The Rose and The Thistle
in Tudor history 8th June 1503 Princess Margaret Tudor bids her Father King Henry VII and her Grandmother Lady Margret Beaufort a final farewell departing from her Grandmother’s estate at Collywestern in Northamptonshire with a Cavalcade of English courtiers led by the Earl and Countess of Surrey who acted as her chaperones. It would be a thirty-three-day trek and the journey was not to be just a matter of delivering Queen Margaret to her new kingdom. This was a royal progress through England and southern Scotland, planned with military precision, at enormous cost to the king’s treasury.
Deliberately choreographed according to the king’s orders, the cavalcade was intended to be a clear show of magnificence, to demonstrate the permanence and power of the Tudor dynasty. Nobles would join the procession and then leave as the group made its way along the Great North Road. Sheriffs provided a ceremonial escort through their entire county right up to the northern border where the entourage would be handed over to the neighboring sheriff. The plans for the journey called for a mixture of administrative pomp as well as religious ritual at every place Margaret stopped.
Margaret appeared astride a ‘fair palfrey’ for most of the journey. A litter accompanied her which she could use for grand entrances to towns or if she was tired. Her clothes and those of her attendants were embroidered with the Beaufort portcullis. There were heralds, sergeants at arms, banners and trappings for the horses. It must have been the most sumptuous display imaginable.
The baggage wagons came first in the parade, followed by Margaret’s litter which was covered in the Tudor colors of green and white, decorated with the arms of Scotland and England combined with the red roses of Lancaster and the Beaufort portcullis. The lords and ladies escorting her had their own coats of arms displayed. Many of the people along the way lined the road to see the new Queen of Scots. It was a must-see spectacle for all of the king’s subjects. Bells were rung as she passed by. Minstrels, drummers and trumpeters added music to the visual display.
As she rode, every few miles, there were equestrian displays for her enjoyment. The route went from Collyweston to Grantham, on to Newark and then to Tuxford, followed by a night stop in a country manor owned by the archbishop of York. Next up was Doncaster, then Pontefract and Tadcaster, finally arriving at York, at the time was the second largest city in England. There is an arch still standing in York called ‘Queen Margaret’s Arch’ where she entered the city. She was greeted by the mayor who was dressed in crimson satin. His aldermen wore scarlet gowns with their chains of office around their necks. After welcoming the Queen, they made their way to the Minster as the respectful crowd watched from the street and from the windows. The streets were so packed, it took Margaret two hours to make her way from the gateway to the Minster. Then she took a short ride to the Archbishop’s palace for a rest.
The next day was a Sunday. She attended High Mass at the Minster followed by a procession. First came the Archbishop and bishops, earls and lords, heralds and sergeants at arms. Margaret appeared next, dressed in a gown of cloth of gold with a collar of precious stones and a girdle made of spun gold that reached to the ground. The Countess of Surrey carried her train with a gentleman usher to help her.
Following the Countess were the ladies and gentlewomen who were dressed in rich gowns, great collars, burnished chains, girdles of gold and other riches. No effort was spared in creating an impression in York. The city had been the primary powerbase for Richard, Duke of Gloucester and later when he became King Richard III. Henry Tudor had captured the throne from Richard and his life had been taken at the Battle of Bosworth. Henry VII’s intention was to signal his dynasty was here to stay.
After the procession, Margaret attended a banquet at the Archbishop’s Palace. The officials of York accompanied Margaret the next day as she returned to the road north. They rested at Newburgh Priory that night, then moved on to Northallerton, then Darlington and on to Durham. She spent three days in Durham lodged in the castle, hosted by the bishop. Her journey had been coordinated to coincide with the formal enthronement of the new bishop, William Senhouse so she could attend the event. Among the festivities was a double dinner and a double supper for all worthy attendees.
She moved on to Newcastle. At the gates of the city, children sang cheerful hymns and she was welcomed by immense crowds. She spent the night at the Augustinian monastery. The next day the Earl of Northumberland gave a banquet which lasted until midnight and consisted of games, dances, songs and sports. The journey continued to Morpeth and then Alnwick, where she hunted in the park and killed a buck with her own bow.
The next night was spent in Belford and then she finally arrived in Berwick. To announce her entrance, there was gunfire and two days of festivities and sports, including bear baiting. She was joined by Thomas, Baron Dacre, the Warden of the West March and on August 1, the entire party of between eighteen hundred and two thousand crossed the border into Margaret’s new country and home. The Archbishop of Glasgow welcomed Margaret and her entire party on behalf of the king at Lamberton Kirk, attended by a huge company of Scottish lords and gentlemen. On Monday August 7th, Margaret and James made a state entry into Edinburgh, both of them dressed in cloth of gold trimmed with black velvet or black fur. The wedding ceremony took place on August 8 in the chapel of the Royal Palace of Holyroodhouse.