The Thistle and the Rose - by Linda Porter (Paperback)

About the Book

The page-turning story of the life of Henry VIII's forgotten elder sister, brought to vivid colour in this stunning new biography.

Book Synopsis

Margaret Tudor, the elder sister of her more famous brother Henry VIII, is the single most important Tudor figure of this era that historians have consistently overlooked. Married at thirteen to the charismatic James IV of Scotland, a man more than twice her age, she would learn the skills of statecraft that would enable her to survive his early death, and to construct a powerful position in her adopted country of Scotland as she dealt with domestic issues as well as navigating international relations with England and France.

Often reviled for her hasty remarriage (and therefore the loss of the regency) the book shows that Margaret was damned if she did remarry and damned if she didn't. Her two subsequent marriages were both disastrous personally, but she never gave up. Her son attained the throne in his own right in 1528, largely through his mother's determination.

Margaret's story is also one of fierce sibling rivalry with her younger brother, Henry VIII, a series of matrimonial mishaps, and fighting off an unearned reputation as an over-sexed whinger fixated by clothes and jewels, Margaret was a complex (not always likeable) woman who had the true Tudor attributes of self-expression and a flair for the dramatic. She knew that you had to look like a queen.

Drawing on Margaret's extensive correspondence (more of her letters survive than of all the other Tudor queens put together), and contemporary poems and literature, Linda Porter fashions a compelling story of a misunderstood and underestimated Tudor monarch, whose determination to fight for the rights of her son, James V, is at the core of her dramatic life and indeed laid the groundwork for a future British state.

Review Quotes

"Meticulously detailed ... a fine example of Royal biography and a welcome addition to Tudor narrative history." --Helen Carr, The Spectator

"Highly readable" --Katherine Harvey, The Times

"Linda Porter's thorough and compelling new biography of this oft-overlooked Tudor balances well the tragedy of Margaret's gilded cage with the significance ofher captivating life." --Joanne Paul, BBC History Magazine

"Linda Porter brilliantly brings to life the story of a woman who has been side-lined by history for too long. Porter's gripping account rightfully reinstates Margaret Tudor as a daughter and sister of kings, a princess of England, a queen of Scotland, and the matriarch of the next royal dynasty. Porter enables Margaret to boldly emerge from the shadows and be placed at the very centre of sixteenth-century histories of England and Scotland. Vigorously researched and compellingly written, Porter's The Thistle and the Rose is a must-read for any Tudor - or Stuart - enthusiast." --Kate McCaffrey

"With her usual narrative flair and meticulous research, Porter draws an engrossing portrait of a fascinating, highly intelligent woman and her important royal legacy." --Elizabeth Fremantle, author of The Poison Bed

"A compelling portrait of one of the most fascinating yet overlooked Tudor queens. In elegant style, Linda Porter brings the turbulent power politics of sixteenth-century Scotland to life while never forgetting the human stories within. Vivid and dramatic, this is Tudor history at its finest." --Miranda Malins

"Just when you thought there was nothing new to be said about the Tudors, along comes this important and immensely readable biography. Margaret Tudor - wife to the king of Scotland, sister to the king of England, ancestress of the Windsor dynasty - is here convincingly reconfigured as a skilled and ambitious power player in her own right. It's hard to believe no-one has properly covered this subject before - but perhaps Margaret was lucky in waiting until Linda Porter came along." --Sarah Gristwood, author of Blood Sisters

"Packed with endless fascinating detail, The Thistle and the Rose is gripping from start to finish, and provides a nuanced and human portrayal of this extraordinary woman. A must read for any Tudor fans!" --Alice Loxton

"Marvellous...packed with intrigue and danger." --A.N. Wilson on Katherine the Queen: the remarkable life of Katherine Parr

"Stunning - an epic journey through the turbulent history of two nations." --Alison Weir on Crown of Thistles: the fatal inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots

"Linda Porter looks with sympathy and fluent scholarship at the lives of the six beloved Stuart princes and princesses." --Charles Spencer on Royal Renegades: the children of Charles I and the English Civil Wars

"Engaging...Porter skilfully interweaves the politics with the passion." --Tracy Borman on Mistresses: sex and scandal at the court of Charles II

About the Author

Doctor Linda Porter is the critically acclaimed author of five books on the Tudors and Stuarts. She was also the historical consultant on Lucy Worsley's BBC1 series, Six Wives, and is currently working as a consultant for a major new Tudor documentary for BBC2.