Born in 1473, Margaret Pole was the daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, niece of both Edward IV and Richard III, and the only woman, apart from Anne Boleyn, to hold a peerage title in her own right during the sixteenth century. After being restored by Henry VIII to the earldom of Salisbury in 1512, her deep Catholic convictions were increasingly out of favour with Henry and she was executed on a charge of treason in 1541. In 1886, Margaret Pole was among sixty-three martyrs beatified by Pope Leo XIII for not hesitating 'to lay down their lives by the shedding of their blood' for the dignity of the Holy See. In this first biography of a significant female figure in the male-dominated world of Tudor politics, Hazel Pierce presents the life and culture of this propertied titled lady against the social and political background of late Yorkist and early Tudor Britain.

Born in 1473, Margaret Pole was the daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, niece of both Edward IV and Richard III, and the only woman, apart from Anne Boleyn, to hold a peerage title in her own right during the sixteenth century. After being restored by Henry VIII to the earldom of Salisbury in 1512, her deep Catholic convictions were increasingly out of favour with Henry and she was executed on a charge of treason in 1541. In 1886, Margaret Pole was among sixty-three martyrs beatified by Pope Leo XIII for not hesitating 'to lay down their lives by the shedding of their blood' for the dignity of the Holy See.In this first biography of a significant female figure in the male-dominated world of Tudor politics, Hazel Pierce presents the life and culture of this propertied titled lady against the social and political background of late Yorkist and early Tudor Britain.

The true story of 'The King's Curse'; the extraordinary life of Margaret Pole, niece of Richard III, loyal servant of the Tudors.

The death of Lady Margaret Pole is famous as one of Henry VIII's more tragic victims. Aged 68, she was executed without trial, in a botched execution on Tower Green. But Lady Margaret was more than just a victim - as a great feudal magnate in her own right, she played a part in the politics of Henry's reign. His mother's cousin, his first wife's friend, and his daughter's governess, Margaret was at the heart of the court. ABOUT THE SERIES: Tudor Times Insights are ebooks collating articles from our website www.tudortimes.co.uk which is a repository for a wide variety of information about the Tudor and Stewart period 1485 - 1625. There you can find material on People, Places, Daily Life, Military & Warfare, Politics & Economics and Religion. The site has a Book Review section, with author interviews and a book club. It also features comprehensive family trees, and a 'What's On' event list with information about forthcoming activities relevant to the Tudors and Stewarts.

A fictional portrait of Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine of Aragon, follows her through her youthful marriage to Henry's older brother, Arthur, her widowhood, her marriage to Henry, and the divorce that led to Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn.

Married to loyal Lancaster supporter Sir Richard Pole to minimize her claim to the throne of Henry VII, Margaret becomes an advisor to newlyweds Prince Arthur and Katherine of Aragon before witnessing the rapid ascent of Henry VIII.