Synopsis: This sequel to "The White Queen" is a fascinating look at Margaret Beaufort's life from the time she is married to Edmund Tudor at age 12 until she realizes her life ambition of seeing her son crowned King of England. In between those years, we witness Margaret's transformation from a powerless child to a crafty, ambitious young woman. Margaret is twice widowed and when she marries for the third time, she takes her destiny into her own hands and creates a marriage contract to benefit herself and her only son. Sure that she is bound for sainthood and led by God, Margaret will stop at nothing to ensure that the rightful heir to the throne, her son Henry Tudor, becomes King of England.
Comments: Margaret Beaufort is a character you can at once both admire and abhor. She sees herself as a vessel to be used by God and in pious vanity shows great disdain for everyone else around her. She is proud of her "saint's knees." We felt sorry for her being forced into a loveless marriage at the tender age of 12 when she had not even completed puberty. She truly believed herself to be destined to remain a virgin like Joan of Arc and enter a convent. Throughout Margaret's life we saw how women in that time period were regarded with little more value than what they could give in the way of an heir.
"Margaret...you must know that you could never choose your own life. You are a girl: girls have no choice." (p.26)
"Really, if it were not for Joan of Arc, I would think that girls are completely useless." (p. 41)
"You own nothing, Margaret. You yourself are the property of your husband." (p.57)
We discussed how Margaret had learned to take control of her life by the time she had been twice widowed. She arranged her third marriage to suit her needs. As she stated, "I will have to find myself a husband who has influence with them [court of York], who can take me to the highest place in the land, but still has the sense to think for himself and serve his own ambitions and mine." (p.172) "...I have to marry a man who is prepared to be true to my cause. At the very best, I want a husband who is ready to turn traitor." (p.173)
We pointed out how each of her husbands were so different from one another. Her first husband, Edmund, was so absorbed with his campaigns and Welsh lands. He remained emotionally detached from Margaret despite his nightly attempts to impregnate her. This loveless marriage led Margaret to remark, "Months into marriage I am as far away from desire as I was when I was a little girl; and it seems to me that there is nothing more likely to cure a woman of lust than marriage." We liked her second husband, Sir Henry Stafford. He was gentle, humble, kind and wise. Margaret did not find those qualities endearing, but instead viewed Henry as a cowardly weak man because he would not round up his tenants and go fight every time there was a call to arms. Her third husband was just what she wanted: self-serving, deceitful, and ambitious. Lord Stanley took her all the way to the inner royal court and helped her cause. There was always the understanding that this marriage would remain unconsummated. As Lady Margaret herself said, "A woman of sense would always marry only for the improvement of her family." (p.171)
It was interesting to us to see how Margaret's devoutness to God was innocent and endearing as a child, but became a stumbling block for her as the years passed. It was with smug confidence that she made treasonous statements and murderous plans believing she had God's approval if it meant putting her son one step closer to the throne.
This series has taught us more about the British monarchy and the Cousins' War. It has also made some of us desire to learn more about that history and time period. JoAnn and Diana kept us informed and entertained with their wealth of knowledge in this area. We find it unbelievable that though theories abound, there is even today no definite answer as to what happened to the two imprisoned, young princes. We are eager to read the next book in this series which the author has said centers around the White Queen's mother, Jacquetta.
Most Memorable Quote From Book: This remark comes from the Princess of York, Henry Tudor's betrothed, after she has had to endure a long stay with the pious and insulting Lady Margaret and is finally leaving the estate: "'Yes, but either way, shamed or not, I shall be Queen of England, and this is the last time you will sit in my presence,' she says shockingly." (p. 274) We love how the princess got in the last word which left her future mother-in-law stunned into silence.
FAB Rating:
Subject Matter: ***** (5 out of 5 stars)
Such an interesting time period in England's history. The mix of fiction and non-fiction in these novels makes it much more fun for some of us to learn history :)
Characters: ***** (5 out of 5 stars)
We liked how the author wrote this novel from Margaret's viewpoint and how it connected us with the previous novel's characters and plot. Philippa Gregory took a one-dimensional character from The White Queen and made her 3-dimensional in this latest installment. Margaret is someone who captured our imagination, if not our heart!
