welcome as soon as the cavalcade, in its cloud of summer dust, was sighted on the road; the royal trumpeters would answer with a fanfare, while ‘Johannes and his company, minstrels of musick’ struck up a tune on their instruments.
The English crossed the Border at Berwick on i August and were met by the Scots at Lamberton. King James, now a mature and experienced man in his late twenties, was known to be keeping a mistress - all the same, he was noticeably kind and attentive to his little bride, and taking every opportunity to kiss her and show her special courtesies in public.
The wedding took place at Edinburgh on 8 August, but although Margaret played her part gracefully enough in the various ceremonials and festivities, she was not happy. A plump, round-faced child, her somewhat stolid exterior concealed a passionate, headstrong nature, with a ‘great twang’ of the Tudor, or rather of the Plantagenet temper, and a sharp eye for a grievance. She felt that King James was taking altogether too much notice of the Earl of Surrey - ‘he cannot forbear the company of him no time of the day’ - also that Surrey was ganging up with the Scots against her, and she wrote querulously and rather incoherently to her father: ‘He [Surrey] and the Bishop of Murray order everything as nigh as they can to the King’s pleasure. I pray God it may be for my poor heart’s ease in time to come...God send me comfort to His pleasure and that I and mine that be left here with me be well entreated such ways as they have taken.’ The letter ended, rather pathetically, with a wish that ‘I would I were with your Grace now, and many times more.’
Henry was probably not unsympathetic over his daughter’s difficulties in finding her feet and adjusting to her new surroundings, but Margaret was on her own now -a Queen and a married woman - she would have to conquer her homesickness as best she could. In any case, the King was occupied that autumn getting to know his son and heir. There had, of course, been no question of sending this Prince of Wales away to Ludlow or anywhere else, he was far too precious, and Hernan Duque reported to Queen Isabella in January 1504 that the prince was now often in the King’s company. Duque, after commenting approvingly on the affectionate relationship which existed between father and son, remarked that in his opinion the prince could have no better school than the society of such a wise and careful governor. Isabella, although no doubt pleased to hear about the satisfactory progress of her daughter’s fiancé’s education, was even more gratified by the information that he was growing into a big, strong youth and giving every promise that he would reach maturity.
Isabella did not live to see that maturity (perhaps it was just as well). She died in the following November and at once the European scene changed. Juana, Duchess of Burgundy and Archduchess of Austria, succeeded her mother as Queen of Castile and it began to look very much as if the unity of the Spanish peninsula -which had been founded on the union between Isabella and Ferdinand - might now collapse. Isabella had left instructions in her will that Ferdinand should continue to govern Castile in Juana’s name, but not unnaturally Juana’s husband had his own ideas on that subject. If Philip von Hapsburg could find a viable way of removing Castile from the King of Aragon’s grasp, he would certainly use it. Meanwhile, the King of England, who disliked and distrusted Ferdinand, was thinking seriously of strengthening his ties with the Hapsburg family.
Henry wanted a personal meeting with Philip but did not achieve his objective until the beginning of 1506, and then only by a stroke of luck. On 7 January a fleet carrying Philip (now given the courtesy title of King of Castile), the Queen his wife, and a large retinue of Dutch and Flemish nobility sailed from Zeeland for Spain - though whether it went in peace or war nobody seemed very
The English crossed the Border at Berwick on i August and were met by the Scots at Lamberton. King James, now a mature and experienced man in his late twenties, was known to be keeping a mistress - all the same, he was noticeably kind and attentive to his little bride, and taking every opportunity to kiss her and show her special courtesies in public.
The wedding took place at Edinburgh on 8 August, but although Margaret played her part gracefully enough in the various ceremonials and festivities, she was not happy. A plump, round-faced child, her somewhat stolid exterior concealed a passionate, headstrong nature, with a ‘great twang’ of the Tudor, or rather of the Plantagenet temper, and a sharp eye for a grievance. She felt that King James was taking altogether too much notice of the Earl of Surrey - ‘he cannot forbear the company of him no time of the day’ - also that Surrey was ganging up with the Scots against her, and she wrote querulously and rather incoherently to her father: ‘He [Surrey] and the Bishop of Murray order everything as nigh as they can to the King’s pleasure. I pray God it may be for my poor heart’s ease in time to come...God send me comfort to His pleasure and that I and mine that be left here with me be well entreated such ways as they have taken.’ The letter ended, rather pathetically, with a wish that ‘I would I were with your Grace now, and many times more.’
Henry was probably not unsympathetic over his daughter’s difficulties in finding her feet and adjusting to her new surroundings, but Margaret was on her own now -a Queen and a married woman - she would have to conquer her homesickness as best she could. In any case, the King was occupied that autumn getting to know his son and heir. There had, of course, been no question of sending this Prince of Wales away to Ludlow or anywhere else, he was far too precious, and Hernan Duque reported to Queen Isabella in January 1504 that the prince was now often in the King’s company. Duque, after commenting approvingly on the affectionate relationship which existed between father and son, remarked that in his opinion the prince could have no better school than the society of such a wise and careful governor. Isabella, although no doubt pleased to hear about the satisfactory progress of her daughter’s fiancé’s education, was even more gratified by the information that he was growing into a big, strong youth and giving every promise that he would reach maturity.
Isabella did not live to see that maturity (perhaps it was just as well). She died in the following November and at once the European scene changed. Juana, Duchess of Burgundy and Archduchess of Austria, succeeded her mother as Queen of Castile and it began to look very much as if the unity of the Spanish peninsula -which had been founded on the union between Isabella and Ferdinand - might now collapse. Isabella had left instructions in her will that Ferdinand should continue to govern Castile in Juana’s name, but not unnaturally Juana’s husband had his own ideas on that subject. If Philip von Hapsburg could find a viable way of removing Castile from the King of Aragon’s grasp, he would certainly use it. Meanwhile, the King of England, who disliked and distrusted Ferdinand, was thinking seriously of strengthening his ties with the Hapsburg family.
Henry wanted a personal meeting with Philip but did not achieve his objective until the beginning of 1506, and then only by a stroke of luck. On 7 January a fleet carrying Philip (now given the courtesy title of King of Castile), the Queen his wife, and a large retinue of Dutch and Flemish nobility sailed from Zeeland for Spain - though whether it went in peace or war nobody seemed very
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