Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots by Sarah-Beth Watkins

Author:Sarah-Beth Watkins [Watkins, Sarah-Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-78535-677-3
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Published: 2017-12-08T05:00:00+00:00

Craigmillar Castle

Chapter Six

Return to Scotland

1517

Although Margaret was having to beg for money, Henry spared no expense on Christmas festivities. His was a court of wealth and luxury and he was determined that everyone would revel in his extravagance. Meal after meal was served at the Twelfth Night banquet, followed by the wheeling out of a delightful pageant called the Garden of Esperance ‘set with flowers…of silk and gold, the leaves cut of green satin…in the midst of this garden, was a pillar of antique work, all gold set with pearl and stone’ with an arch ‘crowned with gold; within stood a bush of roses red and white, all of silk and gold’.1 Six lords and ladies walked within the garden and descended from the setting to encourage the court to dance. Margaret was in no mood to join in. She was beginning to feel like she had outstayed her welcome and she was sorely missing her son.

As a new truce between England and Scotland was being discussed, Margaret began to make plans to return. Albany informed her that she would be ‘heartily welcome’2 but that she could only return with 24 English servants, fearing that larger numbers could constitute an army and a bid from Henry to take back the regency by force. Henry and Margaret had continually asked the Scottish council to reinstate Margaret as regent and tutrix but as the negotiations wore on this was a definite point on which the Scots would not back down. She was the little king’s mother and she would be welcomed back in Scotland as such but she would not be given back the reins of authority.

On 17 April, she received formal permission from her son to return ‘we…with the advice and counsel of our cousin, tutor and governor, John Duke of Albany…have granted…that it be lawful to our dearest mother to come into this our realm, freely and peaceably with her train’.3 But she still worried that she would be kept away from James. He had been moved from Stirling to Edinburgh and was closely guarded. No one was allowed near him without permission from the governor of Edinburgh castle, Sir Patrick Crichton. That was a battle for another day and first, Margaret had to undertake her journey north. She said her goodbyes to Henry and Catherine at Windsor but not before she had an earnest conversation with her brother. She asked him to allow her to act as mediator between Scotland and England and to take her advice on all Scottish matters. Specifically she wanted no renewals of peace treaties ‘unless she were well and honourably treated’.4 Henry agreed.

By 16 May, Margaret was ready to leave. Henry had gifted her horses with trappings of ‘white damask cloth of gold, crimson cloth of gold and black velvet’5 provided similar cloth for her attendants livery and showered her with jewels, plate and two fine gold cups, and arranged her escort. She was welcomed in each town she stopped at but was unwell at Doncaster.

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