Elizabeth and Leicester

by Sarah Gristwood

  Chapter 10

  Neville Williams’s All the Queen’s Men (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1972) has a lucid and readable reprise of the conventional story as to the events of 1569. For more recent thinking see G. Parker’s article, ‘The Place of Tudor England in the Messianic Vision of Philip II of Spain’, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 6th series, xii (2002) - to which my attention was first drawn by John Guy’s picture of the Ridolfi plot in his biography of Mary. To this I would add CSP Dom. 1547-1580, p. 345, for evidence of Leicester and Cecil acting in concert.

  For current thinking on Cecil see Stephen Alford, The Early Elizabethan Polity: William Cecil and the British Succession Crisis, 1558-1569 (Cambridge University Press, 2002), and M. A. R. Graves, Burghley: William Cecil, Lord Burghley (Longman, 1998).

  Chapter 11

  Most of the biographies of Leicester have extensive chapters on his financial affairs and enterprises. Rye, The Murder of Amy Robsart, prints as appendix XV a list of Elizabeth’s gifts and grants to him. For the tale of the missed meeting, see Old London Bridge by Patricia Pierce (Headline, 2001).

  For Leicester’s discussion of his religious position, see the Letters of Thomas Wood, Puritan, ed. Patrick Collinson (Athlone, 1960); the introduction offers an extensive and authoritative discussion of his attitudes. See also the religious implications of his patronage in Eleanor Rosenberg’s Leicester, Patron of Letters (Columbia University Press, 1962).

  Chapter 12

  It is possible to trace the progress of the Valois marriage negotiations from, so to speak, both angles. Walsingham’s correspondence with Leicester (and Cecil) is transcribed as The Compleat Ambassador, ed. Dudley Digges (1655), while the French ambassador’s version can be seen in Correspondance Diplomatique de la Mothe Fénelon.

  The letter Leicester wrote to Norfolk is reprinted in Starkey, ed., Rivals in Power.

  Dyer’s letter is in Memoirs of the Life and Times of Sir Christopher Hatton, K.G., by Sir Harris Nicolas (London, 1847), which also quotes Hatton’s letters to Elizabeth; the bulk of the book is an important source for court correspondence of the period, including that between Hatton and Leicester himself, the supposed rivals.

  Chapter 13

  Gilbert Talbot’s letter about the sisters in love with Leicester is to be found in Edmund Lodge, Illustrations of British History (1791; edition used 1838), which indeed contains the bulk of the Talbot (Shrewsbury) family correspondence quoted, a good deal of it with Leicester himself.

  Information on Douglass’s background is to be found in the first chapter of Arthur Gould Lee’s biography of her offspring, The Son of Leicester: The Story of Sir Robert Dudley (Victor Gollancz, 1964); chapters IX and X give an account of the trials, with an appendix on the validity or otherwise of the supposed marriage. While the surviving Cotton manuscripts wound up in the British Library, other manuscripts are in the Dudley Papers at Longleat, boxes 6-8, and the Sidney Papers from Penshurst, now held in the Centre for Kentish Studies at Maidstone, vols 698, 699, 755; the Report on the Manuscripts of Lord de L’Isle transcribes three of them. For the identification of Douglass Sheffield as the recipient of Leicester’s letter see Conyers Read, ‘A Letter from Robert, Earl of Leicester, to a Lady’, Huntingdon Library Quarterly, April 1936.

  The main first sources on Elizabeth’s progresses in general, and her visit to Kenilworth in particular, are respectively The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth, ed. J. G. Nichols (Roxburghe Club, 1823), and Robert Laneham’s A letter; wherein the Entertainment and Killingworth Castle is signified (1575), which is reproduced therein. An important modern source, however, is Zillah Dovey’s An Elizabethan Progress: The Queen’s Journey to East Anglia, 1578 (Farleigh Dickinson Press, 1996). For Susan Frye’s analysis of the entertainments Leicester provided, see The Competition for Representation, esp. p. 61.

  Chapter 14

  For Wood’s letters, see notes for Chapter 11.

  For the Irish situation, see Susan Brigden, New Worlds, Lost Worlds: The Rule of the Tudors 1465-1603 (Allen Lane, 2000); also Walter Bourchier Devereux, Lives and Letters of the Devereux Earls of Essex (1853).

  For the marriage day, see Dovey, An Elizabethan Progress, p. 74. For Lettice’s subsequent life, see Sylvia Freedman’s Poor Penelope: Lady Penelope Rich, an Elizabethan Woman (Kensal Press, 1983); also E. W. Dormer, ‘Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester’, Berkshire Archaeological Journal, xxxix, 1935.

  Information on Stafford’s dubious activities can be found in Robert Hutchinson, Elizabeth’s Spy Master: Francis Walsingham and the Secret War that Saved England (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006), which is also fascinating on the machinations of the years ahead: see esp. pp. 224-5. A belief in Stafford’s guilt was shared by Conyers Read, who expressed it in his classic biographies of Walsingham and also of Cecil: the opposite view, however (that Stafford was himself trying to deceive Spain in England’s best interests) was expressed by J. E. Neale in ‘The Fame of Sir Edward Stafford’, English Historical Review, xliv (1929).

  Chapter 15

  It is the delicate mating game with Alençon (or, properly, ‘Anjou’) that sees Hume’s Courtships really come into its own; out of all Elizabeth’s ‘philanderings’, this was the single episode that most interested Hume in the entire chronicle of what he called ‘the longest and most eventful comedy in the history of Europe’. See especially chs 9 and 10. See also C. F. H. de la Ferrière, Les Projets de mariage de la Reine Elisabeth (1882).

  Once again, Simon Adams (Leicester and the Court, p. 232) has corrected an important error in redating the birth of Leicester’s son.

  Chapter 16

  The Disbursement Books as edited by Adams is the invaluable source on Leicester’s daily life.

  See Nicolas, Memoirs of Sir Christopher Hatton, for Aylmer’s letter (p. 348), for changes in Leicester (p. 351), for his letter about Lord and Lady Norris (p. 269), and for letters about Denbigh’s death.

  A modern edition of Leicester’s Commonwealth (ed. D. C. Peck, Ohio University Press, 1985) has a valuable introduction; for authorship of the book, see also Alice Hogge, God’s Secret Agents (HarperCollins, 2005), p. 172n.

  Chapter 17

  The first and most significant of Leicester’s two sojourns in the Netherlands, and his quarrels with the Queen, are chronicled in The Correspondence of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, during his Government of the Low Countries in the Years 1585 and 1586, ed. J. Bruce (Camden Society, 1844). Wright’s Queen Elizabeth and Her Times, vol. ii, gives what you might call the behind-the-scenes view. For an analysis of the ceremonials, see Roy Strong and J. A. Van Dorsten, Leicester’s Triumph (Oxford University Press, 1964); Strong’s many books on the significance of Elizabeth’s own portraits are obviously also essential reading for anyone working on her today.

  Chapter 18

  Garrett Mattingly’s The Defeat of the Spanish Armada (Jonathan Cape, 1959) was the book that converted many of us to history. More recently, see James McDermott, England and the Spanish Armada: The Necessary Quarrel (Yale University Press, 2005); Neil Hanson, The Confident Hope of a Miracle: The True History of the Spanish Armada (Bantam, 2003); and Bertrand T. Whitehead, Brags and Boasts: Propaganda of the Year of the Armada (Sutton, 1994).

  The Collected Works, pp. 325-6n, has a discussion of the sources for Elizabeth’s Tilbury speech: two contemporary poetical accounts of the visit are James Aske’s Elizabetha Triumphans, with a Declaration of the Manner how her Excellency was entertained by her Souldyers into her Campe Royall at Tilbery, in Essex, and Thomas Deloney’s The Queen . . . at Tilsburie (in Edward Arber’s An English Garland, 1877-96, vol. VII). See also Miller Christy’s important article, ‘Queen Elizabeth’s Visit to Tilbury in 1588’, English Historical Review, xxxiv, 1919, and A. J. Collins’s ‘The Progress of Queen Elizabeth to the Camp at Tilbury’, British Museum Quarterly, x (1936).

  Chapter 19, Appendices and Afterword

  For Leicester’s will, see appendix in Wilson, Sweet Robin; and se
e the details of his funeral in the Disbursement Books.

  For the theory that Shakespeare was Neville, see Brenda James and William D. Rubinstein, The Truth Will Out: Unmasking the Real Shakespeare (Longman, 2005).

  On Essex, see Robert Lacey, Robert, Earl of Essex: An Elizabethan Icarus (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1970); G. B. Harrison, The Life and Death of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex (Cassell, 1937); John Guy, ed., The Reign of Elizabeth I: Court and Culture in the Last Decade (Cambridge University Press, 1995); Paul Hammer, The Polarisation of Elizabethan Politics: The Political Career of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, 1585-1597 (Cambridge University Press, 1999).

  On Sir Robert Dudley, see Gould Lee, The Son of Leicester; G. K. Warner, The Voyage of Robert Dudley to the West Indies, Hakluyt Society, 2nd series, iii (1899); J. Temple Leader, Sir R. Dudley (1895); Vaughan Thomas, Italian Biography of Sir R. Dudley (1881).

  On ‘Arthur Dudley’, see Paul Doherty, The Secret Life of Elizabeth I (Greenwich Exchange, 2006); letters reprinted in Chamberlin, Private Character, pp. 309-18; also the additional chapter of Hume’s Courtships. Englefield’s letter about the propaganda war is quoted in Peck’s introduction to Leicester’s Commonwealth, p. 12. For espionage practices in general, see Hutchinson, Walsingham; also Alan Haynes, Invisible Power: The Elizabethan Secret Service 1570-1603 (Sutton, 1992).

  For the fascinating saga of Elizabeth’s posthumous reputation, see Michael Dobson and Nicola J. Watson, England’s Elizabeth: An Afterlife in Fame and Fantasy (Oxford University Press, 2002). For that of Robert, the best source is Chamberlin, Elizabeth and Leycester. In the first fifty pages of his book, and in a series of appendices, Chamberlin analyses the picture of Leicester presented in some eighty books from the sixteenth century to the early twentieth.

  Acknowledgements

  One often says, ‘It’s all thanks to you . . .’, but in this case, it happens to be true. I want to thank first and foremost Alison Weir, who gave me this idea for a book. And Alison, thanks again, for correcting some of the errors in the text: I can only hope that not too many escaped your eagle eye! By the same token, I should like to thank Mary Lovell and Margaret Gaskin, both of whom suggested some very important changes to the presentation of the material; Carole Myer and Leonie Flynn, who were also kind enough to read and comment upon earlier versions of this story; and also Leanda de Lisle, who sent me information on some unpublished letters of Leicester’s. I am, as always, very grateful to Selina Walker, my commissioning editor, and to Sheila Lee at Transworld; to my agent Araminta Whitley at LAW; and especially to Gillian Somerscales for her endlessly patient copy-editing. Family and friends, I hope, can by now take my gratitude for granted! So let me give the last thanks to the many anonymous friends not mentioned in the source notes - to helpful ladies at Hever and Penshurst, at the Kent county archive and at Kenilworth; not to mention the ever-resourceful staff of the London Library.

  Picture acknowledgements

  First colour section

  Portrait of Elizabeth as a young girl by William Scrotts, c.1546-7: the Royal Collection © 2006 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

  Anonymous portrait of Anne Boleyn, 1533-6: National Portrait Gallery, London; The Family of Henry VIII by an unknown artist, c.1545: the Royal Collection © 2006 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; view of the Knot Garden and the Old Palace, Hatfield House, Hertfordshire/The Bridgeman Art Library; anonymous portrait of Thomas Seymour, second half of the 16th century: National Portrait Gallery, London

  Portrait of Robert Dudley by Nicholas Hilliard, 1576: National Portrait Gallery, London; map of London, from Civitates Orbis Terrarum, by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenburg, c.1572: © Guildhall Library, City of London/The Bridgeman Art Library; Dudley coat of arms carved by Ambrose and Robert Dudley, 1553-5, Beauchamp Tower, Tower of London: photo © Historic Royal Palaces; drawing of the coronation procession of Elizabeth I, 14 January 1559, detail, London College of Arms MS M6 f.41v: The Art Archive/Eileen Tweedy

  Drawing of Elizabeth and drawing of Robert Dudley, both by Federico Zuccaro, 1575: British Museum, London; Elizabeth I’s Procession arriving at Nonesuch Palace by Joris Hoefnagel, c.1568: British Museum, London/The Bridgeman Art Library; Figures Dancing la Volta by an unknown artist, late 16th century: by kind permission of Viscount De L’Isle from his private collection at Penshurst Place

  Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots in the Great Hall at Fotheringay, 8 February 1587, Scottish school: © Private Collection/The Bridgeman Art Library; anonymous portrait miniature of Mary, Queen of Scots, c.1560-65: National Portrait Gallery, London; detail of a portrait of Queen Elizabeth by Federico Zuccaro, late 16th century: Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena/Alinari/The Bridgeman Art Library

  Second colour section

  Portrait of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, 1560s, by Steven van der Meulen: © Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection/The Bridgeman Art Library

  Anonymous portrait of Christopher Hatton: National Portrait Gallery, London; anonymous portrait of François de Valois, Duke of Alençon, 1560s, Hermitage, St Petersburg/The Bridgeman Art Library; portrait miniature of Sir Walter Ralegh by Nicholas Hilliard, c.1585: National Portrait Gallery, London; portrait of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, by William Segar: National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin; portrait of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, by Arnold von Brounckhorst, 1560-70: © National Portrait Gallery, London/The Bridgeman Art Library; portrait of Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, by John de Critz: © Courtesy of the Warden and Scholars of New College, Oxford/The Bridgeman Art Library

  View of Kenilworth Castle c.1620, 18th-century copy of a 17th-century wallpainting: photo English Heritage; east elevation of Leicester’s Building, Kenilworth Castle: photo English Heritage; portrait of Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester, by George Gower, c.1585: Longleat House, Wiltshire/The Bridgeman Art Library

  Queen Elizabeth Receiving the Dutch Ambassadors, c.1585: Staatliche Museen, Kassel; anonymous portrait of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, 1575, Parham Park, Nr Pulborough, West Sussex: Mark Fiennes/The Bridgeman Art Library; portrait of Philip II (mounted on a cow), the Duke of Alençon, the Duke of Alba, William of Orange and Queen Elizabeth I by Philip Moro: Private Collection/The Bridgeman Art Library; portrait of Elizabeth, known as the ‘Armada Portrait’, c.1588, attributed to George Gower: Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire/The Bridgeman Art Library

  Portrait of Robert Dudley by Nicholas Hilliard: photo The National Museum of Fine Arts, Stockholm; tomb of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and Lettice Knollys, Beauchamp Chapel, Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick: © Trevor Haywood/fotoLibra

  Index

  Abbott, Jacob

  Accession Day

  Adlard, George

  Aird, Ian

  Alane, Alexander (Alesius)

  Albert, Prince Consort

  Alençon, François, Duke of: appearance ; religion; titles; first question of suit to QE; Netherlands involvement ; suit to QE resumed; Simier’s mission ; arrival in England; relationship with QE ; QE’s virginity ; English view of ; marriage articles; opinion of QE; return to England ; QE’s promise and refusal; money for Netherlands campaign; departure for Netherlands ; Netherlands sovereignty; death

  Allen, William

  Alva, Duchess of

  Alva, Duke of

  ambassadors: French , see also Castelnau, Fénelon; Imperial (Habsburg), see also Chapuys; Scottish, see also Maitland; Spanish , see also de Quadra, de Silva, de Spes, Feria, Mendoza (Bernardino de); Venetian (in England) ; Venetian (in Madrid) ; Venetian (in Paris)

  Anatomy of Melancholy (Burton)

  Andreas Capellanus

  Anjou, Duke of, see Henri

  Anne, Queen of Great Britain

  Anne of Cleves, Queen

  Antwerp, fall of

  Appleyard, John

  Archer, Jeffrey

  Arden, Edward

  Aristotle

  Armada, Spanish

  Arran, James Hamilton, second Earl of

  Arthur, King
<
br />   Arundel, Charles

  Arundel, Henry FitzAlan, nineteenth Earl of

  Arundel House

  Ascham, Roger

  Ashley, John

  Ashley, Kat (Champernowne): family background; education of Elizabeth; Seymour’s conspiracy; evidence on Seymour’s behaviour; First Lady of the Bedchamber; concern for QE’s reputation; death

  Ashridge House

  Association, Act of

  Atye, Arthur

  Austen, Jane

  Aylmer, John

  Babington, Anthony

  Bacon, Francis

  Baddesley Clinton

  Bayly, Dr

  Baynard’s Castle

  Bedford, Francis Russell, second Earl of

  Belvoir Castle

  Blanchett, Cate

  Blois, Treaty of ()

  Blount, Christopher

  Blount, Thomas: background; correspondence with RD ; investigation of Amy’s death

  Boleyn, Anne, Queen: family background ; education; Henry’s courtship; status at court ; marriage; coronation; birth of daughter Elizabeth; relationship with Mary; miscarriage; relationship with daughter; blamed for Henry’s decisions; accusations against ; in Tower; marriage annulled; execution ; grave

  Boleyn, George

  Boleyn, Mary

  Boleyn family

  Bond of Association

  Borgarucci (or Borgherini), Dr Giulio

  Bothwell, James Hepburn, fourth Earl of