The Thistle and The Rose

This biography reexamines Margaret Tudor, the overlooked elder sister of Henry VIII, revealing her as one of the most influential yet misunderstood figures of the Tudor era.

Married at thirteen to James IV of Scotland, Margaret quickly learned the art of politics and diplomacy, skills that helped her survive his death and secure a powerful role in Scotland’s turbulent court. Though condemned for her hasty remarriage, she faced impossible choices, enduring two disastrous unions but never abandoning her mission to see her son, James V, on the throne—a goal she ultimately achieved through sheer determination.

Amid fierce sibling rivalry with Henry VIII and a scandalous reputation for vanity and passion, Margaret emerges as a complex, ambitious, and resilient woman who embodied the true Tudor spirit. Drawing from her extensive surviving letters and contemporary writings, Linda Porter paints a vivid portrait of a queen who fought for her son’s rights and helped shape the foundation of a future united British monarchy.