Duke is one of the few members of court that I knew as a child and has always treated me with great kindness.
I have found the Boleyns, Mary, George and of course my soon-to-be sister Anne, to be charming company though they are rather younger than I. We all share a great interest in music which is also the favorite pursuit of—
My brother Henry, with whom I have always had a lively and affectionate relationship even through distance and political strife.
One Pillow or two: Two goosedown pillows that travel with me—they are especially shaped and I find that I cannot sleep nearly as well without them. One of my ladies-in-waiting in Scotland, Margaret Hamilton, had made a similar one for her mother and, when I was having difficulty sleeping, created these for me. I shall be eternally grateful.
Pets: I have had many dogs, horses, and hawks over the years but the one pet that I keep with me is my lemur, Coriander. He was a gift from the Empress of Madagascar. He does suffer in the cold so I do not bring him out of my apartments.
Favorite Type of Music: Singing in harmony. It is one of my great joys to be back in England to sing with my brother again, though it is rather different now his voice has changed! His Majesty does not consider any courtier well-educated unless he or she is an accomplished musician, so we have a great many fine voices at court, including those of the new Queen and her siblings, as well as my sister Mary and her husband Lord Suffolk.
Hobbies/Pastimes: Music of all kinds (I play several instruments) and like my brother I enjoy composing. I also spend much time in beadwork and embroidery.
Personal Hygiene: Though it was considered eccentric in Scotland, I insisted that members of my household bathe thoroughly once a week. For myself I try to bathe twice weekly (though it is more difficult on progress) and I keep my chamber and my linens strewn with lavender.
Favorite Food: A good roast of beef with pungent herbs.
Are your parents alive, do you get along with them: My parents, may God rest their souls, are long dead. When they were alive I looked on them as the most noble and shining examples of humanity and obeyed them as I would God Himself. Unlike my younger siblings.
If your parents are dead, when and how did they die: My mother, Queen Elizabeth, died less than a year before I left for Scotland, while giving birth to my short-lived sister, Katherine. My father, King Henry VII, did not live much longer, and my brother succeeded him as Henry VIII. Such grief made my first years as Queen of Scotland more difficult than they might have been, although my husband King James was a gracious and loving lord to his young English bride.
Favorite place to relax: Anywhere with a lot of cushions and the illusion of privacy.
Favorite Holy Day / Why: Christmas, as it is the birth of Our Lord and has the most glorious music.
Favorite Drink: Hot mulled wine or sweet possets—I love anything warm.
What's your bedtime: Our bedtime at the Scottish Court was much earlier-here the young people surrounding my brother stay up very late playing cards and carousing. I put in a few hours as my duty as a member of the court but try to retire by eleven.
What, if anything, do you usually wear on your feet: I love pretty shoes and have silk slippers covered in beads and embroidery in colors to match all my gowns, but I cannot bear to soil them so wear them only indoors. For tramping through the streets I have shoes of gilded or dyed leather that are much more easily cleaned.
Are you married or single: I have been twice married but am currently single. As a child I was married by proxy to King James of Scotland and joined with him as true wife by the time I was fourteen. He was killed (by the army of England) at the battle of Flodden and I became Queen Regent for my infant son. I have since married (and divorced) Lord Archibald Douglas, the Earl of Angus. I am quite capable of handling my own affairs but I do miss being married and am not averse to suitors.
Do you have a family / who are they: My closest family is of course His Majesty, King Henry whom I revere as my king and love as my brother. My sister Mary and I are becoming acquainted—she was an infant when I was in Scotland. My first husband is dead and my second and I are on barely civil terms after our divorce. I have two living children—King James of Scotland, by my first husband, and Lady Margaret Douglas by my second. Margaret is being raised by my husband’s family in Scotland, though I communicate with her regularly. I have to acknowledge that Lord Douglas seems to care well for her upbringing and education.
Favorite Entertainment: Juggling. I remember my father’s jester was quite skilled, and I invited jugglers to our court in Scotland whenever my husband would allow it (he found it rather frivolous and I never told him that I practiced juggling myself in secret). My brother tells me that there are wonderful jugglers at the Harvest Fair in Canterbury so I am greatly looking forward to seeing them.
Favorite Subject in School or Chore growing up: Music. I was so delighted when my younger brother showed early talent in music as well.
Least Favorite Subject in School or Chore growing up: History. I knew it was my duty as a princess of England so I studied and recited, but—does it really matter that William II Rufus died in 1100? Oh well, I suppose it mattered to King Rufus.
Favorite Sport: Archery. Though I liked it better when I used to be able to beat Henry at it. He would get so angry when I won!
Most Humiliating Moment: When the lords of Scotland informed me that they had replaced me as Regent—I felt that I had performed the office well and that they mistrusted me merely because I was a woman. Now that James rules in his own right I feel that my counsel is again valued.
Proudest Moment: When my marriage to King James had been contracted and my parents told me that now I was to be treated as a Queen. Henry had a fit!
Craziest Person or silliest you know: Leopold, the court florist and dancing master. He has enchanted me since I first set eyes on him with his ribbons and graces.
What do you look for in the opposite sex: I had no choice in my first husband, of course, but as I grew to love him I do compare all men to him. He was fiercely intelligent and skilled in all manner of pursuits, particularly languages and science. He was devoted to his country and to God. While he was physically handsome as well, it is his intelligence and honor that I valued most and that most attract me to any man.
In our Hierarchical Society everybody has somebody "over" them, Who is your immediate "overlord": His Majesty my brother Henry.
Favorite Sport to watch: A good, down-and-dirty swordfight, none of this fancy fencing with rules. Captain MacGregor is most entertaining with the sword.
Do you remember your first kiss: Somehow as a child I acquired the belief that kissing a boy was tantamount to being unfaithful to my future husband. I am certain now that I misinterpreted something said by my mother. As I had an overdeveloped sense of duty I managed to keep my lips to myself until my marriage by proxy. At the ceremony, I kissed the Earl of Bothwell, the proxy for King James. It was a strange sensation, having my first kiss be to a man who was standing in for my husband, whom I had not yet met. I must say, however, that the real King James made up for that unromantic first kiss many times over.
Do you keep in touch with your childhood friends: Except for my brother, I had no further contact with most of my childhood friends once I was sent to Scotland.
Where is your favorite "Vacation" spot: On this progress with my brother I am rediscovering places that I visited as a child. I think the Harvest Fair at Canterbury may turn out to be my new favorite.
Have you ever been overseas: Scotland is not precisely "overseas" but it is certainly not England.
Do you have Dirt/Mud floors or Stone: Scotland Yard has stone floors. My home with Lord Douglas had some wooden floors on the upper story.
What is your bed made of: The frame is of good English walnut, but the mattress is stuffed with Scottish heather.
How many people sleep in your bed: Often one of my ladies sleeps in my bed, so it is either one or two people. Coriander also sleeps in my arms with his tail curled up over my shoulder.
10 Things Everybody Should Know About Me:
1. My brother was very disapproving of my divorce, so I consider it an exquisite irony that he had to work so hard to get one of his own.
2. I therefore am rather taken with Anne Boleyn as she is the cause of my brother’s having to change his tune.
3. I have always been the dutiful child of the family and respectful of authority.
4. I am vain about my appearance and love beautiful clothing. I am enjoying all the French fashions at court and am having new gowns made whenever I can afford them.
5. I walk a fine line with my brother, bowing to his God-given authority as king but asserting my God-given privileges as older sister. We understand each other and he rarely has to pull rank on me.
6. I am interested in finding another husband, though I would never marry without my brother’s consent.
7. I had many children that lived less than a year, so I am drawn to young ones wherever I see them, imagining my own babes as they would have grown. Thanks be to God that my son James and daughter Margaret are thriving.
8. I am perfectly content to practice the "new religion" as my brother decrees.
9. Divided loyalties have been forced upon me from an early age, but I consider myself subject to the will of my brother as King now that I am no longer in an official capacity in Scotland.
10. It is one of my greatest desires to become closer to my younger sister, Mary, as I was deprived of the company of a true sister during my life up until now.