Between the 9th and 27th July 1575, the 41 year old Elizabeth I visited the home of her friend and favourite, Robert Dudley the Earl of Leicester, Kenilworth Castle.
This visit may have been Dudley’s last ditch attempt to woo his Queen and persuade her to marry him, and he pulled out all the stops – a new gatehouse, new luxury apartments fit for a Queen, new gardens, firework displays, hunting, a masque and other lavish entertainment… Bless him, I think I would have fallen under his spell! Unfortunately, Elizabeth did not cave in.
You can read more about Elizabeth’s 19 day visit to Kenilworth in my article “Elizabeth I’s Visit to Kenilworth Castle” and do check out my photos of the castle at http://www.flickr.com/photos/theanneboleynfiles/sets/72157624536258800/
Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos! Since a trip to England is not in my immediate plans, it is nice to be able to explore the castle through your camera’s lens.
Hi Claire,
These pictures are very nice.
Wow, 41 years old, that was probably “old age” back then.
Was the visit for any reason or did Elizabeth just want to see her great friend?
I wonder if people thought it inappropriate for Elizabeth to stay for a long period of time at Robert Dudley’s home. Was Dudley married during this time?
I wish they could have married, they seemed to have been so much in love. Their relationship is very interesting.
Did Elizabeth acknowlege Robert’s children, llegitimate or not?
So many questions!!!
Thanks Claire,
Julie B.
I visited Kenilworth many years ago, and it is a ‘grand’ ruin, must have been a magnificent house at its peak. I saw a programme on T.V. not so long back on how they have re-created the Elizabethean garden, lost for 400 years, in the way she may have seen it on her visit there. I would love to see that, but live at other end of the country now… oh well…
Hi Julie B,
Robert’s step son Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, was very much her favourite after Leicester, she had him executed though when his plan to kidnap her failed, he also had failed campains in Ireland, ignoring Elizabeths letters giving him instructions, he was a bit of a wild card… I think she liked his illegitamate son another Robert, too, If you google these names it will give you a brief history of these men. Hope this helps.
Thank you Dawn!! I will google the names, that is a great idea!
Elizabeth did not have Robert Dudley executed, did she? I think she spared him.
O.K., I just read that Lettice Knollys was at this castle at the same time Elizabeth was staying there. Oh my!
Not the first one. no, though he might have come close to it a couple of times when he had major ‘fall outs’ with Elizabeth ha ha. Some say he died of stomach cancer, whether there is any truth in that I don’t know, Elizabeth must have been heart broken, I think he was the only man she ever truly loved, and he her. In my mind when Robert’s first wife Amy died in mysterious circumstances, and people tried to, falsely, lay the blame on him so he could be free to marry the Queen, it was the schemes of other important men at court to making absolutley sure he would never get the chance, as they knew Elizabeth would never risk the scandal or her throne. I like to think that in different circumstances she may have taken the opportunity of having a ‘family’ life, what about you. What a different story it would have been then….Good luck with your reseach 🙂
Ooh, now that would have been entertaining for all who was there. Bet Robert was kept on his toes…. ha ha.
My romantic mind would like to think that this last ditch attempt for Elizabeth’s hand is what prompted her to have the Chequers ring commissioned – so she might always remind herself what marriage did to her mother 😉
Interesting theory, I like it!