Who were Elizabeth’s prime Lady’s in Waiting, who did she trust the most and keep closest to her? We know of Bess in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”…how accurate was this character?

Elizabeth's most famous ladies were Kat Ashley, Blanche Parry, Lettice Knollys, Bess of Hardwick, Catherine Carey (daughter of Mary Boleyn and Elizabeth Tyrrwhit.
Elizabeth's former governess Kat Ashley was appointed Chief Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber, the most prestigious post in the Queen’s household, and her good friend Blanche Parry became the Second Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber.
You can find out more about Kat at https://www.elizabethfiles.com/info/bios/kat-ashley/ and Blanche at https://www.elizabethfiles.com/info/bios/blanche-parry/

I'm trying to remember what Bess was like in the Elizabeth films but I can't remember so here are some facts about the real Elizabeth Throckmorton:-
- She was born in 1565
- She was the daughter of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton and Anne Carew
- She fell in love with Sir Walter Raleigh and became pregnant in 1591.
- She married Raleigh in secret and when their marriage was discovered in May 1592 Raleigh was thrown in the Tower of London and Bess was expelled from court.
- The baby, Damerei, died in October 1591, after allegedly contracting the Plague.
- Bess was able to stay near Raleigh and she had a second son in 1593, named Walter after his father.
- They also had a third son, Carew.
- It is said that after Raleigh's execution Bess carried his embalmed head around with her, do devoted was she to her husband.

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8 thoughts on “Who were Elizabeth’s prime Lady’s in Waiting, who did she trust the most and keep closest to her? We know of Bess in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”…how accurate was this character?

  1. More about Mary Fitton – an ancestor, and a lady in waiting to Elizabeth I. Disgraced by an affair with a favorite of Elizabeth? the two were sent to the tower but later released –

    What further is known of her?

  2. I was told a great grandmother of mine was also a lady in waiting for the queen. Her name was Holborn and supposedly the Holborn viaduct was named after her. Have you any information on this? Thank you.

  3. Her third, Cheif Gentlewoman of the privy chamber (First lady of the bedchamber) was also Catherine Carey. The Catherine you mentioned here, was her Aunt and then later called Lady Catherine Knollys. Catherine Carey (Junior) was very, very close to the Queen and when she died in 1603, Elizabeth went into a deep state of depression and died a few weeks later. If anyone is interested, I have much more information on the other ladies in waiting and especially on Catherine.

  4. I saw on findagrave that my 12th great grandmother was a lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. Her name was Lady Ann(countess ofBedford) Sapcote, 1489-1559 she married John Boughton. Do you know if this is true. Thank you

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