# Magister Udal — The Fifth Queen Crowned character guide

> Magister Udal in The Fifth Queen Crowned by Ford Madox Ford.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Udal, the Magister, Magister Udal

**First appearance:** 0002-the-fifth-queen-crowned

## Snapshot

A Latinist and tutor, promoted to Chancellor of the Queen, he wails that he dare not wed Margot Poins for fear a Paris lady will hear of his rise.

## Who they are

Magister Udal is the court's comic scholar, a scarecrow in a moth-eaten gown whose Latin the Lady Mary herself outreads. When Henry offers him the chancellorship and a wife in one breath, he falls to his knee, then balks — because a woman in Paris has promised to come to him only if he becomes a Chancellor. His absurd predicament exposes how even the Queen's household is tangled in vanity, appetite, and the small treacheries of learned men.

## Relationships

### [Anne Boleyn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/characters/anne_boleyn)

_professional_

Anne employs Udal as a secretary and go-between, but she treats him with contempt and uses him for her schemes.

### [Katharine Howard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/characters/katharine_howard)

_professional_

Katharine relies on Udal as a messenger and advisor, but she is wary of his self-serving nature and shifting loyalties.

### [Katharine Howard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/characters/katharine_howard)

_professional_

Katharine relies on Udal as a messenger and advisor, but she is wary of his self-serving nature and shifting loyalties.

### [Anne Boleyn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/characters/anne_boleyn)

_professional_

Anne employs Udal as a secretary and go-between, but she treats him with contempt and uses him for her schemes.

### [Anne Boleyn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/characters/anne_boleyn)

_professional_

Anne employs Udal as a secretary and go-between, but she treats him with contempt and uses him for her schemes.

### [Katharine Howard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/characters/katharine_howard)

_professional_

Katharine relies on Udal as a messenger and advisor, but she is wary of his self-serving nature and shifting loyalties.

## In the story

### [Part I: The Major Chord](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/chapters/part-i-the-major-chord)

His scholarly perspective offers a contrast to the court's intrigues, yet he is also drawn into its orbit.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/chapters/iii)

Is made Chancellor to the Queen but is distressed because he is already married, preventing him from wedding Margot.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/chapters/v)

The imprisoned scholar, brought up from his cell to help the Queen with the Latin of her letter to the Pope. He is in chains, stiff from the damp, and limps, but retains his wit and learning.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/chapters/viii)

Referenced as Katharine's former tutor, who taught her Latin and rhetoric, shaping her ability to influence the King.

### [Part III: The Dwindling Melody](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/chapters/part-iii-the-dwindling-melody)

Torn between his affections and the dangerous realities of court politics.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/characters/magister_udal
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_fifth_queen_crowned_se/characters