Elizabeth's Rival
Praise for Crown of Blood:
‘Nicola Tallis … one of our great popular historians … It’s history as it should be written, vivid, colourful, pacy and evocative, but – above all – authentic and based on sound and innovative research.’
Alison Weir
‘Authoritative, thoughtful and elegantly written. Telling use of original sources makes fresh and vivid – as well as moving – the story of a girl too often dismissed as a mere blank canvas onto which others could write. A genuinely impressive debut.’
Sarah Gristwood
‘A wonderful investigation … enlightening and gripping, full of superb research and beautifully written.’
Kate Williams
‘Through meticulous research, Nicola Tallis pieces Lady Jane Grey’s fascinating story together, and in so doing brings this extraordinary young woman vividly to life. Engagingly written and utterly compelling throughout. Solid gold!’
Tracy Borman
‘A stunning debut.’
Spectator
‘Poignant.’
The New York Times
‘A highly intelligent and enjoyable study which brings us as close to a flesh-and-blood Lady Jane Grey as we may ever come.’
History Today
‘Stunning.’
BBC History Magazine
‘Tallis’s clear writing and well-paced narrative heighten the story’s climactic and tragic ending’
Publishers Weekly
‘An informative and fascinating read.’
All About History
‘A sympathetic and engaging portrait.’
Tudor Times
‘Nicola Tallis brings not only the character of Lady Jane Grey, but the entire period, to life.’
The Tudor Enthusiast Blog
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NICOLA TALLIS is a British historian and researcher. Her debut book, Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey, was published to wide praise. She has previously lectured at the University of Winchester and worked with Historic Royal Palaces and the National Trust.
First published in Great Britain in 2017 by
Michael O’Mara Books Limited
9 Lion Yard
Tremadoc Road
London SW4 7NQ
Copyright © Nicola Tallis 2017
All rights reserved. You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-78243-749-9 in hardback print format
ISBN: 978-1-78243-793-2 in paperback print format
ISBN: 978-1-78243-751-2 in e-book format
www.mombooks.com
Cover design by Estuary English
Text from the Kenilworth Game Book reproduced by kind permission of Viscount De L’Isle from his private collection.
For Sylvia,
the very best of mothers.
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations
Genealogical Tables
Dramatis Personae
Timeline
Author’s Note
Introduction
Prologue
1 Hiding Royal Blood
2 Darling to the Maiden Queen
3 Captive to the Charms of Lettice Knollys
4 The Goodliest Male Personage in England
5 Flirting with the Viscountess
6 Death with his Dart hath us Bereft
7 Faithful, Faultless, Yet Someway Unfortunate, Yet Must Suffer
8 His Paramour, or his Wife
9 Great Enmity
10 Up and Down the Country
11 A Marriage in Secret
12 One Queen in England
13 A She-Wolf
14 My Sorrowful Wife
15 Our Mistress’s Extreme Rage
16 A Continual Fever
17 My Best Friend
18 Disgraced Persons
19 Some Wonted Unkind Words
20 The Arch-Traitor Essex
21 Mildly Like a Lamb
22 The Wars with Thunder, and the Court with Stars
Epilogue
Appendix 1: Epitaph to Lettice, Countess of Leicester
Appendix 2: Following in Lettice’s Footsteps – Places to Visit
Notes and References
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester, George Gower, c. 1585 (© Reproduced by Permission of the Marquess of Bath, Longleat House, Warminster, Wiltshire, Great Britain).
Elizabeth I when Princess, at the age of about thirteen, Guillaume Scrots, c. 1546 (Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2015 / Bridgeman Images).
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Unknown Artist, c. 1575 (© National Portrait Gallery, London).
Sir Francis Knollys, Unknown Artist, 1586 (© Greys Court, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, UK / National Trust Photographic Library / John Hammond / Bridgeman Images).
Lady Katherine Knollys, Steven van der Meulan, 1562 (© Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, USA / Bridgeman Images).
Greys Court, Oxfordshire (© Nicola Tallis).
Walter Devereux, first Earl of Essex, Unknown Artist, 1572 (© National Portrait Gallery, London).
Penelope and Dorothy Devereux, Unknown Artist, c. 1581 (© Reproduced by Permission of the Marquess of Bath, Longleat House, Warminster, Wiltshire, Great Britain’).
Elizabeth Knollys, George Gower, 1577 (© Montacute House, Somerset, UK / The Phelips Collection / National Trust Photographic Library / Derrick E. Witty / Bridgeman Images).
Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire (© Nicola Tallis).
Leicester House (© SOTK2011 / Alamy Stock Photo).
Bear and ragged staff, St Mary’s Church, Warwick (© Nicola Tallis).
Tomb of ‘the Noble Imp’, St Mary’s Church, Warwick (© Nicola Tallis).
Miniature of a lady thought to be Lettice Knollys, Unknown Artist, seventeenth century (© Private Collection / Bridgeman Images)
Lettice Knollys effigy in St Nicholas’s Church, Rotherfield Greys (© Nicola Tallis).
Elizabeth I, George Gower, c. 1588 (© Woburn Abbey Bedforshire, UK / Bridgeman Images).
Robert Devereux, second Earl of Essex, after Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, early seventeenth century, based on a work of c. 1596 (© National Portrait Gallery, London).
William Cecil, Lord Burghley, Unknown Artist, seventeenth century (Private Collection; Photo © Philip Mould Ltd, London / Bridgeman Images).
Tomb of Lettice Knollys and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, St Mary’s Church, Warwick (© Nicola Tallis).
THE KNOLLYS FAMILY
THE DEVEREUX FAMILY
THE TUDOR & STUART FAMILY
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Elizabeth’s Rival: The Tumultuous Tale of Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester contains a whole host of complex and interesting characters, some of who played a larger role in Lettice’s life than others. Below is a short biographical list of some of the people who feature in her story.
Blount, Charles (1563–1606)
The lover and later second husband of Lettice’s daughter Penelope, Charles Blount was popular at court and with the Queen. Together, he and Penelope would have six children, five of whom survived infancy. The couple were secretly married on 26 December 1605, a marriage tha
t outraged James I. Sadly, however, Charles did not live long to enjoy his marriage, dying on 3 April 1606.
Blount, Christopher (1555/56–1601)
Lettice’s third husband came from a Catholic family and may have worked as a double agent for the Queen’s spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham. He was the Earl of Leicester’s Master of Horse, bringing him into regular contact with Lettice. The couple were married in July 1589 – a marriage which to all appearances was happy. Blount was a loyal supporter of Lettice’s son Robert, and in turn seems to have won his trust. As such, he became embroiled in the Essex Rebellion in 1601, and was executed for his role on 18 March.
Cecil, William (1520–1598)
Cecil, later ennobled as Lord Burghley, was a figure Lettice knew for her whole life. A friend of her father’s, Cecil was also Queen Elizabeth’s chief advisor. Lettice wrote to Cecil on a number of occasions, frequently seeking both his advice and intercession on a variety of issues. Chief among these was Cecil’s help with resolving her financial circumstances.
Devereux, Dorothy (1564?–1619)
Dorothy was the younger of Lettice’s two daughters. In 1583, she secretly wed Thomas Perrot, a marriage that earned Queen Elizabeth’s outrage and Dorothy’s subsequent banishment from court. Following Perrot’s death in 1589, the same year Dorothy remarried Henry Percy, ninth Earl of Northumberland. Despite a period of separation, the couple reconciled and had four children. Dorothy spent much of her time living at Syon House, and it was there that she died in 1619.
Devereux, Penelope (1563–1607)
Lettice’s first-born child, Penelope, was born at Chartley. She grew to become one of the most celebrated beauties of the Elizabethan era, and as such was the muse for Sir Philip Sidney’s Stella. She was also a favourite of the Queen’s. Penelope was close to her family, including her mother, and was particularly fond of her brother, Robert, Earl of Essex. Penelope married Lord Robert Rich in 1581, but it was a notoriously unhappy marriage. Nevertheless, the couple had five children, of which four survived. She soon became embroiled in a passionate affair with Charles Blount, but remained married to Lord Rich. The couple eventually divorced in 1605, and Penelope and Charles were married later that year. Charles died in 1606 and Penelope died on 7 July 1607.
Devereux, Robert (1565–1601)
Lettice’s eldest son was her pride and joy. Following the death of his father, Robert became a ward of Lord Burghley, and was sent to Cambridge to complete his education. He rose to become Queen Elizabeth’s favourite, but his haughty and arrogant behaviour ultimately led to his downfall. Having led an unsuccessful Irish campaign in 1599, Robert returned home to explain his conduct to the Queen. His behaviour resulted in his arrest, and following a rebellion to topple the Queen’s government, Robert was executed for treason in 1601.
Devereux, Walter (1539–1576)
Lettice almost certainly met her first husband at court, and although the date of their marriage is uncertain it had definitely been concluded by early 1562. Together they had five children, four of whom survived infancy. In 1572, Walter was created first Earl of Essex, and the following year he left England on a campaign to colonize Ulster. It achieved nothing, and was a waste of both time and valuable resources. He returned to England briefly in 1575 in order to beg the Queen to continue funding the campaign, and was back in Ireland the following year. He had barely arrived when he fell sick, dying of dysentery on 22 September 1576.
Devereux, Walter (1569–1591)
The younger of Lettice’s two surviving sons from her first marriage. Upon the death of his father, young Walter became the ward of the Earl of Huntingdon. As such, he spent much of his time in Huntingdon’s household in York, where he met his future wife, Margaret Dakins. Walter accompanied his elder brother to France in 1591, and was fatally shot during a skirmish at Rouen.
Dudley, Ambrose (c. 1530–1590)
The elder brother of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Ambrose became Lettice’s brother-in-law. He was married three times, but unfortunately produced no surviving children. He was close to his younger brother, and his tomb can be seen alongside that of Robert and Lettice in the Beauchamp Chapel of St Mary’s Church, Warwick.
Dudley, Robert (c. 1532–1588)
The son of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, Robert rose to become the favourite and suitor of Elizabeth I. He married Lettice in a ceremony at Wanstead on 21 September 1578, a marriage that earned the Queen’s enmity. Robert was forgiven, and was swiftly restored to the Queen’s favour. At the end of 1585, he led an expedition to the Netherlands, but failed to achieve military glory. He died on 4 September 1588 at Cornbury Park.
Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
Elizabeth was the kinswoman of Lettice’s mother, who may have been her half-sister. She became Queen of England in 1558, and was fond of her Knollys relatives. She promoted them to important positions in her household, and showed them great favour. When she discovered that Lettice had married her favourite Robert Dudley, however, it led to Lettice’s permanent banishment. Elizabeth ruled England for forty-five years, dying childless in 1603. As such, she was the last reigning monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
Knollys, Anne (1555–1633)
Lettice’s younger sister was married to Thomas West, second Baron De La Warr on 19 November 1571. Together the couple had six sons and eight daughters, including one named after her aunt, Lettice. The state of Delaware, meanwhile, was named after Anne’s son, Thomas West, Baron De La Warr, who became the first English governor of Virginia in 1609. In around 1618 another of Anne’s sons, John, travelled to Virginia, where he served as the Governor. Like her mother and other members of her family, Anne faithfully served in Queen Elizabeth’s household for many years. A likeness of her, painted by Robert Peake, still survives.
Knollys, Edward (1546–c. 1575)
Very few details of the life of Lettice’s younger brother are known. He sat in Parliament for Oxford in 1571 and 1572, and is not known to have married.
Knollys, Elizabeth (1549–c. 1605)
Lettice’s younger sister was a favourite with the Queen, who she served loyally for many years. She is listed as a recipient in the New Year’s gift rolls on many consecutive years. In 1578, she married Thomas Leighton, a marriage that was met with the approval of the Queen. Together the couple had a son and two daughters. Elizabeth bore a striking resemblance to Lettice, and like her sister, had her portrait painted by George Gower. She died in around 1605.
Knollys, Francis (c. 1512–1596)
Lettice’s father was otherwise known as ‘The Elder’ in order to distinguish him from his son and namesake. He married Katherine Carey, a true love match that produced sixteen children. He was well favoured by Elizabeth I, and sat in Parliament for many years. He was a staunch Puritan with strict morals, but he was also a caring father. Francis died in 1596, and was buried in St Nicholas’s Church, Rotherfield Greys.
Knollys, Francis (1553–1648)
‘The Younger’ Francis was Lettice’s brother. He served as an MP for Oxford, Berkshire and Reading, and later joined Sir Francis Drake on his expedition to the Caribbean. Francis was also a member of Robert Dudley’s household, and accompanied him to the Netherlands where he was knighted. He married Lettice Barrett, his sister’s maid, and together the couple had three sons and six daughters. He was buried in St Laurence’s Church, Reading.
Knollys, Henry (before 1521–1583)
The younger brother of Sir Francis Knollys, Henry was Lettice’s uncle. He was close to his elder brother, and in March 1546 he was made a Sewer of the Chamber. Like his brother, Henry also sat in Parliament regularly. He worked on several diplomatic missions, and was also employed by the Queen to examine Catholic prisoners in the Tower. He never married, and died in 1583.
Knollys, Henry (1541–1582)
Lettice’s elder brother lived an action-filled life. He was a favourite of the Queen’s, having been created an Esquire of the Body, and like his father also sat in Parliament. In 15
78, he joined Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s quest to set up a new colony in America. However, he showed a greater interest in privateering. He married Margaret Cave, the daughter of Sir Ambrose Cave and Margaret Willington. It was a good match, for Margaret was ‘rich and an only child’. The couple had two daughters, and their magnificent tomb effigy, flanked by the effigies of their daughters, can still be seen in St Nicholas Church, Stanford-upon-Avon. The youngest, Lettice, married William Paget.
Knollys, Katherine (1524–1569)
Lettice’s mother was the daughter of Mary Boleyn, almost certainly by her royal lover Henry VIII. Little is known of Katherine’s early life, but she met Francis Knollys at court in 1539 and the couple were married the following year. Together they would have sixteen children, of which Lettice was the third. Katherine devotedly served Elizabeth I until her death on 15 January 1569. She was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Knollys, Katherine (1559–1632)
The youngest of Lettice’s sisters was born the same year as Elizabeth I’s accession. Lettice and Katherine were close, and Katherine may have spent some time living with her sister following the death of their mother. Katherine married Gerald Fitzgerald, Lord Offalay, by who she had a daughter, Lettice. Following his death, she remarried Philip Boteler, and the couple had four sons. Towards the end of her life, Katherine was living with Lettice, in whose household inventory her chamber is listed.
Knollys, Lettice (1543–1634)
Lettice was the third child of Francis Knollys and Katherine Carey. She was married first to Walter Devereux, by who she had four surviving children. Lettice was in great favour with her kinswoman Elizabeth I, but her clandestine marriage to Robert Dudley in 1578 earned her the Queen’s enmity. Despite attempts to reconcile with Elizabeth, the two remained estranged. Following Dudley’s death, Lettice married Sir Christopher Blount, his Master of Horse. It was a happy marriage, but Blount was executed for complicity in the rebellion of Lettice’s son in 1601. The rest of her life was spent in peaceful obscurity.