Literal mother of the Tudor Dynasty, Margaret Beaufort is often relegated as a footnote in History. When she isn't completely forgotten or glossed over, she is often cast as a scheming manipulator who isn't above a little murder if it means that her son is able to attain and retain the English Throne.

Tallis sets off to give us a complete picture of a women who is often maligned and mischaracterized in novels, movies and tv shows. This is a deep dive into Margaret Beaufort's starting with her birth which made her an heiress through her four marriages including to Edmund Tudor (a man many years her senior and the father of her only child). To her motherhood and life under the reigns of Henry VI, Edward IV, and Richard III. The book cites several contemporary sources to aid Tallis' case that while Margaret Beaufort was ambitious and intelligent, she's not the villainess that certain novels portray her as.

I've long been interested in the Tudor Dynasty -- the comparatively short dynasty historically whose influence is still felt to this day. So when I had the opportunity to read this book, I jumped on it.

It's a nice complete read, albeit a bit dry, that follows Margaret through her life. The most interesting parts, I felt, related to how Margaret negotiated her own marriages and managed her own lands. The book does devote some time to the claim that Margaret was responsible for the deaths of the Princes in the Tower, Edward V and Richard.

In all, this is an interesting book and a must have for people who are really into Tudor history.

Four stars.

This was a well written book of Margaret Beaufort‘a life. In more current historical fiction and TV series, she’s portrayed as a terrible person when there really isn’t much historical basis for that. She had an interesting and at times difficult life and I think this book narrated her story well. It’s a good read for anyone who wants to know more about figures from history.

Fascinating in-depth history, Margaret Beaufort is remembered as Elizabeth of York’s mother-in-law from hell. This biography fleshes out her life, She becomes a woman of fierce determination who eventually wins the Wars of the Roses.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy to read and review.

I love Tudor history and was excited to read this book as I really didn't know much about Margaret Beaufort. This book was really interesting and she was a great historical character and previously unknown to me. This was great historical fiction and I loved the author's writing style and look forward to checking out more novels by her.

I would highly recommend this book for readers of historical fiction or those that love the Tudors.

Uncrowned Queen The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch - Nicola Tallis (7/28)

Rating 4.5 / 5 Stars

** Thank you to Netgalley, Perseus Books, and of course, Nicola Tallis, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve always had a fascination in Tudor history, ever since I was little and I stole my brother’s AP European History textbook. Although my work in academia has taken me in a different direction with history, I have continued to research the Tudors in my spare time. However, there was only something I noticed as I dug deeper into this period. It’s all about the men. The wives of Henry VIII are just that - one of the six wives. They are known and discussed however, they are also forgotten about in exchange for their male counterparts. What is known about Anne Neville, The wife of Richard III or Elizabeth Woodville, Edward IV commoner bride? Most often, these women are just a footnote in the history books.

One of the other extraordinary women to come out of this period is Margaret Beaufort - considered the matriarch of the Tudor dynasty. For a long time, she is just that, a footnote in the marvelous and extravagant history that ended the Wars of The Roses and allowed her son into power, Henry VII. However, Margaret is so much more than this and Tallis does an exceptional job of bringing her story to life.

Margaret’s life is not worthy of a footnote. From her experiences as a young child bride, in fact, Beaufort was married 4 times, the first when she was a year old and her last in her late 30s. Her second marriage (at the age of 13) produced the later Henry VII whom Margaret devoted her life’s cause to secure the throne. Considered a mastermind in her own right, Margaret maneuvered the chessboard throughout her time in the royal court and abroad until her son became King in 1485 following the defeat of Richard III. Following his ascension to the throne, she continued her work, securing a Tudor line which would extend through her great-granddaughter - Elizabeth I.

Tallis provides evidence of meticulous research and a devotion to the subject manner, but one con I had of this book was the narrative style of writing. I still believe it is worth a read if you have any interest in the Tudor dynasty. I know I will be going back to it in the future if I am looking for information.

As like any Tudor royalty she had a higher power, her son Henry Vll. She ruled like a queen without the title. Not sure if that was a great thing. In her time she set up many colleges around England. Being the mother of the Tudor era she had great power. To find out more about her life is very interesting.

Uncrowned Queen by Nicola Tallis is the first book I have read about Henry VII mother Margaret Beaufort. Uncrowned Queen brings Margaret to life. She is such an interesting figure. Imagine living during her lifetime. She lived through the Wars of the Roses and plotted to put her son on the throne as Henry VII.

Most historical fiction depictions of Margaret are very unflattering. She is depicted as either a shrew, a religious fanatic or a villain. Maybe she was a little of both or maybe she was just a woman trying to survive and thrive in a male-dominated society.

I really enjoyed this well-written and well-researched book that depicted the real Margaret. This is truly a great book for Tudor history lovers.

*Many thanks to Nicola Tallis, Perseus Books and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
A facinating biography of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, which does the credit to her stamina and intelligence. He son and grandson always are in the limelight when the Tudors are mentioned, however Margaret is just a historic figure. Hopefully this non-fiction will receive a lot of attention as Ms Tallis write in a very approachable manner and does justice to the mother of the Tudor dynasty.
Margaret Beaufort's life was unusual from the early start, and I did admire the ways she fought against the misfortunes and worked hard to save her only child and later to bring him as close to the crown as possible. With success, naturally.

An excellent book on Margaret Beaumount, thr mother of the first Tudor king, Henry VII. There is plenty of controversy surrounding her and this book gets behind the controversy to the recorded facts. While i don't always agree with the author's conclusions, the picture painted is very different from the one I have read elsewhere.

Apart from am occasional tortured sentence and a need to identify people by first and last names to avoid confusion,the book is very readable.

I have to agree with another reviewer. This book reads more like an adventure novel than a dry nonfiction book. It covers Margaret Beaufort's life from her birth, through her four marriages, the birth of her son, The War of the Roses, the rise of the Tudors, the death of her son, and the coronation of Henry VIII before her death a few days after that event. Nicola Tallis lays out her case for the innocence of Margaret in the deaths of The Princes in the Tower. The author also points out that while Henry didn't have a strong claim to the throne there was a lack of male Lancaster claimants to the throne. By default, Margaret had a strong claim to the throne which she give up in favor of her son. I'm looking forward to see a published copy of this book.

What an incredible biography about an absolutely incredible woman! Every single time I picked up “Uncrowned Queen”, I learned something new about Margaret Beaufort and her life and times.

Margaret Beaufort is one of my absolute favorite historical figures. When I first heard about this new biography, I immediately knew I had to read it, and I am so, so glad I did!

Ms. Tallis truly knows how to bring history to life. She writes in a way that reads like fiction, and this book flowed beautifully from start to finish. She seamlessly weaves in various primary and other secondary sources with her own voice, and the result is a well-rounded and exquisite biography. We learn about Margaret’s lineage, her early years, the birth of her son at the extremely young age of 13, her fighting to protect her son even when she was kept away from him, seeing Henry crowned King, her time as “My Lady the King’s Mother”, what happened after Henry VII’s death as well as her own, and so much more.
So many historical figures feature in this biography: Henry VII, Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII, Katherine of Aragon, Edward IV, Elizabeth Wydville, Richard III, George, Duke of Clarence, Isabel Neville, Anne Neville, Warwick (the Kingmaker), among many others!

Margaret Beaufort was such a strong, brave, intelligent, and driven woman who survived The War of the Roses. A woman who was ahead of her times in many ways, Margaret was able to survive and protect her son against many odds. I am so glad her story is being told and brought to the forefront, for what an unbelievable story of perseverance, strength, love, and fight it is.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Perseus Books, Basic Books for the ARC of this biography. I loved it! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

When I was growing up, reading history was like reading about half of a world--everything was about the men. The women were pretty much missing altogether, unless they managed to get themselves killed in some spectacular way, or were infamous for other reasons.

Even Shakespeare overlooked Margaret Beaufort in his history plays leading up to the establishment of the Tudor dynasty, which is remarkable considering the fact that she is one of those rare persons who managed to survive the bloody and sudden deaths of many of the noble and royal players in the Wars of the Roses. She almost didn't survive Richard III, who became aware that Margaret was behind the plan to bring her son Henry Tudor back from France to challenge his right to the throne.

So it took longer than it should have to become aware of Margaret Beaufort, which is why I opted for this book. I found it to be a solid introduction. The beginning, as Tallis introduces the background figures, was sometimes confusing and even repetitive, and the whole is necessarily looking through a very distant lens, but once Margaret reached the age of thirteen and was summarily tossed into adulthood, the narrative seemed to gain focus and became absorbing.

Yeah, she was married off at the ripe old age of thirteen, and promptly had a kid--her only pregnancy, Henry Tudor, who was to become Henry VII.

This was a solid read, if not perfect--Tallis can't resist telling us what Margaret or others thought, here and there, without any reference to period material, which I suspect is irresistible to scholars who have steeped themselves in period. But there's no doubt that Tallis did her homework. The bibliographic reference are solid, and there are lots of excellent quotations conveying a sense of immediacy.

The last third, once Richard III is dead, slowed down again as we get long descriptions of what Margaret wore to this or that event, and of her many jewels and properties, as Tallis tells us repeatedly that Margaret was a careful and attentive governor of her many manors and estates.

But overall it was an interesting portrait of a fascinating woman who managed to steer through very troubled times. It was also a great help in keeping track of all the various Edwards and Richards and Henrys in both Yorkist and Lancastrian camps before they got summarily munched, which has always confuzzled me when reading about the Wars of the Roses.

Uncrowned Queen: The Life of Margaret Beaufort, Mother of the Tudors
by Nicola Tallis
History/Biography
416 pages
Published July 28, 2020, by Basic Books

Though recent pop culture entries have portrayed Margaret Beaufort as a power-hungry and hysterical religious zealot bent on gaining power for her son at all costs, the truth of Margaret’s life is more complex and less villainous than much historical fiction makes it out to be. As the descendant of Edward III of England and her parents’ sole surviving legitimate child, Margaret was heir to extensive lands and wealth, making her a pawn in the decades-long political struggle later known as the Wars of the Roses, which came to an end with the accession to the throne of Margaret’s only child– Henry Tudor. After becoming both mother and widow at the age of 13, Margaret set out to make advantageous marriages that would ensure her son’s safety in childhood and his fortunes as an adult. After Richard III’s accession to (or perhaps usurpation of) the English throne in 1483, Margaret plotted to bring about an end to Richard’s reign, a dangerous scheme that paid off in the end, for after the Battle of Bosworth Field in August 1485, Richard III was dead, and Henry Tudor was crowned king, thus beginning England’s most famous dynasty– the Tudors.

“We are fortunate enough to have access to a relatively complete set of her surviving accounts between 1489 and 1509. Among her payments for silk, rose water, lavender, offerings and rewards, there is a fascinating constant. Throughout hundreds of pages of transactions, one can rarely be found on which her carefully scrawled signature does not appear at the bottom– this was a woman who was in full control of her money and knew where it was going down to the last penny.”



In Uncrowned Queen, Tudor historian Dr. Nicola Tallis creates a vivid portrait of Margaret Beaufort’s life. Using extensive primary resources, Tallis tells how Margaret– at first a pawn in others’ schemes– eventually learned to become a political player in her own right and used what power she had to gain safety, for herself and ultimately put her son Henry in the position to gain the throne, thereby changing English history forever. Though she was a woman in a misogynistic era, Margaret made alliances among England’s most powerful men and women, among them Henry VI, Edward IV, and Queen consort Elizabeth Woodville, thereby gaining independence that was nearly unheard of for a woman of her time. After her son’s accession to the throne, Margaret gained power that was unrivaled by any woman of her time.

In this accessible and eminently readable biography, Tallis takes the reader through Margaret’s life, from her tangled ancestry dating back to the controversial Katherine Swynford and her marriage in 1396 to John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III, all the way to Margaret’s grandson Henry VIII’s accession to the throne and her death in 1509. Though the emphasis is on Margaret’s life, the events and politics of the era are discussed, as well. Without this discussion, it’s impossible to understand why Margaret would have plotted with the Duke of Buckingham in Buckingham’s rebellion of 1483, which ultimately failed. Tallis’s explanation of the politics also helps to explain how, even after the failed rebellion, after having her lands stripped from her and being placed under house arrest, Margaret was able to avoid being executed for treason and went on to keep plotting against Richard III, an effort that paid off for the Tudors in late 1485.

Though having at least a basic background in the history of the Wars of the Roses is helpful, Tallis’s narrative is clear and mostly straightforward, save for some wandering into the weeds of English history towards the beginning. Her sources are extensively documented, and she addresses the origins of the rumors that Margaret was somehow involved with the disappearance– and probable murders– of the young Princes in the Tower. Tallis also acknowledges that two of her primary contemporary sources were biased in Margaret’s favor. It is important for historians to acknowledge this sort of bias, as it gives the reader a clue as to how much skepticism should be taken when approaching biased accounts– whether they are for or against the person in question.

For those with an interested in English history of the Wars of the Roses and the Tudor dynasty, Uncrowned Queen provides a wealth of insight into the fascinating life of Margaret Beaufort, who used her intelligence to maneuver her way from being a pawn from an ill-favored branch of the royal line to becoming the most powerful woman in England and the mother of the Tudor dynasty.



Thank to you NetGalley and Basic Books for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.

Margaret is one of the most powerful women in history and she is often overlooked. This book was something she would have appreciated as a fictional take on her life.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nicola Tallis' Uncrowned Queen.
A biography of one of the most controversial figures of the Wars of the Roses, Margaret Beaufort, it is a comprehensive study of Margaret's life and achievements. The author looks into every aspect of Margaret's life, from her family background to her involvement in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower, to her son's rise to the throne. Each event is discussed methodically and critically. Blame is assigned where it lies and wild accusations are dismissed with impressive and concise argument.
There is no doubt that Nicola Tallis likes her subject. She portrays Margaret Beaufort as a strong, independent woman, who manages to control the direction of her own life, once her son attains the throne. She is also a woman who spent many years living under the direction and control of the powers that be, married off and pregnant before she was even a teenager, and then separated from her only son for most of his childhood and early adulthood..
The author presents Margaret's story with compassion, but also deep critical analysis of Margaret's life and actions. If she was in the wrong, you will know about it. The life of Margaret Beaufort is also placed firmly with the context of the times in which she lived; the shifting alliances of the Wars of the Roses and the dawning of the Tudor dynasty. She comes across as a force of nature; physically a petite woman with a strength and determination that sees her on the winning side at the end of the wars.
Written with a passion and enthusiasm that comes across on every page, this is an easy book to read, which engages the readers from the start. Nicola Tallis uses primary sources and her critical analysis to present an even, balanced view of the mother of the Tudor dynasty. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

This is a thorough biography of Margaret Beaufort with a flowing narrative that tells the story of her life from Margaret's cradle to her grave.I Like the setting, the writing style, the plot and the plot twists and the characters in the book were amazing. I would recommend this to anyone who likes there history.

I found this book to be very informative about a very little known royal, Margarete Beaufort, King Henry VII's mother. It was well researched and used many primary sources. While many accounts of Margarete portray her as cold this account sheds a different light on her and her life. I would recommend this book to fans of Tudor history.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

A few months ago, I watched The White Princess which I enjoyed in spite of its flaws. It’s a period of history that interests me, but it’s by no means a favourite era: the subtext here is that I’m not an expert when it comes to the details. One character leaped out me: Margaret Beaufort. I saw her tomb years ago, and have always remembered it. While I found her role in the series interesting, I knew the programme was far from historically accurate, and that made me want to learn more. The series portrayed her as a religious fanatic, multiple marriages in her past, that incredibly tight relationship with her son Henry (who became Henry VII), the mother-in-law from hell, in love with her brother in-law Jasper, and even at one point she commits murder. What was up with all that?

So this brings me to the book: Uncrowned Queen by Nicola Tallis. The first section of the book explores Margaret’s origins. With history, there’s always an argument as to how far back one should go. In this case, there are so many people mentioned that I became bogged down with keeping everyone straight. No doubt someone who is well versed in the period would fare better.

Uncrowned queen

While some things about Margaret’s early life are known, there are also huge gaps in her early history. It’s clear from her history, a young heiress whose father died young, that she was a bargaining chip. I was unaware of the whole ‘wardship’ scam (I may be using the word ‘scam’ out of context but after reading that wealthy lords were granted and/or bought wardships, the word seems to fit–especially when you consider that those guardians got first dibs when it came to marrying off their wards and the doling out of their wealth.)

Margaret was a hot commodity–a “marital pawn since the earliest days of her childhood” as the author points out so well. Engaged then married and unmarried when politically expedient. Married at 12, pregnant and widowed at 13. These are things that make or break a person, and what rings through loud and clear, is that Margaret came through all the marriages, the political intrigue and turmoil of her era, strong, pragmatic and ready to play the long game.

I found some parts of the book frustrating: so many people mentioned (and this reflects my own deficit not the author’s), plus then there are some speculations that while they were minor, were to this reader, a bit superfluous. We don’t really get down to the nitty gritty of Margaret’s life until about the half way point of the book when her son, Henry, finally becomes king.

There’s an argument here regarding Margaret Beaufort’s personal lack of involvement in the death of the two princes in the tower. I have no issue with that particular argument but IMO while we can speculate until the end of time, whatever happened is all so murky, we will never know for certain the Tudor involvement.

Anyway, an interesting read: Margaret emerges as an incredibly strong woman, a survivor who as an heiress saw her lands confiscated for the actions of others. This period is a time when people threw caution to the winds for religion, and courted terrible fates in the pursuit of power. Margaret, intelligent and self-controlled, learned how to survive and fight another day. Particularly interesting is her devotion to education.

Over time, Margaret pressed against the constraints imposed by her sex and society, slowly demanding more and more control over her life, until the crown on her son’s head allowed her to make the unprecedented move for almost total independence: financially, physically and sexually. This is a woman who learned pragmatism very early on, who knew when to lay aside ego and finer loyalties for the sake of the long game–unlike so many of her male contemporaries.

Review copy.

I very much enjoyed Nicola Tallis’ book on Lady Jane Grey, Crown of Blood, and likewise, I found this to be a good introductory book on Margaret Beaufort if you know that she’s Henry VII’s mom (or Henry VIII’s grandma), but you don’t know much else.

Most perplexing to people is how her son, Henry VII, inherited the throne following the Wars of the Roses (ie. the murder of Henry VI, the Princes in the Tower, the death of Edward IV, and Richard III). Henry VII was not directly descended from Henry VI, so where did he come from? Margaret Beaufort and Henry VI were both great-grandchildren of John of Gaunt, son of Edward III.

Edmund Tudor (Margaret’s husband) and Henry VI were half-siblings through their mother, Catherine of Valois (Catherine’s first marriage was to Henry V, famous for the Battle of Agincourt… and dad to Henry number 6).

This is where the origin of Henry VII not having “the strongest claim” to the throne comes from, because there were a lot of Plantagenet contenders, so it’s no surprise that Henry VII and later Henry VIII would spend a significant amount of time killing off the competition.

I especially loved learning more about Margaret’s childhood, the types of clothes she wore, and where she focused her interests (religion was a no-brainer, but education/various colleges was unexpected). It was fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes work she did to set her son up for success, and how she presented herself (truly, as an uncrowned queen).

That being said, the documentation around her life leaves certain knowledge gaps. We don’t always know if she was present at a significant event, or what her level of involvement was. We don’t know how she felt about some of her contemporaries, or why she took certain actions. Tallis usually does well to offer suggestions without making assumptions, but there are a few areas I found quizzical (suggesting that Margaret and Katherine of Aragon may have had a language barrier when both of them could speak English and Latin, for instance).

Some of the context around the crown changing hands was repetitive, but overall I enjoyed this book and learning more about Margaret’s life.

Lady Margaret Beaufort was born on 31 May 1443 at Bletso as the daughter of Margaret Beauchamp and John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. Her father was the second son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, the eldest son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by his mistress and later his wife, Katherine Swynford. Margaret would never know her father. He died on 27 May 1444, leaving Margaret a wealthy heiress.

A first marriage at a very early age was dissolved, and Margaret never considered it a real marriage. At the age of 12, she was married again to Edmund Tudor, the half-brother of King Henry VI. He was 24 years old, and Margaret became pregnant almost immediately. Edmund never lived to see the birth of his child. He died on 1 November 1456 of the plague. On 28 January 1457, still only 13 years old, Margaret gave birth to her only child, a son - the future Henry VII.

Much has been written in fiction about Margaret's supposed scheming to get her son on the throne, leaving her with a brutal reputation that has even included the murder of the Princes in the Tower.

Nicola Tallis attempts to piece back Margaret's reputation to something resembling the truth, which is not an easy thing to do. Nevertheless, Nicola Tallis succeeds and brings back Margaret to her rightful place in history. As a fan of Nicola's previous book about Lady Jane Grey (Crown of Blood), I had honestly expected nothing less. A highly recommended read for all Tudor lovers.