Elizabeth

by Philippa Jones

  She [Elizabeth] took me to her bed-chamber and opened a little desk, wherein were divers little pictures wrapt within paper, and their names written with her own hand upon the papers. Upon the first that she took up was written, ‘My lord’s picture’. I held the candle, and pressed to see that picture so named. She was loath to let me see it; at length my importunity prevailed for a sight thereof and found it to be the Earl of Leicester’s picture. I desired that I might have it to carry home to my Queen; which she refused, alleging she had but one picture of his. I said again that she had the original, for he was at the farthest part of the chamber, speaking with secretary Cecil … She showed me also a fair ruby, as great as a tennis-ball. I desired that she would either send it or else my Lord of Leicester’s picture, as a token unto the Queen [Mary]. She said, if the queen would follow her counsel, that she would in process of time get them both, and all she had.12

  Melville seemed to have the measure of Elizabeth, understanding her resistance to marriage: ‘I know your stately stomach. You think, if you were married, you would be but Queen of England, and now you are King and Queen both – you may not suffer a commander.’13

  When Melville finally left the Court, Robert was his escort. He told Melville to report to Mary that he was not so presumptuous that he would ask for her hand. He claimed it had all been a plot, ‘a wily move of Mr Secretary Cecil, designed to ruin him with both Queens.’14

  Robert was not ready to give up on Elizabeth yet. He wrote to Cecil in October, asking again for his support in winning over the Queen. He knew that Cecil was endeavouring to try to marry her to a foreign prince, but stated: ‘I will now tell you plainly that I am a claimant for the hand of the queen, and it seems to me that she looks upon no one with favour but myself.’15

  He requested that Cecil cease his other attempts to marry off Elizabeth and concentrate on promoting Robert’s case, promising to reward Cecil with ‘further elevation’. Cecil passed Robert’s hopes on to Elizabeth, who promised Robert he should have his answer by Christmas. When the end of the year arrived, Elizabeth wavered, as always, and failed to keep her promise.

  These events brought an end to talk of Mary, Queen of Scots and Robert’s marriage – in any case, neither had seemed keen to pursue the idea. In reality, Mary was considering a prospect she felt was more suitable, her cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, whose name had been raised as a potential husband several years earlier by his mother, Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox. At that time, other candidates, Elizabeth’s opposition to the idea (he had a claim to the English throne as a grandson of Margaret Tudor) and Darnley’s own youth had put paid to the idea. Now he was older and had grown into an outstandingly handsome young man.16 His bloodline linked to Mary’s would give the couple an almost unshakeable position as heirs to the English throne. In the end, Mary’s decision was swayed by love. She married him, against all opposition, in July 1565, proclaiming him King of Scotland.

  Although this alliance was arguably a threat to Elizabeth’s throne, it also had positive repercussions. Mary was now unable to marry any of the available foreign princes or kings: such a marriage would have allied Scotland with strong European nations that could threaten England. Furthermore, the Queen of Scots’ new husband was considered to be an immature, shallow, selfish fool, and was unpopular with many of the Scottish nobles. There was much opposition to their union, and Elizabeth herself had not consented, so she did not feel bound to discuss the couple’s position as heirs to the Crown of England. In addition, the marriage left Robert at her Court in England.

  This did not stop Elizabeth from enjoying the company of other men at Court. In 1565, Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond (‘The Black Earl’), became Elizabeth’s favourite for a time. He was a charming and amusing Irishman who Elizabeth had known since childhood. They had met at the court of Edward VI, where Butler, like Robert, was one of the sons of nobles selected to be educated with the young King. He and Elizabeth had a further link as cousins, since Anne Boleyn’s grandmother had been a Butler.

  In honour of his dark, smouldering good looks, Elizabeth called him her ‘black husband’ and openly delighted in his company. At the time, Butler was separated from his first wife and he spent much time at the Court in England, and Elizabeth trusted his opinion and enjoyed his company. They would remain close friends over the years, with Butler building a Tudor castle in Ireland to be able to welcome the Queen, although she would never visit the country.

  Elizabeth would bestow honours on him in later years and her favour of him sometimes gave rise to rumours about the nature of their relationship. When Butler willed an extraordinarily large inheritance to the eldest of his illegitimate sons, Piers, speculations arose that the son must have a very illustrious mother. Some claimed that it had been Thomas Butler, not Thomas Seymour, who had fathered a child to Elizabeth in 1548, and that the child had gone to his father’s family in Ireland to be raised.

  The year of 1565 also saw the first instance of Robert showing favour to someone other than the Queen. It was reported that he seemed to have a special fondness for Lettice Knollys, who was a maid of the Privy Chamber. At the time, the 22-year-old Lettice was married to Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, with whom she had two daughters. The Spanish Ambassador Guzman da Silva is alleged to have described her as one of the ‘best-looking ladies of the court’.17 The Queen was apparently displeased with this development, and Lettice left Court to return to her husband’s home in Staffordshire. This would not be the end of Robert and Lettice’s relationship, however.

  Meanwhile, developments to the North of the border were showing Mary, Queen of Scots’ choice of husband to be a disaster. In less than a year, Mary and Darnley had come to dislike each other intensely. Thomas Randolph, the English Ambassador to Scotland, wrote to Cecil, ‘I know now for certain that the Queen repenteth her marriage, that she hateth the King and all his kin …’18

  Darnley, who was drinking to excess, started rumours that the Queen’s Italian secretary and musician, David Rizzio, was also her lover. As Mary was pregnant at the time, Rizzio was accused of being the father of her child. In March, Darnley and a group of Protestant nobles who supported him murdered Rizzio in Mary’s presence.

  In June, estranged from her husband, Mary gave birth to a son, James. There would be some attempts at reconciliation between the couple, but in early 1567, Darnley was murdered, an event that would lead to further problems for Mary. She faced rebellion from Protestant nobles and general suspicion about her next choice of husband, James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, who had been implicated in the murder of Darnley. These events would contribute to Mary losing her throne in July 1567.

  Although these developments carried political advantages for Elizabeth, they were unlikely to change her rather sceptical opinion of marriage. Parliament had again taken up the question in 1566, trying to get the Queen to agree to marry or settle the succession. Elizabeth responded angrily: Did she not govern well? she demanded, before storming out of the meeting. They tried, over the following days, to get a response and Elizabeth agreed to some concessions, but again flew into a temper, calling her Councillors various names from ‘traitor’ to ‘swaggering soldier’.19 When William Parr, 1st Marquis of Northampton, tried to speak, she told him he would be better to say nothing; his marital problems had taken an Act of Parliament to sort out. She turned on Robert himself, stating that of all people she had expected his support. When he responded that he was ready to die at her feet, Elizabeth retorted ‘that had nothing to do with the matter’. She then ordered him to be put under house arrest.

  When she had calmed down, Elizabeth finally agreed that she would marry as soon as was convenient and have children as soon as nature permitted, but reminded her government that despite being a woman, she had the courage of her father and would ‘never be by violence constrained to do anything’.20 As for the succession, she was painfully aware of the dangers to the country and herself of choosing the wrong heir, whose ambitions
of power could imperil the kingdom.21

  Elizabeth allowed negotiations for a possible marriage with Charles, Archduke of Austria, to continue. In June 1567, Thomas Radclyffe was sent to Emperor Maximilian II’s Court with the Order of the Garter for the Emperor, along with a portrait of Elizabeth for his brother, Archduke Charles.

  Radclyffe sent back a lengthy report describing Charles: auburn-haired, with a good complexion, cheerful, courteous, princely, with good hands and well-proportioned legs. He spoke his native German, as well as some Spanish, Italian and a little Latin. He was universally beloved, a most virtuous man and a valiant warrior, having led his father’s armies against the Turks to keep the eastern borders safe. He loved riding, hunting and hawking, and also liked to study, particularly astronomy and cosmography. Radclyffe was impressed by the Archduke and commended him to the Queen, saying he would make ‘a true husband, a loving companion, a wise councillor, and a faithful servant, and we shall have as virtuous a prince as ever ruled.’22

  Religion remained the sticking point, however. Archduke Charles had told Radclyffe ‘… if I might have hope that her Majesty would bear with me for my conscience [as a Catholic] I know not that thing in the world I would refuse to do at her commandment. And surely I have from the beginning of the matter settled my heart upon her, and never thought of other wife, if she would think me worthy to be her husband.’23 As to whether he might convert to Protestantism, Charles replied that he and his family had always been Catholic and the Queen would think very little of him if he casually tossed his religion away. He only asked that he be allowed to attend Catholic services in private.

  When the Council met to discuss the matter, Radclyffe, who was in favour, was abroad; Thomas Howard, who was in favour, was ill, and so Cecil, who was also in favour, was outnumbered. Robert, who was against the union, emphasized the religious divide, and the Council voted not to support the marriage.

  Elizabeth, now aged 34, seemed somewhat relieved – as no doubt was Robert. The Spanish Ambassador da Silva, writing to Philip II, saw the religious question as just another justification for Elizabeth to avoid marrying, stating that the Queen leaves ‘herself always a loop hole to escape from’.24 Archduke Charles would finally marry his niece, Maria Anna of Bavaria, in 1571, with whom he would go on to have 15 children. Elizabeth was said to be insulted by this match.

  In November 1568, Elizabeth had one last chance with one of her earliest beaus, Philip II, when she was told of the death of Elisabeth de Valois, his French wife. Elizabeth sent her condolences, claiming that she and her Court would go into mourning with suitably sombre ceremonies in the dead Queen’s honour.

  In an exchange with French Ambassador de La Mothe Fénelon, she expressed surprise that Philip had not written to her with the news himself, then surmised that perhaps it would not be deemed decent to send ‘letters to an unmarried girl, like her …’. De La Mothe rejoined, ‘I thanked her and only added that the King of Spain was still young enough to take a fourth wife.’25 This exchange must have amused both parties.

  Shortly after, relations with Spain became tense when four Spanish ships forced to take shelter in the Port of London turned out to be carrying money for a campaign to subdue Protestants in the Netherlands. Elizabeth promptly seized the cash for ‘safekeeping’. The Spanish governor of the Netherlands was furious and impounded all English goods, while, in retaliation, Elizabeth seized all Spanish goods in England. De La Mothe told her not to worry about the impact this might have on her relations with Philip: ‘… the King of Spain, being once more a widower, and in search of a suitable consort, would not for the world offend an unmarried princess like her; neither, for the same cause, should she quarrel with him who was on that pursuit.’26 Elizabeth replied that she did not doubt the friendship of Spain.

  Relations with Scotland had reached another impasse. Mary, Queen of Scots, who had been forced to abdicate, had fled to England in 1568, where she was immediately imprisoned by Elizabeth. Mary sought Elizabeth’s support in regaining her throne. Although Elizabeth was cautious, she had been persuaded to the cause on the condition that Mary ratify the Treaty of Edinburgh.

  In 1570, Cecil met with Mary’s advisers to draw up a treaty between the two Queens. In the second Article it was stated that Elizabeth’s issue should have preference to the succession. Mary changed the wording to ‘lawful issue’, presumably a snide reference to the rumours that Elizabeth and Robert had had a child out of wedlock. Elizabeth agreed, but returned the insult, remarking that Mary ‘measured other folk’s disposition by her own actions’.27 In any case, the matter was moot, as Mary still refused to accept all of the conditions of the Edinburgh treaty.

  With the Queen now aged 37, another drawn-out courtship began. Tentative approaches were made by the English Council to French Ambassador de La Mothe regarding a possible French husband. The Council possibly suspected that the project was doomed to failure and simply saw it as a way to flatter the French or win political influence. Elizabeth’s response to the matter seemed to be more one of resignation: ‘I am an old woman and am ashamed to talk about a husband, were it not for the sake of an heir.’28

  Whether the French believed Elizabeth was sincere, it was too good an opportunity to miss. If Elizabeth fell for the charms of a handsome young Frenchman and became pregnant, England and France could be brought together by the issue of that union. Charles IX and his mother, Catherine de Medici, offered Elizabeth the elder of the King’s two brothers, the 19-year-old Henri, Duc d’Anjou. Elizabeth again claimed to be worried about the age difference, to which a perhaps defensive Robert replied, ‘So much the better for you.’29

  She suggested that Henri make a brief visit to England so they could meet. Although the meeting never occurred, it was perhaps just as well that this was the case. Officially, Henri was tall, slender and handsome, with beautiful eyes and hands, but according to other reports, he was obsessed with clothes, perfume and jewellery, as well as purchasing expensive jewels with which to seduce naïve young ladies. Henri, firmly under the influence of the Guise faction, reportedly felt it would be better to lead an army to conquer England than to marry an old lady with a sordid reputation. He was said to have called Elizabeth a putain publique (a ‘common whore’) and ‘an old creature’.30

  Perhaps inevitably his alleged comments reached Elizabeth’s ears. Although the French Ambassador reassured the Queen that the Duke had never said such things, there was also the question of religion. Henri wanted assurances that he and his courtiers could freely worship in the Catholic religion, that he rule jointly as King and receive a pension of £60,000 a year for life. The English refused to allow the devout Henri his Catholic faith. When it appeared that the whole project would fail, Catherine de Medici then suggested her son, François, Duc d’Alençon, who was even younger, as he was ‘a much less scrupulous fellow’.

  When Elizabeth asked Cecil how tall François was, he replied: ‘About as tall as I am.’ She was heard to respond, ‘About as tall as your grandson, you mean’ – Cecil’s grandson was six years old at the time.31 As François was only 15 years old, 21 years younger than Elizabeth, small in stature, with a big nose and smallpox scars, the idea was quietly dropped for the time being.

  Although the French King Charles IX had previously supported Mary, Queen of Scots, he now increasingly looked to England as an ally. In April 1572, France and England signed the Treaty of Blois, a pact of mutual defence. As Elizabeth had fallen ill that month with a high fever (probably colic), once again came the panic that she might die without an heir. As she recovered – Robert and William Cecil, now 1st Baron Burghley, by her side throughout her illness – the pressure for a successor was back on the agenda. Once again, François was proposed as a husband. But in August, the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre in France occurred, in which thousands of Protestants were slain in the French Wars of Religion. This marked a low point in France’s relations with its Protestant neighbours. The marriage to François was put on hold, although
he continued to write Elizabeth the wonderful and romantic love letters of a devoted suitor.

  The Queen also had her admirers in the English Court. Sir Christopher Hatton was appointed captain of Elizabeth’s bodyguard in 1572, and was also a Member of Parliament. Well-educated, handsome and accomplished, this elegant dancer was said to be Robert’s main rival at the time. Stories circulated about Elizabeth and Hatton, including that he ‘had more recourse to Her Majesty in her Privy Chamber than reason could suffice, if she were virtuous and well inclined as some noiseth her.’32

  Over the years, he would be a favourite of Elizabeth’s, owing his place at Court to his never-ending adoration of the Queen, which he recorded in letters and poems. He would write, ‘Your heart is full of rare and royal faith, the writings of your hand do raise me to joy unspeakable.’33 Like Robert, Hatton was always near her; she nicknamed Robert her ‘Eyes’, and Hatton her ‘Lids’. Each man added a cipher to his letters to the Queen; Robert signed with ôô (eyes) and Hatton with ∆∆. In 1573, ill with a kidney problem, Hatton would write to Elizabeth from a Dutch spa, ‘to serve you is heaven, but to lack you is more than hell’s torment … Your Lids that are so often bathed with tears for your sake. A more wise man may seek you, but a more faithful and worthy can never have you.’34

  Hatton also sent Elizabeth a jewel shaped like a lover’s knot, ‘the kind she most likes, and she thinks can not be undone.’35 He would remain a devoted follower of the Queen, the only one of her professed lovers who never married, maintaining that he never found anyone else more worthy of his love. He did, however, keep discreet mistresses a long way from Court, at least one of whom provided him with a daughter named Elizabeth.