Margaret Lee (lady-in-waiting) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret Wyatt
Margaret Wyatt, by Hans Holbein
Born	c. 1506
Died	c. 1543
Spouse(s)	Sir Anthony Lee
Issue	Sir Henry Lee Robert Lee Thomas Lee Cromwell Lee Anne Lee Lettice Lee Katherine Lee Joyce Lee Jane Lee
Father	Sir Henry Wyatt
Mother	Anne Skinner

Lady Margaret Lee (born Wyatt; around 1506–1543) was an English lady who worked at the royal court. She was the sister of the famous poet Thomas Wyatt. Margaret was also a close friend of Queen Anne Boleyn, who was the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. Some historians believe Margaret was with Queen Anne during a very difficult time at the end of her life.

Margaret's Family Life

Margaret Wyatt was the daughter of Sir Henry Wyatt and Anne Skinner. Her mother's family came from Reigate, a town in Surrey. Margaret had two brothers:

• Sir Thomas Wyatt: He was a well-known poet. Thomas married Elizabeth Brooke.
• Henry Wyatt: It is thought he died when he was a baby.

Life at Court

Margaret is best known for being a companion to Queen Anne Boleyn. The families of Margaret and Anne lived close to each other. Later, Anne hired Margaret to be one of her ladies-in-waiting. Ladies-in-waiting were women who helped the Queen with her daily life.

A famous artist named Hans Holbein the Younger painted a portrait of a woman believed to be Margaret. This painting shows her at about 34 years old, likely around 1540. This suggests Margaret and Anne were similar in age. Anne was born around 1501, and Margaret around 1506.

Many people believe that Lady Margaret and Queen Anne were good friends. Margaret's sister, Mary, was also part of the Queen's social group. Her brother, Thomas Wyatt, was said to have been very fond of Anne in the 1520s.

Margaret was one of Anne's most important ladies-in-waiting. She traveled with Anne to Calais, France in 1532. It is thought that Anne and King Henry VIII made secret plans to marry soon after this trip. It was known that Anne had a lady-in-waiting she loved "as a sister." Many believe this special friend was Margaret.

Margaret was definitely a part of the Queen's inner circle. As the Mistress of the Queen's Wardrobe, she would have helped manage the Queen's clothes and jewelry. She also took part in the exciting social life at court in the mid-1530s. This was a time when King Henry and Queen Anne spent a lot of money on grand parties and events.

Margaret stayed loyal to Anne Boleyn even during difficult times. She was with Anne on May 19, 1536, and received a prayer book as a last gift from her. Anne had written a short message inside the book:

"Remember me when you do pray,

that hope doth lead from day to day."

A sketch by Hans Holbein, the famous court artist, was once thought to be of Queen Anne Boleyn when she was pregnant. However, new research suggests it might be a sketch of one of the Wyatt sisters, either Margaret or her sister Mary.

Lady Margaret Lee is remembered in a book of poems called Songs and Sonnets. This book was published in 1557. It includes poems by Margaret's brother, Sir Thomas Wyatt. It also has poems by other famous writers of the time. One poem, "An Epitaph of the Lady Margaret Lee," praises her "blood, friendship, beauty, youth," and other good qualities.

Marriage and Children

Around July 6, 1532, Margaret Wyatt married Sir Anthony Lee. He passed away in 1549. Margaret and Sir Anthony had nine children together, four sons and five daughters:

• Sir Henry Lee
• Robert Lee (died around 1598)
• Thomas Lee
• Cromwell Lee (died 1601): He created an Italian-English dictionary.
• Anne Lee: She married Leonard Spenser.
• Lettice Lee: She married Nicholas Cooke.
• Katherine Lee: She married Gyles Symonds.
• Joyce Lee: She married John Chenye on November 29, 1562.
• Jane Lee: She married Peter Reade.