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| Keywords: indoor Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (24 June 1532 (?)[1] – 4 September 1588), K.G., was the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I of England from her first year on the throne until his death. For many years the Queen gave him reason to hope that she would one day marry him; he was widely believed to be her lover. His 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 rehabilitated with the help of Philip II of Spain, then England's King Consort. On Queen Elizabeth'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.[2] 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, Earl of Leicester was one of Elizabeth's leading statesmen, often championing the Protestant cause. He supported non-conforming preachers, but tried to mediate between them and the bishops within the Church of England. From 1585–1587, he led the English campaign in support of the Dutch Revolt, accepting the post of Governor-General of the United Provinces, which infuriated his Queen. The venture was unsuccessful. During the Spanish Armada, Leicester 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 great "entertainments" he organized over the years. He was a principal patron of the arts, literature, and the Elizabethan theatre.[3] 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 shattered his chances in this respect. Popular rumours that he had done away with his wife continued throughout his life, despite the coroner's jury's verdict of accident. For eighteen years he did not remarry for Queen Elizabeth's sake and when he finally did, Lettice Knollys, his new wife, was banished from court forever. 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 Leycester's Commonwealth was best-selling in England. It laid the foundation of a literary and historiographical tradition that often depicted the Earl as the Macchiavellian "master courtier"[4] and, since the 18th century, also as a shallow and even foolish character. Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (24 June 1532 (?)[1] – 4 September 1588), K.G., was the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I of England from her first year on the throne until his death. For many years the Queen gave him reason to hope that she would one day marry him; he was widely believed to be her lover. His 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 rehabilitated with the help of Philip II of Spain, then England's King Consort. On Queen Elizabeth'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.[2] 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, Earl of Leicester was one of Elizabeth's leading statesmen, often championing the Protestant cause. He supported non-conforming preachers, but tried to mediate between them and the bishops within the Church of England. From 1585–1587, he led the English campaign in support of the Dutch Revolt, accepting the post of Governor-General of the United Provinces, which infuriated his Queen. The venture was unsuccessful. During the Spanish Armada, Leicester 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 great "entertainments" he organized over the years. He was a principal patron of the arts, literature, and the Elizabethan theatre.[3] 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 shattered his chances in this respect. Popular rumours that he had done away with his wife continued throughout his life, despite the coroner's jury's verdict of accident. For eighteen years he did not remarry for Queen Elizabeth's sake and when he finally did, Lettice Knollys, his new wife, was banished from court forever. 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 Leycester's Commonwealth was best-selling in England. It laid the foundation of a literary and historiographical tradition that often depicted the Earl as the Macchiavellian "master courtier"[4] and, since the 18th century, also as a shallow and even foolish character. | ||||
