THE HISTORY ESSAY PERSONAL POLITICS IN ELIZABETH’S COURT

The Virgin Queen’s possessive treatment of her favourite advisors and maids of honour was driven more by political motives than by petty jealousy

By Susan Doran

In the summer of 1592, Elizabeth I’s captain of the guard, Sir Walter Ralegh, and her maid of honour, Bess Throckmorton, were committed to the Tower of London after the queen was told of their clandestine marriage and the birth of their baby boy. This was neither the first nor the last time that Elizabeth punished her courtiers for marrying in secret, but the penalty in their case was among the most severe. Though released after a few months, Ralegh lost his offices, was banished from court, and waited five years before the queen consented to speak to him again. Bess remained imprisoned until the end of the year and was permanently excluded from the court. In October 1599, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex – another royal intimate – was…

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The Story of the Elizabethans (Digital) - 1 Issue, The Story of the Elizabethans 2020

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