Margaret Stanley, Countess of Derby facts for kids

Lady Margaret Clifford (born 1540, died 1596) was an important noblewoman in England during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. She was also known as Margaret Stanley, Countess of Derby. Margaret was the only daughter of Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland, and Lady Eleanor Brandon. Her grandmother was Mary Tudor, Queen of France, who was the daughter of King Henry VII of England. This made Margaret a relative of the royal family.

Early Life of Lady Margaret

Margaret was born in 1540 at Brougham Castle. When she was seven years old, her mother passed away. After this sad event, her father decided to leave the royal court.

Margaret's Claim to the Throne

Because of her royal family connections, Margaret was in line to become the Queen of England. This was stated in the will of Henry VIII, a former king. When her mother died, Margaret became seventh in line to the throne.

Over time, other people who were ahead of her in the line of succession passed away without children. This meant Margaret moved up the list. She eventually became the first person in line to the throne. However, Margaret died before Queen Elizabeth I passed away.

Marriage and Family Life

In 1552, there were talks about Margaret marrying Guildford Dudley, the son of a powerful duke. King Edward VI liked this idea, but Margaret's father did not agree.

Margaret later joined the court of Queen Mary I. On February 7, 1555, she married Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby. Their wedding took place at Whitehall Palace.

Margaret and Henry had a difficult relationship at times. Margaret wrote that they had "breaches and reconciliations." Eventually, her husband left her, which caused her to have serious debts. In 1567, Margaret asked Queen Elizabeth's advisor, William Cecil, to help her get financial support from her husband.

Margaret and Henry had four children:

• Edward Stanley, who died when he was young.
• Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby (born around 1559, died 1594).
• William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby (born around 1561, died 1642).
• Francis Stanley (born 1562), who also died young.

Challenges and Later Life

In 1579, Margaret faced serious trouble. She was arrested after people heard her talking about a possible marriage for Queen Elizabeth. Margaret did not like this idea because it could threaten her own chance to become queen.

She was then accused of trying to predict when Queen Elizabeth would die. At that time, simply predicting a monarch's death was a very serious crime. Margaret was placed under house arrest. She wrote to Francis Walsingham, a government official, saying she was innocent. She explained that the person accused of helping her was actually her doctor.

No official charges were brought against Margaret, but she was sent away from the royal court. She wrote many letters to the queen, saying she was very sad and missed the queen's favor. Margaret also continued to struggle with money problems.

Margaret died in 1596. She never regained the queen's favor and passed away after her oldest son, Ferdinando. Her granddaughter, Lady Anne Stanley, inherited her claim to the throne. However, after Queen Elizabeth I died, James VI of Scotland became the next ruler of England.

Images for kids

• 

  This portrait by Hans Eworth might show Lady Margaret or her mother, Lady Eleanor Brandon.