Whilst childhood marriage was common, and twelve was the age of consent for a girl, by the mid-fifteenth century it was unusual, although not unprecedented, for marriages to be consummated before she reached fourteen. It was not thought to be immoral or criminal in the way we now perceive it, but early consummation was discouraged because the health and well-being of the girl were considered to be at risk.
Despite these risks, Edmund consummated the marriage. He was about eleven years older than his new bride, who was small and slight for her age. There is no direct evidence about Margaret’s experience of marital intercourse – whether she was terrified and hurt, or whether she accepted it as a matter of course. She remained attached to the memory of Edmund for the rest of her life, so we can perhaps hope he was gentle and kind. She was certain, however, that early childbirth damaged her. Fifty years later, when her grand-daughter was to marry the King of Scots, she objected to the match being agreed before the girl was fourteen, lest her husband not ‘wait’ and ‘would thereby injure her and endanger her health.’