1st Earl of Leicester

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Kenilworth, by Sir Walter Scott (historical novel set around Amy Robsart's death)

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.

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, c.1560's, by Steven van der Meulen.
From Tudor Place. Also at tudor-portraits.com.
Wikimedia says public domain. Let me know if otherwise.

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, 1576.
By Nicholas Hilliard.
From Tudor Place.
See full size from Wikimedia Commons.
Wikimedia Commons says public domain. Let me know if otherwise.

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, dancing with Elizabeth I, c.1580.
From here and 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.

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, in his later years, 1580–85.
See full size.
From here and here.
Apparently public domain. Let me know if otherwise.

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).

Plaque from above.

• Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire (S of Coventry) is now a ruin. See images.

• The movie Elizabeth (1998)
  • shows Dudley (played by Joseph Fiennes) using the poem My true-love hath my heart by his nephew Sir Philip Sidney to woo Elizabeth I.

• The TV series Elizabeth R (1971)
  • features Henry Sidney and Mary Sidney.

Send me additions and corrections to this site Updates (please include your name and contacts): Send me a file from your computer: If you don't understand this form, use the long version. Or just email me. Enter this password: