Elizabeth's Rival

by Nicola Tallis

  CHAPTER 15

  Our Mistress’s Extreme Rage

  NEW YEAR 1585 was a fresh start for Lettice and Leicester. Their year had begun at Greys Court, where once again Leicester had lost money in play – this time at dice – and had given money both to the poor, and in reward to the servants of Greys for their hospitality.1 Having spent a few days travelling around Oxfordshire, the Leicesters had returned to Greys later in January, before making their way back to Leicester House. In February, Lettice’s daughter Dorothy had given birth to a child, and Leicester had rewarded her nurse, but nothing further is heard of this baby – presumably it died young.2

  With all the heartache that the couple had been forced to endure the previous year, it was little wonder that Leicester sought some fresh occupation with which to busy his mind. He had always been a great advocate of Protestantism, and he had also taken a great interest in the Netherlands. Since the abdication of the Emperor Charles V in 1555, the Netherlands had come under the rule of his successor, Philip II of Spain.3 Philip, formerly married to Elizabeth’s half-sister Mary, was devotedly Catholic, and was alarmed that Protestantism in the Netherlands was starting to spread. After a number of armed rebellions against Spanish Catholic rule, Philip retaliated by sending a large force of both Spanish and Italian soldiers to the Netherlands. This provoked further resistance, and across the Channel, Queen Elizabeth was becoming increasingly wary of the threat posed by Catholic Spanish soldiers who were now just a short distance from England. In 1575, the Spanish government lost control, and though four years later the southern provinces of the Netherlands made peace with Spain, the northern provinces refused to do so. Spain would spend many years trying to regain control.

  On 10 July 1584, William ‘the Silent’, the Prince of Orange, was shot in the chest by a Catholic assassin at Delft.4 William was a champion of the reformed faith, and had led the Dutch resistance against Spain. His death therefore came as a huge blow to the Dutch Protestants, who were becoming overwhelmed by the might of the Catholic Spanish Empire. In desperation, they now cast around for support. They looked in Queen Elizabeth’s direction, offering her the Dutch throne in return for aid. Meanwhile, the Spanish commander Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma, began besieging Antwerp.5 This rang alarm bells in England, and the Queen realized that in order to prevent the Netherlands from collapsing, she needed to offer them her support. Though she ultimately refused the sovereignty of the country, she was nevertheless keen to offer military aid to her co-religionists. It was decided that a force ought to be sent to the Netherlands, and it was clear that a person of great eminence should head the Queen’s army, but who should fill that role was not yet decided.

  By February 1585, Leicester had made it known that he was enthusiastic to lead the Queen’s forces, but Elizabeth and her councillors deliberated over the best course of action. As they pondered, at home Lettice and her husband spent much of the earlier part of the year occupied in the usual domestic matters. On 25 March there was a payment to ‘the French cook at Leicester House’, while on 2 April William the fool was rewarded for travelling from Wanstead to the Earl of Essex.6 On 26 April, ‘Luck the fool of Wickham’ was rewarded for ‘presenting a cheese’, as was a servant of Sir Walter Ralegh’s for bringing a gift of oysters.7 Lettice seems to have busied herself with ordering clothes for her husband, for on 3 June one Mrs Barker was paid eight shillings (£60) ‘for ruffs for eleven shirts that my lady bought for your lordship’.8 Five days later, Leicester gave her money, presumably to cover her costs ‘when she played with my Lord of Derby at cards’.9 As the summer approached, however, the couple decided that they needed a holiday.

  In August, the Leicesters left the disease-ridden air of London behind them, and began their journey to Kenilworth. They travelled with a party of sixty via Abingdon, where on 16 August a reward was given to three singers that sang ‘under my lady’s window in the morning the same day’.10 Their journey onwards was a sociable one, and gave them the opportunity to spend some time with their friends and family. Having stopped at Cornbury – a house of Leicester’s near Oxford – and Woodstock on the way, the couple finally reached Kenilworth on 20 August. This seems to have been the first occasion on which Lettice had visited the ancient stronghold in her capacity as Leicester’s wife, and it must have been a source of great satisfaction to her to consider that she was now mistress of the castle’s treasures. It may also have stirred fond memories of the hunting parties that she had once enjoyed in the park, and Leicester’s courtship of her – and of their possible first secret exchange of vows.

  Even at Kenilworth, though, there was no escaping from the Queen, whose portraits hung from the castle’s walls.11 There were also two portraits of Leicester ‘in whole proportion, the one in armour, the other in a suit of russet satin and velvet’, and another in half proportion, as well as another of Lettice’s sister, Elizabeth.12 A likeness of the captive Mary, Queen of Scots, could also be seen, and significantly, so too could that of Philip of Spain.13 The King as a show of friendship may have given this in the 1560s, when Philip believed that Leicester was a contender for the Queen’s hand in marriage.14 There were, however, few traces of Lettice.

  Kenilworth provided a welcome change of scene. Unfortunately, their holiday was destined to be of short duration. As Leicester informed Burghley at the end of August, ‘I have got a shrewd wrench on my foot by the fall of my horse, which drives me to my couch, and more rest than here I would have had.’15 He was writing from nearby Stoneleigh, the home of Sir Thomas Leigh, and it was while he was here that he received word from the Queen.16 His request to lead the Queen’s forces in the Netherlands had been successful: Elizabeth had decided that her favourite would head the campaign.

  There was no time to be wasted, and with all holiday thoughts now forgotten, Leicester left Lettice at Kenilworth as he began the journey back to London. Lettice was used to her husband being called away in the Queen’s service, but this time she was determined to join him. She followed Leicester back to London at a more leisurely pace, probably arriving at Leicester House in early September – much to the Queen’s annoyance. Elizabeth was fearful lest Lettice should try to travel abroad with her husband, something that she was determined to prevent. Writing from the court on 5 September, Walsingham informed William Davison that ‘I see not her Majesty disposed to use the service of the Earl of Leicester. There is great offence taken in the carrying down of his lady.’17 Leicester and Lettice had now been married for seven years, yet still the Queen raged against her kinswoman. This placed an intolerable strain upon Lettice, but there was nothing that she could do. Everyone knew that the Queen came first.

  Meanwhile, Leicester began making preparations for his journey. By necessity this required him to spend much of his time with the Queen, with the inevitable consequence that Lettice was neglected. He thus asked Walsingham to ‘send my wife word in the morning that I cannot come before Thursday to London’. His plans took on many different aspects, and on 27 September he told Walsingham that he had instructed those friends and servants who were accompanying him to prepare themselves ‘with all the speed possible, to serve her majesty, under me, in the Low Countries’.18 His arrangements had included taking up ‘both armours and steel saddles, as many as must cost me a good piece of money. I have set in hand sundry furniture also for myself.’19 He had also stressed that the Dutch representatives at court were eager for him to be on his way, and were doing all that they could to press him to leave. It was not just Leicester who was employed in preparations, but Lettice’s son Essex, too. Essex was now twenty years old, and was a handsome youth with dark hair and eyes. Although Leicester and Lettice’s young son was now dead and Leicester’s official heir was his nephew, Sir Philip Sidney, this did not prevent him from taking an active interest in his stepchildren. This endeared Lettice further to her husband, and she watched as he primed Essex to take centre stage at court, where he had first been presented the previous year. Now about to receive his firs
t taste of military action, the young Earl enthusiastically began recruiting men for the campaign, running up huge debts in the process. This earned the reproach of his grandfather, Sir Francis Knollys, who hoped that ‘youthful wilfulness and wasteful youth do not consume you before experienced wisdom shall have reformed you’.20 Although Sir Francis acknowledged that he liked ‘very well your desire to see the wars, for your learning’, he did not approve of his grandson’s ‘wasteful consumption’ of his limited resources.21 Essex paid no heed.

  In other matters, Essex was dismayed to learn that his childhood home of Chartley – now his primary estate – had been chosen as the latest prison of Mary, Queen of Scots. He worried that the trees on his estate would be cut down in order to provide firewood for the fallen Queen, and was concerned that damage would be caused to the interior. So anxious was he that he gave orders to his steward, Thomas Newport, to ‘remove all the bedding, hangings, and such like stuffs’.22 Mary had now been Elizabeth’s prisoner for seventeen long years, and despite numerous plans for her escape, none had been successful. As such, it had been agreed that she should be moved, and with its surrounding moat Chartley was deemed to be the ideal place. At the same time a new custodian was appointed to guard her: Sir Amyas Paulet. Like Francis Knollys, Paulet was a militant Puritan, and Mary loathed him. Leicester had evidently attempted to intervene on his stepson’s behalf, warranting the response from Walsingham that ‘I will do what I can to stay the intended removal thither’.23 However, he feared that none of the suggested alternatives would be found ‘so apt’ as Chartley.24 Essex even petitioned his grandfather, Sir Francis Knollys, to intervene to prevent his ‘poor and only house’ being put to ‘inconvenience’.25 Sir Francis responded, stressing to Walsingham that Chartley was the only one of his grandson’s residences that had no debt attached to it. In his usual candid fashion, he added that ‘It is no policy for her Majesty to lodge the Queen of Scots in so young a man’s house as he is.’26 Their arguments had no effect, and in due course Mary was removed to Chartley. It was while she was there that her fate would be sealed.

  Back in London, Lettice watched as her husband busily planned his mission. His preparations included sitting for his portrait, for one completed at this time was later recorded in the Leicester House inventory.27

  In December, Leicester received the official instructions for his mission. These included using ‘all good means to redress the confused government of those countries, and that some better form might be established amongst them’.28 Later that same month, ‘with good preparation, and goodly show’, Leicester bade farewell to Lettice and set out for the Netherlands, taking his stepson and many others with him.29 These included Lettice’s brothers William, who was to serve as one of Leicester’s captains, Thomas and Francis, as well as two of her brothers-in-law and her son-in-law, Thomas Perrot.30 According to Camden, the Earl had accepted the mission ‘out of a ticking desire of command and glory’, but the reality was very different: he knew that the task he faced would not be an easy one.31 Lettice was forced to say goodbye to her beloved husband and her son, as well as three of her brothers, and this understandably caused her great concern; who knew what dangers they might face? Nevertheless, Leicester demonstrated his faith in her by tasking her with the administration of his lands during his absence, and she was determined not to let him down.

  After a smooth and speedy crossing, Leicester landed at Flushing in the southwest of the Netherlands on 10 December with almost a hundred ships. His nephew Sir Philip Sidney, who was Governor of the town, greeted him, and the locals welcomed him and his men enthusiastically, ‘with all manner of honour, hearty well-wishings, triumphing arches’ and such like.32 It was an encouraging start; Leicester himself reported that the cries of ‘“God save Queen Elizabeth”’ were plentiful, and added that ‘I believe she never bestowed her favour upon more thankful people than these countries of Holland’.33 His journey into Holland, however, was marred by bad weather, including heavy fog. This inevitably impacted upon letters travelling to and from England, and Lettice waited anxiously to hear word of her husband and her son, and the Queen also grew concerned. Unfortunately, there is no surviving record of a correspondence between Lettice and either Leicester or Essex during this time, but at one point there certainly was: the following March Sir Thomas Sherley, who was serving under Leicester but had returned home to deliver news, reported to Leicester that ‘My lady your wife is well, but had no new cause to write. I waited upon her yesterday to know her pleasure.’34 Given the gravity of the task that Leicester faced, it nevertheless seems unlikely that he and Lettice communicated frequently during this time.

  DESPITE THE PROBLEMS he had encountered in reaching his destination of the Hague, it is difficult to believe that, given his love of display and finery, Leicester did not enjoy the revelries and entertainments that had been laid on for his benefit as he travelled. The Dutch people were exceptionally grateful for the help that they were receiving from England, and Leicester was the natural figurehead for this. It was because of this that the Dutch leaders urged him to accept a position as head of their government, a role that he eventually felt obliged to accept. Though he deliberated and sent desperate letters to England seeking the Queen’s instructions, the poor weather conditions meant that he received no word of reply. By January 1586, the Dutch leaders were pressing Leicester for an answer, and he felt that he had no option but to give them one.

  On 15 January, Leicester accepted the position of Governor General of the Netherlands, and was sworn in that same day. Having still received no word from England, it was a warily made decision, and one that Leicester knew risked incurring the Queen’s wrath. Although he immediately despatched William Davison to break the news to the Queen, by the time that Davison arrived at court he was dismayed to discover that word had leaked out and the Queen already knew. What was more, she was utterly incensed. It was to Leicester’s ‘great discomfort’ that he received word from the Council of ‘her Majesty’s great mislike of my acceptance of this government’.35 He tried to explain himself and the reasons that have ‘moved me to do this I have done, above her commission or commandment’.36 His actions, he claimed, were borne out of doing ‘her Majesty acceptable service’, rather than ‘to do myself either honour or good’.37 Leicester hoped that Davison would have presented to ‘her Majesty my own letter’, and ‘acquainted all your lordships with such reasons as have moved me to deal as I have done’, and now sought their understanding in the matter.38 He was deeply troubled, and wrote further to Walsingham attempting to justify his actions further. Nevertheless, he confessed that ‘I find myself most deeply wounded’ by ‘her Majesty’s good favour and good opinion drawn from me’.39 Not for the first time, the Queen was furious with him, and on 10 February she wrote to her favourite, not bothering to mask her rage. The letter was delivered by Sir Thomas Heneage, and the Queen’s words were scathing: ‘How contemptuously we conceive ourself to have been used by you, you shall by this bearer understand, whom we have expressly sent unto you to charge you withal’, she began.40 In fury, she continued to express that ‘We could never have imagined had we not seen it fall out in experience that a man raised up by ourself and extraordinarily favoured by us above any other subject of this land, would have in so contemptible a sort broken our commandment.’41 There could be no doubt that, once again, the Queen felt utterly betrayed by her favourite. She ended her letter with a chilling warning: from now on he was to follow his commandment, ‘whereof fail you not, as you will answer the contrary at your uttermost peril’.42 Leicester was deeply troubled when he read these words, but the bad news did not end there.

  There was another reason for Elizabeth’s anger. Lettice had by now accepted that a reconciliation with the Queen was unlikely: she and Leicester had been married for more than seven years, and Elizabeth’s attitude towards her had still not shown any signs of thawing. As such, she had no position at court and her young son was dead, ensuring that all of her time was her
own. Her husband was abroad where he was highly favoured; why should she not join him? It may have been a tempting prospect, but it was one that both Lettice and her husband realized could not become a reality: the Queen would never permit it. Malicious gossip, though, declared the contrary. On 11 February, Thomas Dudley, a distant relative who served in the Earl’s household, reported to Leicester that ‘It was told her Majesty that my lady was prepared presently to come over to your excellency.’43 It had been said that Lettice planned to join her husband in the Netherlands, ‘with such a train of ladies and gentlewomen, and such rich coaches, litters and side-saddles as her majesty had none such’.44 As if this were not bad enough, the gossips continued to assert that Lettice was arranging to establish herself at the head of ‘such a court of ladies as should far pass her majesty’s court’: in short, that Lettice was preparing herself to become Elizabeth’s rival in more than just personal terms.45 It had seemed that her relationship with the Queen could not get any worse, but this gossip once more served to heighten Elizabeth’s anger towards her kinswoman. Though Thomas Dudley asserted that this information was ‘most false’, it ‘did not a little stir her Majesty to extreme choler and dislike of all your doings there’.46 She had responded, so Dudley reported, ‘with great oaths, she would have no more courts under her obeisance but her own, and would revoke you from thence with all speed’.47 Several councillors had recounted this to Leicester, including Lettice’s father, and to all of them he responded by saying that ‘the information was most false in every degree, and that there was no such preparation made by my lady, nor any intention in her to go over, neither had your lordship any intention to send for her’.48 When Sir Francis Knollys had related this to the Queen, given his relationship to those involved she trusted his word, and thus it ‘did greatly pacify her stomach’.49 Thomas Dudley assured Leicester that in this, Knollys ‘dealt most honourably and friendly for your lordship to her Majesty, both to satisfy her highness in this report, as in the other great action’.50 Lettice heard of this episode first-hand, for Dudley had written to Leicester from Leicester House.