Q & A with Margaret Scard

Welcome to On the Tudor Trail Margaret. What sparked your interest in Tudor history?

Many years ago I spent a few days at Hampton Court Palace and was fascinated by how the palace would have operated – the management of the kitchens, the ceremonial of the state apartments and the life of the courtiers. Since then my research has led me to explore all facets of sixteenth century life and I’ve become especially interested in court politics, particularly the machinations of Edward VI’s privy councillors. Despite their personal rivalries they steered England through six years that witnessed religious changes, social unrest, economic troubles and an attempt to overthrow the true line of succession by placing Lady Jane Grey upon the throne. What an exciting period!

Tudor Survivor: The Life and Times of Courtier William Paulet by Margaret Scard

Your book, Tudor Survivor: The Life and Times of William Paulet, was published in 2011. What makes Paulet such a fascinating subject?

Paulet was at the centre of sixteenth century court and political life for nearly half a century and the breadth of his career across both the royal household and in government, together with the influential positions he held, make him an ideal character for a study of a Tudor courtier. As a privy councillor he was at the centre of events during the reigns of four Tudor monarchs – Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth – and both witnessed and was instrumental in the greatest events of the period. His rise from being a country gentleman to be the senior peer in England and his extraordinary longevity – he lived to the great age of 87 – make him unique among his contemporaries.

How is it that William Paulet managed to keep his head during such a tumultuous period of history, when so many others around him did not?

Paulet’s own response to this question was “I am a willow, not an oak” meaning that he tried to handle people gently so as not to alienate those who disagreed with him and to keep them as friends not enemies. I also think he survived by making himself indispensable, satisfying the demands of four very different monarchs. He was good at his work as an administrator, financier and politician and always held firm to his motto “Love Loyalty”. He was always loyal to the kings and queens he served and followed the path which he believed was right for England. But I think he was also blessed with luck in always choosing to side with the winning faction.

Could you tell us about the work you have done with Past Pleasures?

I have worked in costume with Past Pleasures, a company which specialises in historical interpretation, at Hampton Court Palace. We work in small groups of 4-6 historians and actors introducing visitors to the events of the period and to the life of the people who inhabited the palace. The people I portray are always real people and as a historian I love the challenge of learning as much as I can about each new character. Although it can be physically very hard work working in Tudor costume it is enormously enjoyable and I feel very privileged to work in such amazing surroundings.

I feel closest to the Tudors when I am standing in a location where they themselves once stood. Do you have a favourite Tudor location?

For me it must be Hampton Court. We are so lucky that William III did not destroy all the sixteenth century buildings when he built his Baroque palace there. The scale of what is left gives a sense of how large the Tudor palace was and chambers such as the Great Hall and the Watching Chamber, together with the decoration of the buildings, give us a glimpse not only of the magnificence of the palace but also of the magnificence of the owner – Henry VIII.

I enjoy hearing from people of the past in their own words. Letters reveal so much about the writer and the time in which they lived. Do you have a favourite historical quote?

I love reading the diary of Sir John Oglander which is full of interesting and amusing comments on his life and on his family and friends. Sir John, a seventeenth century gentleman on the Isle of Wight, was immensely proud of his ancestors and of their estate at Nunwell where he hosted Charles I. One of my favourite quotes is his final advice to his descendants.

We have kept this spot of ground this five hundred years from father to son, and I pray God thou beest not the last, nor see that scattered which so many have taken care to gain for thee.

This sums up not only his pride in his estate and the desire of parents to pass on their possessions to their children but also his underlying fear that his family could lose their lands because of his opposition to the Civil War government. I am sure he would have been pleased to know that the Oglanders remained at Nunwell for a further 300 years.

I am sure that in your research you have come across some little known facts about the Tudors. Share one of your favourites.

I was fascinated to read that the Mary Rose may have been raised to the surface shortly after sinking in 1545 but then released to sink again. If true, how lucky for us that she was not rescued for we would not now have the remains of the ship and of so many artifacts.