Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester

(Redirected from Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester)

Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester painted by Steven van der Meulen.

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (24 June 1532 – 4 September 1588) was the long-standing favourite of Elizabeth I of England (the queen), was born a younger son of the 1st Duke of Northumberland, who was executed in 1553 for his part in the attempt to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne of England. (Lady Jane was married to Robert's youngest brother, Guilford Dudley.) Robert Dudley was temporarily imprisoned, along with his father and brothers Guilford, John, Ambrose and Henry Dudley, in the Tower of London, where his stay coincided with the imprisonment of his childhood friend, Princess Elizabeth, who had been sent there on the orders of her estranged elder sister, Queen Mary I of England. By this time he was already married to Amy Robsart.

On Elizabeth's accession, Dudley was appointed Master of the Horse. Rumours about their relationship were rife, and when, in 1560, Dudley's wife died after falling down a flight of stairs in mysterious circumstances, it was widely believed that he had arranged her murder in order to free himself to marry the Queen. Some said that a secret marriage had taken place. Ironically, it would be Amy's death that put an end to any such ambitions Dudley may have had. Elizabeth, mindful of public opinion and also doubtful about the desirability of any marriage at all, never gave any cause to think that she intended to take the step of making her favourite into her husband. Historians today think Amy's murder, if it was a murder, was carried out either by someone who believed it would win them royal favour or, even more likely, by someone who wanted to "prevent" the queen from marrying Dudley. It seems implausible that Elizabeth could have been foolish enough to involve herself in such a crime, even if Dudley were. It has also been suggested that Amy was mortally ill with breast cancer at the time, which would have made murder less likely than suicide or a fatal accident.

In fact, in 1563, Elizabeth put Dudley up as a candidate for marriage to the widowed Mary, Queen of Scots, whom she hoped to neutralise by marriage to a Protestant. The State Papers record how she hinted that this was to be a reward to Dudley, "whom, if it might lie in our power, we would make owner or heir of our own kingdom," for his loyal service. Mary, insulted by the idea of accepting Elizabeth's former "lover", rejected him. In the following year, Elizabeth bestowed on him the earldom of Leicester.

Painting mockingly entitled Queen Elizabeth I Dancing with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. In fact it is from the French school and depicts unknown dancers performing the lavolta.

Dudley was always a ladies' man. He is thought to have secretly married the widowed Lady Douglas Sheffield in 1573. He later deserted her in favour of Lettice Knollys, widow of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex and maternal cousin of Queen Elizabeth. Lettice was daughter of Catherine Carey, daughter of Lady Mary Boleyn and niece of Anne Boleyn. The marriage offended the queen mightily, and she banished him from the courts. It was hardly to be expected, by anyone other than Elizabeth at least, that Leicester's devotion to the Queen should have caused him to lead an entirely celibate life during the nineteen years that had elapsed since the death of his first wife.

In 1573 it was observed that not only the widowed Lady Douglas Sheffield, but also her sister, Frances Howard, who was unmarried, were "very far in love with him" and also that the Queen "thinketh not well of them, and not the better of him" for encouraging their attentions. Nevertheless, before long a son was borne by Lady Sheffield, and was to be named Robert Dudley, in 1573/4 (later created Duke of Northumberland). The true descent of the rights of this line of the Elizabethan Earl of Leicester were diverted away from their rightful heir, this son, by the deeds of his own father. Other than Elizabeth's threats to incarcerate him, the reason for Leicester's deception may have been to protect his wife, the Lady Douglas Sheffield, and their son from his debts (and intrigues) with the Queen.

His only surviving brother, Ambrose, was childless, and unless he fathered some legitimate offspring, his family line would perish. "You must think it is some marvellous course, and toucheth my present state very near, that forceth me thus to be cause almost of the ruin of my own house," he observed in a letter to Lady Sheffield, explaining that he was uniquely situated, and unable to take a wife without causing "mine utter overthrow". The secrecy of Leicester's second marriage to Lady Sheffield may well have been a matter of great consideration, given that he did not wish to upset his close association with his childhood companion, Elizabeth. Thus he was to later proclaim the marriage illegal so that he could marry a third time, to Lady Lettice Knollys. Elizabeth herself had felt betrayed by the later discovery of the marriage to Knollys, and reminded Leicester of the rumours that he had been pre-contracted to Lady Sheffield; if these proved to be true he could be sent to rot in the Tower. It is therefore not surprising that he should have denied the rumours.

Arms of Robert Dudley

In the 19th century, the question of the Sidneys' legal claim over the Dudley estates was raised when Sir John Shelly-Sidney laid claim to the titles of De L'Isle and Dudley, to which he clearly would have had no claim, had the first Robert Dudley been honest and forthright about his son's origins. The House of Lords duly investigated the matter, concluding that Sir John Shelley had not in fact succeeded in establishing his right to the Barony, on the grounds that the marriage of Robert Dudley's parents had indeed been legitimate and authentic. Leicester, although he appears to have been fond of his son, never acknowledged his legitimacy.

Tomb of Robert and Lettice Dudley

Eventually restored to Elizabeth's favour, Dudley was placed in command of the Dutch campaign of 1585, culminating in the Battle of Zutphen. Despite having shown himself a failure as a military leader, he was in command of the English land forces against the Spanish Armada of 1588. The Spanish never landed, and he died soon after, near Oxford. By the time of his death, he was already losing his place as Elizabeth's favourite to his stepson, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. He died at his house in Oxfordshire on the 4th September, 1588. Elizabeth was devastated at the loss of her old friend and companion, and reputedly locked herself in her apartment for hours, if not days. She treasured the letter he had sent her only days before his death, and wrote on it "His Last letter". She put it in her treasure box, and it was still there when she died 15 years later.Dudley is buried in the Beauchamp Chapel in St. Mary's Church, Warwick, Warwickshire, England. When Lettice Knollys died in 1634, she was buried along side Dudley in St. Mary's.

Dudley was also afforded the title Governor-General of the Dutch Republic. See Treaty of Nonsuch.

He was portrayed by actor Joseph Fiennes in the 1998 film Elizabeth, Jeremy Irons in Elizabeth I and Tom Hardy in The Virgin Queen (TV show).

See Also

• Alienation Office

Bibliography

• Sweet Robin: A Biography of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester 1533-1588 by Derek Wilson (1981) ISBN 0-7490-0360-X
• The Uncrowned Kings of England: The Black History of the Dudleys and the Tudor Throne by Derek Wilson (2004) ISBN 0-7867-1469-7

External link

• Family tree of some Devereux, Dudley, Sidney members

Categories

Find

Find