On 8th July 1503, Thomas Boleyn, father of Anne Boleyn, was part of the large retinue headed by Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, and chosen by Henry VII to escort the 13 year-old Margaret Tudor to Edinburgh for her marriage to James IV of Scotland.
The party had left Richmond Palace for the home of Margaret’s paternal grandmother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, at Collyweston in Northamptonshire on 27th June 1503. They spent eleven days with Lady Beaufort before starting the journey north. Stops included Grantham, York, Durham, Newcastle and Berwick, which was, at the time, held by England. They arrived in Scotland on 1st August and the wedding took place at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, on 8th August and Thomas Boleyn was able to enjoy five days of celebrations before leaving for home.
Also on this day in history…
- 1553 – Mary I declares herself queen. Click here for more information.
Notes and Sources
- Tudors Versus Stewarts: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots, Linda Porter, Chapter 5
- Antiquarii de Rebus Britannicis Collectanea, Volume IV, Joannis Lelandi (John Leland), p266
- Sir Thomas Boleyn: The Courtier Diplomat, 1477-1539, William Dean, p28
A bit off topic but does anyone think that Margaret might have held a grudge against Catherine of Aragon for bragging about her husband’s death and even sending Henvy viii his bloodied coat? I read somewhere (though the origin escapes me) that unlike her sister Mary she was quite indifferent to Henry and Catherine’s annulment..
It’s kind of hard to say, Sarah, though it does seem like a reasonable explanation. I wish there were more concrete information on Margaret, just as I wish there were more information on Anne herself – Margaret sounds like an interesting woman.
I recall a reference to a letter Margaret wrote to Anne Boleyn, referring to her as “Our Dear Sister,” and also encouraging her son, now King James V, to acknowledge Henry’s marriage to Anne. That doesn’t seem to be much of an expression of affection for Katharine of Aragon.
Margaret got an annulment of her second marriage (her second husband was keeping his mistress on her money), but was able to preserve the legitimacy of her daughter by that marriage (on the theory they married in good faith). So, her attitude toward the matter may not have reflected her feelings about Catherine.
Seriously, I wish this fact about Thomas Boleyn got much more publicity. It was a great honor (I believe) to escort Margaret … and he received it before any king was interested in any of his daughters … sort of inconsistent with the “dad-only-profits-as-
pimp” view of Thomas.
Esther,
Who requested Thomas Boleyn to accompany Margaret? Henry VII or Henry VII ?
I am right to suppose you have the Henry(s) mixed up?
Forgive me if I am wrong.
It was Henry VII and I think Esther is just saying that Thomas received high honours like this before any king became linked with his daughters.
I FEEL PITY FOR A 12 YEAR OLD GIRL BEING TAKEN FAR FROM HOME AND BOUND TO A DYNASTIC MARRIAGE. i LOVE HISTORY AND HAVE A b.s. AND m.a. BUT AM SO GLAD AS A WOMAN THAT i AM LIING NOW AND ENVY MY DAUGHTER AND GRANDDAUGHTER WHO HAVE HAD EVEN MORE CHANCES FOR A FREE AND BETTER LIFE.
Women’s rights are still evolving, slowly but surely.
It was only in noble and royal families that people tended to marry at the minimum legal ages for boys and girls (14 and 12) and even then they were encouraged to wait a couple of years to have children. In rare cases as with Margaret Beaufort, this didn’t happen but most of the time the couple didn’t live together for a few years. Most people didn’t marry until they were twenty four which is the average age for women and later for men. That every girl got married at thirteen is utter nonsense and only applies to the alliance between noble or Royal families.
Thomas Boleyn playing a great role in escorting a royal bride; I think this is a fact that is not so well known about him. Margaret Beaufort who was married when she was 12 and had Henry VII when she was barely 13 and a widow tried to persuade her son to wait a couple of years before shipping Margaret, her grand-daughter off to Scotland and tried to have James wait a couple of years before consumating the marriage. What a grand send off and what a grand procession. But what a fate for young Princesses; how frightened she must have been.
Holy crap. July 8th was my 21st birthday and I love Margaret. I’m very happy that they happened on the same day! Haha. XD
Also, I’ve read in numerous places that Margaret already had a voluptuous figure, including breasts. At 12. I’m sorry, how is that possible? When I was 12, I was still a child. I cannot believe that she could actually do something as big as this at such a young tender age. And how did she have a figure? I don’t even… Haha. I bet Henry and Katherine hated her for having sons so easily… I’m so sorry for my random rants. I love this website.
I had a mature figure at 12.
You must have been very buxom, when I was that age I was flat chested but there were some girls in my school who were buxom too, one girl had a figure like a sixteen year old, I often wonder if she was half Italian,
Trying to get to know this history. Was Margaret Tudor Henry VIII’s mother & King Jamesvthe father?
Margaret Tudor was Henry VIII’s sister. Henry VIII’s parents were Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.