Uncrowned Queen

April 15, 2020
A fresh biography of the woman who ushered in the Tudor dynasty. In this intricate and intimate work, Tallis manages to cut through the dizzying ties of royal ancestry to get at the steely personality of Lady Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509), a beleaguered mother whose single-minded purpose was to redeem the status of her son--and herself in the bargain. The author, who has previously written about Queen Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey, presents a fully fleshed portrait of a justly celebrated woman who weathered several marriages and royal wars to prevail with the accession of her son, Henry VII, to the throne of England as the first Tudor. One of Margaret's ancestors was the founder of the house of Lancaster, whose ties would come to define all of her dealings. Wealthy and well-connected, she was a prime pawn in the marriage market, betrothed twice as a child and married to Edmund Tudor at age 12. The author clearly renders this early marriage as a traumatic experience; Margaret got pregnant immediately, and Edmund died in battle less than two years later. Nonetheless, she was a devoted mother, and, through two more advantageous marriages, to Henry Stafford and Thomas Stanley, she skillfully positioned herself during the War of the Roses between the supporters of the Lancasters and Yorks. With Richard III's usurpation of power in 1483, Margaret actively plotted to render her exiled son to the throne and arrange his marriage to Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of Edward IV, in order to claim legitimacy. Despite a perilous period of being branded "mother of the king's great rebel and traitor," it actually came to pass. In 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth, Henry defeated Richard to become king. For fans of British royal history, Tallis is a reliable guide, and the timeline and dramatis personae are highly useful. A deeply researched work that allows this historic personage to live and breathe.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2020

In 1457, at the height of the Wars of the Roses, 13-year-old Margaret Beaufort was already a widow and mother to the infant Henry Tudor. That both survived the upheavals of the next three decades was a feat in itself; that they emerged the victors, with Henry Tudor crowned as Henry VII and Margaret one of the most powerful women in England, speaks to an extraordinary determination on Margaret's part, as Tallis (Crown of Blood) explores in this new biography. In addition to recounting how Margaret's maneuvering ensured the survival and rise of herself and her son, Tallis dispels the image of Margaret as a dour woman devoted solely to piety by providing lavish detail on her love of books, clothing, and jewelry, her founding of two colleges at Cambridge, and the establishment of her own financial independence. However, Tallis's fascination for her subject is also a weak point, as it results in the glossing over of examples of Margaret's shortcomings and unquestioned support of material that vilifies her opponents. VERDICT A highly sympathetic, spirited portrait of a major figure of the late Plantagenet and early Tudor reigns. Interested readers might also seek out Michael Jones and Malcolm Underwood's The King's Mother.--Kathleen McCallister, William & Mary Libs., Williamsburg, VA

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2020
Historian Tallis (Crown of Blood, 2016) brings out the nuances in the life of Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, often portrayed in popular culture as either a romantic heroine or a monomaniacal schemer for her son. Margaret's early life was defined by her membership in the House of Lancaster as they battled their York cousins for the crown. It was not romantic: Henry was born when she was just 13, and after the death of her husband, Edmund Tudor, she had to relinquish her son's raising to others. Tallis traces Margaret's development into a canny and often lucky negotiator in the minefields of royal politics, who worked to protect her son and support his interests. She also fought to strengthen her own position, ultimately acquiring a degree of independence unusual for a woman in her time and place. As the king's mother, she became his adviser and trusted lieutenant as well as the royal matriarch. This clear, straightforward portrayal of Margaret Beaufort's complex world will appeal to fans of the Tudors and English history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)