The Sisters of Henry VIII: The Tumultuous Lives of Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France

An interesting look at the sisters of Henry VIII. Margaret Tudor and her younger sister, Mary Tudor, are not much discussed when it comes to the history of their illustrious family. Both made spectacular first marriages: one to the King of Scotland and one to the King of France. Their subsequent unions were the causes of many headaches for their brother.

It's great to read about these two royal women, but this felt like a triad biography. Indeed, their brother Henry VIII received just as much (if not a little more) treatment as his sisters. We are given full and detailed accounts of his divorce trial, which saw him repudiate his first wife Catherine of Aragon. One wonders why. Neither sister was involved in the case. Looking back, it show more seems that the inclusion of many of the events featuring Henry VIII was filler information. This not very long book would've been much shorter without it.

That being said, it's a worthwhile addition to Tudor history books and an intriguing look at the courts of France and Scotland as they related to Henry VIII's sisters. show less

Comparatively little gets written about Henry VIII's sisters. Margaret married King James IV of Scotland and is the ancestress of the current royal family. Mary briefly married King Louis XI of France and then Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, Henry's closest personal friend. I found this a bit slow going in parts and the endless twists and turns of Scottish events, with constant political and personal betrayals, became a bit dull and convoluted. Mary was comparatively less comprehensively covered than her elder sister. But it is well written and offers an interesting look at a less well known aspect of the Tudor dynasty. 3.5/5

Eminently readable it might be, but there is far too much padding. Detailed lists of clothes, banquets and tournaments distract from the narrative. Furthermore for most of the last quarter of the book Mary and Margaret are sidelined as Perry goes over the familiar ground of the King's Great Matter. Neither woman really emerges as distinct personality, but it would have made a good book of some 150 pages or so. And I am now officially fed up of the Tudors.

Let's just say that it was not easy to be a woman in the 1500s. It was especially not easy to be a woman related to Henry VIII and a pawn in his plans for political gain. This telling of the stories of Margaret of Scotland (mother to James V), and Mary of France was an interesting at look at a period of time most often told from the male perspective. Well researched, but I wish there had been more to this book, which is a little thin considering the fascinating times in which these two women lived.

3.5 stars

This is a nonfiction account of the lives of Henry VIII's sisters. Margaret, his older sister, was married to James IV of Scotland. She moved there and married him at 13 years old. He died young, and Margaret went on to marry two more times. Henry's younger sister, Mary, was married off to the much older King of France, Louis XII. They were only married for a few months before he died, giving Mary a chance to return to England and marry the man she loved, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.

I've only read a little bit of fiction about Mary, but nothing at all about Margaret till now, so this was interesting to hear what happened in Margaret's life after she left England (it was not an easy life for her). The book was good.

I have really mixed feelings about this book. The research is very good, but this book is dryer than dust. It is almost too detailed. I stuck with it, but it was slow going. It is not for the casual Tudor history reader like me.

It was ok but it didn't really offer anything new and it had too much about Henry VIII. Especially the later part was mainly focused on Henry's divorce from Katherine of Aragon.