My wife's ancestors - Dudley - Contents
1st Earl of Leicester
- Sources yet to be consulted:
- Kenilworth, by Sir Walter Scott (historical novel set around Amy Robsart's death)
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, by unknown artist, c.1564.
From Tudor Place. See full size.
Wikipedia (and here) says public domain. Let me know if otherwise.
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (see here and here and images),
favourite (and possibly lover) of Elizabeth I,
born 1532, had estate at Wanstead, nr London,
mar 1stly to Amy Robsart
(see here),
she died of a fall downstairs 1560, possibly murdered by him,
bur University church of St.Mary the Virgin,
Oxford,
cr 1st Earl of Leicester 1564,
mar 2ndly, 1573 (secretly) to
Douglas Howard
(see here)
and had issue,
seat at
Kenilworth Castle,
Warwickshire
(formerly held by John of Gaunt),
entertained Elizabeth I in 1575 at Kenilworth Castle,
mar 3rdly, 1578 (secretly and bigamously) to
Lettice Knollys
[see here,
widow of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex
and mother of Penelope Devereux],
he became stepfather of
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex,
built up one of the first large collections of portraits,
his nephew Sir Philip Sidney wrote
The Lady of May prob. 1578
to promote his and Leicester's causes to the Queen,
appointed 1588 to command the forces against the
Spanish Armada,
but died 1588, age 56 yrs,
bur
Collegiate Church of St.Mary,
Warwick.
Title extinct, later revived in Sidney family.
See Portraits of 1st Earl of Leicester.
Lord Howard of Effingham (Catholic, born 1536, educ Trinity Hall, Cambridge) eventually commanded the victorious fleet against the Armada, summer 1588.
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, dancing with Elizabeth I, c.1580.
From here.
Sitting (in white) on RHS with his arm around a lady is Francois, Duc of Alencon, who was meant to be courting Elizabeth at the time. Sir Philip Sidney is on the far RHS by the fireplace pointing out this indiscretion to his uncle. Both he and his uncle were strongly opposed to Elizabeth entertaining a Catholic.
Lettice Knollys.
Attributed to
George Gower.
From Wikipedia
(and here).
Apparently public domain.
Let me know if otherwise.
Tomb of 1st Earl of Leicester and his wife Lettice Knollys.
Church of St Mary in Warwick.
See full size.
Photo by Chris Nyborg, 2006.
See terms of use
(and here).
Tomb of 1st Earl of Leicester and his wife Lettice Knollys.
Church of St Mary in Warwick.
See full size.
Photo by Tony Grist, 2008.
From here.
Plaque from above.
Dudley
(played by Joseph Fiennes)
features as Elizabeth I's unfulfilled love in the movie
Elizabeth (1998).
In one scene Dudley
uses the poem My true-love hath my heart
by his nephew Sir Philip Sidney
to woo Elizabeth.
- Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire
(S of Coventry)
is now a ruin.
See images.
- The TV series Elizabeth R (1971)
- features Henry Sidney and Mary Sidney.
