In 1485, Henry VII became the first Tudor king of England. His victory owed much to his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort. Over decades and across countries, Margaret had schemed to install her son on the throne and end the War of the Roses. Margaret's extraordinarily close relationship with Henry, coupled with her role in political and ceremonial affairs, ensured that she was treated -- and behaved -- as a queen in all but name. Against a lavish backdrop of pageantry and ambition, court intrigue and war, historian Nicola Tallis illuminates how a dynamic, brilliant woman orchestrated the rise of the Tudors.
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Well .... no. Not the first comprehensive biography - but certainly one of a few including the recent works by Lauren Johnson and Elizabeth Norton.
Tallis provides the reader with a very accessible biography of a woman who put aside her ego and loyalty to play the long game - that was putting her son Henry on the throne of England.
Much of Margaret's life is covered: her childhood, marriages, birth of her only child; in addition to a history of events of her time leading up to the coronation of Henry as Henry VII. Tallis focuses on the cultural, social and religious aspects of Margaret's life, including he role as patron to both educational and religious establishments, and her role as counsellor and confidante of her son Henry.
There is nothing new here that has not been covered off in previous biographies and histories but as mentioned, it accessible to the lay reader.
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