Margaret the Queen

The late Niles Tranter was a historical novelist who wrote many novels about the history of Scotland and those persons who impacted upon its history. They are well-written, very well researched, and entertaining. This book is no exception. In it, he regales the reader with the story of Margaret, the beautiful Saxon princess and sister of the true King of England, Edgar of the house of Atheling. Edgar has just had his throne usurped by the Norman bastard, William the Conqueror. Fleeing England, Edgar and his entourage find themselves stranded in Scotland, where they meet up with King Malcolm of Scotland, who provides them with refuge. Margaret is befriended by Maldred mac Melmore, one of the King's men and son of the Earl of Atoll, who happens to be head of the Celtic Church in Scotland. It is through Maldred's eyes that the story unfolds. Though Malcolm is married to his second cousin, Ingebiorg, daughter of Thorfinn the Mighty, the Earl of Orkney, and has fathered two sons with her, Duncan and Donald, theirs is not a happy union. When Margaret appears in his kingdom, Malcolm is smitten. Banishing his wife of almost a dozen years from the palace at Dunfermline, he exiles her to the palace at Kincardine. Then, he sets about wooing the beautiful Margaret. When his wife mysteriously dies, Malcolm achieves his heart's desire and marries Margaret, who is of the Roman Catholic faith. His love for her is such that he humors her religious devotion to her faith, setting in motion her conversion of Scotland from the Celtic church to the Roman Catholic. With Maldred, who is a true Celtic son, the issue of religion is his only bone of contention with his new Queen. Yet, he simply adores her and is her devoted servant. Maldred marries Margaret's lady-in-waiting, Magdalen, with whom he has a happy union. Margaret is a devoted wife to her husband, who is at odds with William the Conqueror. While her husband engages in warfare, Margaret engages in good works and in establishing the Church of Rome in this Celtic stronghold. She is a much beloved Queen, intelligent, gentle, and devout, whose life would have a profound effect on the people of Scotland. Her legacy is such that her sons would forever be remembered as Margaretsons. She would later be canonized and known, forevermore, as St. Margaret. Margaret's story is enmeshed in the fabric of Scotland's history. From her husband's ongoing aggression against William the conqueror, to his distrust of his other cousin, Cospatrick, whose Cumbrian lands were taken by the Normans, Margaret proved to be a steadying influence. Yet, the one weakness in the book is that of all the characters portrayed, hers remains the most ephemeral. For those who enjoy reading about the history of Scotland, it is, nonetheless, an entertaining work of historical fiction, making it clear why the late Niles Tranter is Scotland's most eminent historical novelist.

"Margaret the Queen" by Nigel Tranter is a top notch book. The story of King Malcolm III (Canmore) and his famous second wife Margaret the Saint seen through the eyes of Maldred, second son of Melmore, Earl of Atholl and Primate of the Columban Church of Scotland. Maldred, King Malcolm and Cospatrick are the main three characters that this story rotates around. All three are cousins of the house of Crinan, previous Earl of Atholl and father of King Duncan I. Maldred watches as Cospatrick strives to regain his old Earldom of Northumbria swooping in and out of the scene, while Malcolm dismisses his first wife, Ingebiorg, daughter of the infamous Thorfinn, Earl of Orkney and her two sons Duncan and Donald Beg. Ingebiorg dies a mysterious death and her sons are sent to the highlands to be raised by Donald Ban, Malcolm's legitimate younger brother who also is forgotten in the mists of the Highlands. Malcolm courts and marries Margaret who is the Saxon sister of Edgar, rightful King of England. At this time William the Conqueror, has crossed from Normandy and taken the English throne. Numerous stories and plots are woven around Maldred who never seems to rest. We see Malcolm Canmore use first Edgar of England then Cospatrick to keep William of Normandy at bay. Margaret becomes queen and mother of 6 sons (the future Margaretsons) and two daughters by Malcolm although her first love and priority is to the Roman Catholic Church. She also opens the door for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. She founds the first permanent Roman Catholic Churches in Scotland and turns the focus of the church from Iona to St. Andrews. She also brings to Scotland with its famous Holy Rood. In the end all the strong characters meet their deaths and all is left in chaos. Donald Ban and his nephew Edmund Margaretson are in Rebellion, Malcolm Canmore, Cospatrick and Edward Margaretson are slain in England. William Rufus son and heir of William the Conqueror struggles to keep his throne. Maldred survives all only to see his father's church fall due to the actions of his beloved Queen Margaret who also dies of sorrow in her quest for the Roman Church. An amazing life Maldred lives in such a time of momentous changes in Scotland. At the end of the story we catch just a glimpse of Prince David, youngest of the Margaretsons. He becomes King David the First who finishes his mother's work of making Scotland's church the Roman Catholic Church and the Norman Feudal practices common in the government of Scotland. Along with such change he brings peace and prosperity to Scotland, along with the changes needed for it to survive the Medieval Ages and keep pace with England. But that is another tale of Tranter's. Margaret the Queen is an awesome tale full of action, life and the historical changes of Scotland during the 11th century. I would place this in my top 5 favorite Tranter books.

The late Nigel Tranter was Scotland's foremost historical novelist. In this volume, he undertakes the story of Queen, now St. Margaret, who tore Scotland away from the Celtic Church and led it to Rome. The personality of this remarkable, arrogant, and in the end, conflicted woman comes to life vividly. The conflict between the branches of Christianity is clearly defined and the amount of detail is, as always, astonishing. It will be a long time before anyone takes Tranter's place.