Changes: History's Robert Dudley

Latest revision as of 06:20, 23 February 2017

Robert Dudley

Biographical Information
Title:	Lord Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester Baron of Denbigh
Born:	24 June 1532
Burial:	Beauchamp Chapel
Religion:	Protestant
House:	House of Dudley
Relationship Information
TV Character Information
Signature:
Portrays:	Robert Dudley

Robert Dudley was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend with Queen Elizabeth of England from her first year on the throne until his death. The Queen giving him reason to hope, he was a suitor for her hand for many years.

Life

Dudley's youth was overshadowed by the downfall of his family in 1553 after his father, the Duke of Northumberland, had unsuccessfully tried to establish Lady Jane Grey on the English throne. Robert Dudley was condemned to death but was released in 1554 and took part in the Battle of St. Quentin under Philip II of Spain, which led to his full rehabilitation. On Elizabeth I's accession in November 1558, Dudley was appointed Master of the Horse. In October 1562 he became a privy councillor and in 1587 was appointed Lord Steward of the Royal Household. In 1564 Dudley became Earl of Leicester and from 1563 one of the greatest landowners in North Wales and the English West Midlands by royal grants.

Robert Dudley, was one of Elizabeth's leading statesmen, involved in domestic as well as foreign politics alongside William Cecil and Francis Walsingham. Although he refused to be married to Mary, Queen of Scots, Dudley was for a long time relatively sympathetic to her until from the mid-1580s he strongly advocated her execution. As patron of the Puritan movement he supported non-conforming preachers, but tried to mediate between them and the bishops within the Church of England. A champion also of the international Protestant cause, he led the English campaign in support of the Dutch Revolt from 1585–1587. His acceptance of the post of Governor-General of the United Provinces infuriated Queen Elizabeth. The expedition was a military and political failure and ruined the Earl financially. Leicester was engaged in many large-scale business ventures and a main backer of Francis Drake and other explorers and privateers. During the Spanish Armada the Earl was in overall command of the English land forces. In this function he invited Queen Elizabeth to visit her troops at Tilbury. This was the last of many events he organised over the years, the most spectacular being the festival at his seat Kenilworth Castle in 1575 on occasion of a three-week visit by the Queen. Dudley was a principal patron of the arts, literature, and the Elizabethan theatre.

Robert Dudley's private life interfered with his court career and vice versa. When his first wife, Amy Robsart, fell down a flight of stairs and died in 1560, he was free to marry the Queen. However, the resulting scandal very much reduced his chances in this respect. Popular rumours that he had arranged for his wife's death continued throughout his life, despite the coroner's jury's verdict of accident. For 18 years he did not remarry for Queen Elizabeth's sake and when he finally did, his new wife, Lettice Knollys, was permanently banished from court. This and the death of his only legitimate son and heir were heavy blows. Shortly after the child's death in 1584, a virulent libel known as Leicester's Commonwealth was circulating in England. It laid the foundation of a literary and historiographical tradition that often depicted the Earl as the Machiavellian "master courtier" and as a deplorable figure around Elizabeth I. More recent research has led to a reassessment of his place in Elizabethan government and society.

Notes

Married Amy Dudley on June 4, 1550, with king Edward VI (Brother of Queen Elizabeth) in attendance.
Robert Dudley was married for 10 years, until his wife's death when she was 28 years old.
Robert's younger brother Guildford Dudley married Lady Jane Grey who was Queen of England for 9 days.
Locked up in The Tower of London‏ for almost a year, for helping Lady Jane Grey to the throne.
Refused to marry Mary, Queen of Scots at Queen Elizabeth's request.
Married Lettice Knollys almost 20 years after Amy Dudley's death on 21 September 1578.
His only surviving child was a bastard named Sir Robert Dudley who was an explorer.

Family Tree

John Dudley

Jane Guildford

John Dudley

Ambrose Dudley

Lettice Knollys

Robert Dudley

Amy Robsart

Guildford Dudley

Lady Jane Grey

Mary Dudley

Katherine Dudley

Robert Dudley

Sir Robert Dudley

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Icons|Historical Figure}}
 {{Historical Figure
 | image=  History's Robert Dudley.jpg
@@ Line 10: / Line 11: @@
 | age= 56
 | religion= [[Protestant]]
-| house = House of Dudley
+| house = [[House of Dudley]]
 | gender= Male [[File:Male.png]]
 | height=
-| originally from= England
+| originally from= [[Kingdom of England|England]]
 | wife= [[History's Amy Dudley|Amy Robsart]]<br />
 Lettice Knollys
-| family= John Dudley ''(Father)''
+| parents= John Dudley ''(Father)''
 Jane Guildford ''(Mother)''<br />
 | children= Sir Robert Dudley ''(illegitimate)''<br />
@@ Line 31: / Line 32: @@
 ==Life==
-Dudley's youth was overshadowed by the downfall of his family in 1553 after his father, the Duke of Northumberland, had unsuccessfully tried to establish ''Lady Jane Grey'' on the English throne. Robert Dudley was condemned to death but was released in 1554 and took part in the Battle of St. Quentin under [[History's King Philip II of Spain|Philip II of Spain]], which led to his full rehabilitation. On [[History's Queen Elizabeth||Elizabeth I's]] accession in November 1558, Dudley was appointed ''Master of the Horse''. In October 1562 he became a privy councillor and in 1587 was appointed ''Lord Steward'' of the Royal Household. In 1564 Dudley became ''Earl of Leicester'' and from 1563 one of the greatest landowners in North Wales and the English West Midlands by royal grants.
+Dudley's youth was overshadowed by the downfall of his family in 1553 after his father, the Duke of Northumberland, had unsuccessfully tried to establish [[Lady Jane Grey]] on the English throne. Robert Dudley was condemned to death but was released in 1554 and took part in the Battle of St. Quentin under [[History's King Philip|Philip II of Spain]], which led to his full rehabilitation. On [[History's Queen Elizabeth|Elizabeth I's]] accession in November 1558, Dudley was appointed ''Master of the Horse''. In October 1562 he became a privy councillor and in 1587 was appointed ''Lord Steward'' of the Royal Household. In 1564 Dudley became ''Earl of Leicester'' and from 1563 one of the greatest landowners in North Wales and the English West Midlands by royal grants.
-Robert Dudley, was one of Elizabeth's leading statesmen, involved in domestic as well as foreign politics alongside ''William Cecil'' and ''Francis Walsingham''. Although he refused to be married to [[History's Mary Stuart|Mary, Queen of Scots]], Dudley was for a long time relatively sympathetic to her until from the mid-1580s he strongly advocated her execution. As patron of the Puritan movement he supported non-conforming preachers, but tried to mediate between them and the bishops within the Church of England. A champion also of the international Protestant cause, he led the English campaign in support of the Dutch Revolt from 1585–1587. His acceptance of the post of Governor-General of the United Provinces infuriated Queen Elizabeth. The expedition was a military and political failure and ruined the Earl financially. Leicester was engaged in many large-scale business ventures and a main backer of Francis Drake and other explorers and privateers. During the Spanish Armada the Earl was in overall command of the English land forces. In this function he invited Queen Elizabeth to visit her troops at Tilbury. This was the last of many events he organised over the years, the most spectacular being the festival at his seat Kenilworth Castle in 1575 on occasion of a three-week visit by the Queen. Dudley was a principal patron of the arts, literature, and the Elizabethan theatre.
+Robert Dudley, was one of Elizabeth's leading statesmen, involved in domestic as well as foreign politics alongside ''William Cecil'' and ''Francis Walsingham''. Although he refused to be married to [[History's Mary, Queen of Scots|Mary, Queen of Scots]], Dudley was for a long time relatively sympathetic to her until from the mid-1580s he strongly advocated her execution. As patron of the Puritan movement he supported non-conforming preachers, but tried to mediate between them and the bishops within the Church of England. A champion also of the international Protestant cause, he led the English campaign in support of the Dutch Revolt from 1585–1587. His acceptance of the post of Governor-General of the United Provinces infuriated Queen Elizabeth. The expedition was a military and political failure and ruined the Earl financially. Leicester was engaged in many large-scale business ventures and a main backer of Francis Drake and other explorers and privateers. During the Spanish Armada the Earl was in overall command of the English land forces. In this function he invited Queen Elizabeth to visit her troops at Tilbury. This was the last of many events he organised over the years, the most spectacular being the festival at his seat Kenilworth Castle in 1575 on occasion of a three-week visit by the Queen. Dudley was a principal patron of the arts, literature, and the Elizabethan theatre.
 Robert Dudley's private life interfered with his court career and vice versa. When his first wife, Amy Robsart, fell down a flight of stairs and died in 1560, he was free to marry the Queen. However, the resulting scandal very much reduced his chances in this respect. Popular rumours that he had arranged for his wife's death continued throughout his life, despite the coroner's jury's verdict of accident. For 18 years he did not remarry for Queen Elizabeth's sake and when he finally did, his new wife, ''Lettice Knollys'', was permanently banished from court. This and the death of his only legitimate son and heir were heavy blows. Shortly after the child's death in 1584, a virulent libel known as Leicester's Commonwealth was circulating in England. It laid the foundation of a literary and historiographical tradition that often depicted the Earl as the Machiavellian "master courtier" and as a deplorable figure around Elizabeth I. More recent research has led to a reassessment of his place in Elizabethan government and society.
 ==Notes==
-* Married [[History's Amy Dudley|Amy Dudley]] on June 4 1550, with king Edward VI ''(Queen Elizabeth's Brother)'' in attendance.
+* Married [[History's Amy Dudley|Amy Dudley]] on June 4, 1550, with [[History's King Edward Tudor|king Edward VI]] ''(Brother of [[History's Queen Elizabeth|Queen Elizabeth]])'' in attendance.
-* Married for 6 years, until his wife's death when she was 28 years old.
+* Robert Dudley was married for 10 years, until his wife's death when she was 28 years old.
+* Robert's younger brother ''Guildford Dudley'' married [[Lady Jane Grey]] who was ''Queen of England'' for 9 days.
-* Refused to marry [[History's Mary Stuart|Mary Stuart]] at [[History's Queen Elizabeth|Queen Elizabeth's]] request.
+* Locked up in [[The Tower of London‏]] for almost a year, for helping [[Lady Jane Grey]] to the throne.
+* Refused to marry [[History's Mary, Queen of Scots|Mary, Queen of Scots]] at [[History's Queen Elizabeth|Queen Elizabeth's]] request.
+* Married [[History's Lettice Knollys|Lettice Knollys]] almost 20 years after [[History's Amy Dudley|Amy Dudley's]] death on 21 September 1578.
+* His only surviving child was a bastard named ''Sir Robert Dudley'' who was an explorer.
+==Family Tree==
+{{History's Dudley Family Tree}}
 [[Category:Historical]]
 [[Category:Historical Figure]]