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On September 4, 1588, Robert Dudley, English Earl of Leicester and favourite of Elizabeth I, died at the age of 56. An excerpt from the article:
"Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (l. c. 1532-1588 CE), was a high-ranking courtier who rose to become a favourite of Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE). Rumours abounded that Dudley sought to marry the queen, and their relationship may well have gone beyond that of monarch and minister. Holding all manner of titles and estates, Dudley pushed for a more aggressive approach to foreign policy but came unstuck in two failed expeditions to help rebel Protestants in the Netherlands between 1585 and 1587 CE. Dashing and entertaining, the Earl of Leicester accompanied the queen on many of her annual tours around England and maintained a special place in her affections until his death in September 1588 CE...
...In 1575 CE Dudley hosted a famous party at his Kenilworth home in celebration of his 10 years of owning such a fine gift from the queen. Sparing no expense, the earl decorated his house and created a huge artificial lake in the grounds to create a magnificent setting for his festivities, themed according to the traditions of medieval chivalry. When the queen arrived, a boy costumed as a nymph proclaimed from the central island of the lake that "The Lake, the Lodge, the Lord are yours for to command" (Philips, 126). When the queen entered the house, all of the clocks therein were stopped to signify that the party had begun and time was now of no importance. This was indeed almost true as the couple then indulged in 18 days of feasts, pageants, and dancing, and hunting parties. Dudley also put on plays as he was, after all, the owner of a company of professional actors known as 'Leicester's Men', the first such troupe to be awarded a royal license in 1574 CE. When all was over, the couple progressed to a royal tour of country estates across the centre of England.
Expeditions to the Netherlands
Even though the queen moved on to other favourites, she was angry when she discovered Dudley had married in secret - to Lettice Knollys, the countess of Essex - in 1578 CE. Dudley was banished from the court but returned again when the queen regained her composure. In 1585 CE Dudley was selected to lead an expeditionary force of 7,000 men to aid rebels in the Netherlands against the rule of Philip II of Spain (r. 1556-1598 CE); Elizabeth had finally given in to demands to more actively help Protestants in Europe.
The expedition was a failure because the force sent was too small and too badly equipped, and Dudley, entirely due to his own mismanagement, was left without sufficient funds to pay his professional soldiers. In addition, the Earl of Leicester had no experience at field command, and it showed when he upset his own commanders and his allies. Dudley then went one step further and upset his monarch by accepting the title of Governor of the Netherlands, bestowed on him by Protestants hoping to permanently tie England's foreign policy to their own struggle for independence. Consequently, Elizabeth called home the earl in November 1586 CE. The next year, though, Dudley was back in the Netherlands as Elizabeth was obliged to meet her treaty obligations with the Dutch. There was even less success than his first stint there, as Dudley managed to lose control of Sluys to Philip II's regent, the Duke of Parma. Once again, after upsetting everyone on all sides, the earl resigned and was called home by his sovereign in November 1587 CE.
Patching up their friendship again, Dudley was to have led the queen's land army stationed at Tilbury to face the Spanish Armada in August 1588 CE but he was too unwell to do so and died in September. Dudley's obituary, written by the famed poet Edmund Spenser (c. 1552-1599 CE), ran as follows:
He now is dead, and all his glory gone,
And all his greatness vapoured to nought,
That as a glass upon the water shone,
Which vanished quite, so soon as it was sought.
(Guy, 338)."
"Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (l. c. 1532-1588 CE), was a high-ranking courtier who rose to become a favourite of Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE). Rumours abounded that Dudley sought to marry the queen, and their relationship may well have gone beyond that of monarch and minister. Holding all manner of titles and estates, Dudley pushed for a more aggressive approach to foreign policy but came unstuck in two failed expeditions to help rebel Protestants in the Netherlands between 1585 and 1587 CE. Dashing and entertaining, the Earl of Leicester accompanied the queen on many of her annual tours around England and maintained a special place in her affections until his death in September 1588 CE...
...In 1575 CE Dudley hosted a famous party at his Kenilworth home in celebration of his 10 years of owning such a fine gift from the queen. Sparing no expense, the earl decorated his house and created a huge artificial lake in the grounds to create a magnificent setting for his festivities, themed according to the traditions of medieval chivalry. When the queen arrived, a boy costumed as a nymph proclaimed from the central island of the lake that "The Lake, the Lodge, the Lord are yours for to command" (Philips, 126). When the queen entered the house, all of the clocks therein were stopped to signify that the party had begun and time was now of no importance. This was indeed almost true as the couple then indulged in 18 days of feasts, pageants, and dancing, and hunting parties. Dudley also put on plays as he was, after all, the owner of a company of professional actors known as 'Leicester's Men', the first such troupe to be awarded a royal license in 1574 CE. When all was over, the couple progressed to a royal tour of country estates across the centre of England.
Expeditions to the Netherlands
Even though the queen moved on to other favourites, she was angry when she discovered Dudley had married in secret - to Lettice Knollys, the countess of Essex - in 1578 CE. Dudley was banished from the court but returned again when the queen regained her composure. In 1585 CE Dudley was selected to lead an expeditionary force of 7,000 men to aid rebels in the Netherlands against the rule of Philip II of Spain (r. 1556-1598 CE); Elizabeth had finally given in to demands to more actively help Protestants in Europe.
The expedition was a failure because the force sent was too small and too badly equipped, and Dudley, entirely due to his own mismanagement, was left without sufficient funds to pay his professional soldiers. In addition, the Earl of Leicester had no experience at field command, and it showed when he upset his own commanders and his allies. Dudley then went one step further and upset his monarch by accepting the title of Governor of the Netherlands, bestowed on him by Protestants hoping to permanently tie England's foreign policy to their own struggle for independence. Consequently, Elizabeth called home the earl in November 1586 CE. The next year, though, Dudley was back in the Netherlands as Elizabeth was obliged to meet her treaty obligations with the Dutch. There was even less success than his first stint there, as Dudley managed to lose control of Sluys to Philip II's regent, the Duke of Parma. Once again, after upsetting everyone on all sides, the earl resigned and was called home by his sovereign in November 1587 CE.
Patching up their friendship again, Dudley was to have led the queen's land army stationed at Tilbury to face the Spanish Armada in August 1588 CE but he was too unwell to do so and died in September. Dudley's obituary, written by the famed poet Edmund Spenser (c. 1552-1599 CE), ran as follows:
He now is dead, and all his glory gone,
And all his greatness vapoured to nought,
That as a glass upon the water shone,
Which vanished quite, so soon as it was sought.
(Guy, 338)."
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Posted from worldhistory.org
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Posted >1 y ago
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