Margaret Douglas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lady Margaret Douglas
Miniature of Lady Margaret Douglas by Nicholas Hilliard, 1575
Born	8 October 1515 Harbottle Castle, Northumberland, England
Died	7 March 1578(1578-03-07) (aged 62) London, England
Title	Countess of Lennox
Spouse(s)	Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (m. 1544; died 1571)
Issue	Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley Charles Stuart, 5th Earl of Lennox
Parents	Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus Margaret Tudor

Chart showing the family tree of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox

Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (born October 8, 1515 – died March 7, 1578) was a very important woman in English and Scottish history. She was the daughter of Margaret Tudor, who was the Queen of Scotland. Her father was Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. This meant Margaret was the granddaughter of Henry VII of England, a powerful king.

Margaret was also the grandmother of James VI and I, who became King of both Scotland and England. When she was young, her uncle, Henry VIII, the King of England, liked her a lot. However, she later made him angry when she secretly got engaged to Lord Thomas Howard. He was sent to the Tower of London and died there in 1537.

In 1544, Margaret married a Scottish nobleman named Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. Their son, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, married Margaret's niece, Mary, Queen of Scots. Their son was James VI and I.

Growing Up in Royal Courts

Margaret was born at Harbottle Castle in Northumberland, England, on October 8, 1515. Her mother had moved from Scotland to England because her father was having problems in Scotland.

In 1528, Margaret's father was in danger from James V of Scotland. He sent Margaret back to England. After a short time, Margaret went to live with her godfather, Cardinal Wolsey. When Wolsey passed away in 1530, Margaret was invited to live at the royal Palace of Beaulieu. She joined the household of Princess Mary.

Because Margaret was so close to the English throne, she grew up mostly at the English court. She spent a lot of time with her cousin, Princess Mary, who later became Queen Mary I. They were friends for life. Even when her father moved to England, Margaret stayed under the care of the royal family. She gave Princess Mary gifts, like a fancy silk gown in 1543. King Henry VIII also gave Margaret money as gifts during Christmas.

Life with Anne Boleyn

When Anne Boleyn became Queen, Margaret was chosen to be one of her ladies-in-waiting. This meant she helped the Queen. While working for Anne, Margaret met Anne's uncle, Lord Thomas Howard. They fell in love and secretly got engaged by the end of 1535.

King Henry VIII became very angry with Anne Boleyn in 1536. When he found out about Margaret's secret engagement to Thomas Howard, he was furious. At this time, Henry had said his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, could not inherit the throne. This made Margaret very close to being next in line. So, her marrying someone without the King's permission was a big political problem.

Both Lord Thomas and Lady Margaret were sent to the Tower of London. In July 1536, a law was passed that said Thomas was guilty of trying to stop the King's plan for who would inherit the throne. The law also made it illegal for any member of the King's family to marry without his permission. Thomas was not executed, but he stayed in the Tower even after Margaret ended their engagement. He died there in October 1537.

Margaret also became sick in the Tower. The King allowed her to move to Syon Abbey under the care of the abbess. She was set free in October 1537. Some people thought King Henry VIII believed Lord Thomas Howard was trying to become King himself. However, letters between Margaret and Thomas show they truly loved each other.

In 1539, Margaret was supposed to help greet Henry VIII's new wife, Anne of Cleves. This would have been a great honor. But the King changed his mind and met Anne somewhere else.

This painting might be Margaret Douglas or Queen Mary Tudor

In 1543, Margaret was one of the few people who saw King Henry marry his last wife, Catherine Parr. Margaret became one of Queen Catherine's main ladies. Catherine Parr and Margaret had known each other since the 1520s.

Marriage and Royal Connections

The family crest of Lady Margaret after she got married

In 1544, Lady Margaret married Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. He was a Scottish nobleman living in England at the time. He later became a leader in Scotland from 1570 to 1571.

Margaret and Matthew had eight or nine children together. Only two sons lived to be adults: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (born in 1546) and Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox (born in 1555). Charles later married Elizabeth Cavendish in 1574.

Life During Queen Mary's Reign

During the time Mary I of England was Queen, Lady Margaret had rooms in Westminster Palace. In November 1553, Queen Mary thought Margaret was the best person to become Queen after her. Margaret was the main mourner at Queen Mary's funeral in December 1558.

When Elizabeth I became Queen of England, Margaret moved to Yorkshire. Her home there became a place where Roman Catholics gathered.

Margaret worked hard to arrange for her older son, Lord Darnley, to marry his cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. This marriage brought together their claims to the English throne. Queen Elizabeth I did not approve of this marriage. She had Lady Margaret sent to the Tower of London in 1566. However, after her son Darnley was murdered in 1567, Margaret was released.

Margaret was very upset with her daughter-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots, at first. But they later became friends again. Margaret's husband became the leader of Scotland, but he was killed in 1571.

In 1574, Margaret made Queen Elizabeth angry again. She arranged for her younger son Charles to marry Elizabeth Cavendish. Elizabeth Cavendish was the stepdaughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury. Margaret was sent to the Tower again, but she was forgiven after her son Charles died in 1576.

Lady Margaret's clever plans helped her grandson, James VI of Scotland, become King of England later on.

Later Life and Legacy

The tomb of Margaret Douglas in Westminster Abbey. This side shows her four daughters.

After her younger son died, Margaret helped take care of his daughter, Lady Arbella Stuart. Margaret did not live much longer herself. A few days before she died, she ate dinner with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. This led to rumors that she had been poisoned, but there is no proof of this.

Even though she had debts, Queen Elizabeth I paid for a grand funeral for Margaret at Westminster Abbey. She was buried in the same grave as her son Charles. Her grandson is said to have built her beautiful monument, but it was actually paid for by her former servant, Thomas Fowler. Her statue on the tomb shows her wearing a French cap and a fancy collar, with a red fur-lined cloak. Around the tomb are smaller statues of her four sons and four daughters.

The Lennox Jewel was probably made for Lady Lennox in the 1570s. It is a very important piece of jewelry in the Royal Collection and is now on display at Holyrood Palace.

Poetry

Margaret Douglas was also known for writing poetry. Many of her poems were written to her lover, Lord Thomas Howard. These poems are kept in a collection called the Devonshire MS. Her close friends, Mary Shelton and the Duchess of Richmond, also wrote poems in this collection, as did poets like Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey and Thomas Wyatt.

Ancestry