Tag Archives: Earl of Oxford

Dudley – A Name Hated?

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Christine Hartweg

It is a widespread cliché that the Dudleys were a very unpopular family and that, accordingly, Robert Dudley was an unpopular man. One can even read that the project of putting Lady Jane Grey on the English throne failed because … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambrose Dudley, Elizabeth I, errors & myths, John Dudley, Robert Dudley, sources & historians | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

William Cecil and Amy Robsart: Was He Behind Her Death?

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Christine Hartweg

It has always been a popular notion that Lord Robert Dudley’s wife, Amy, was murdered. The theory that this was done on the orders of Sir William Cecil, the queen’s Principal Secretary, is much more recent, but only slightly less … Continue reading →

Posted in Amy Robsart, friends & foes, letters, Robert Dudley, sources & historians | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Believe the Coroner!

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Christine Hartweg

Murder, in Elizabethan England, was a rare occurrence. As opposed to manslaughter and the occasional “bloudie robberie”, “wilful murther” with “malice aforethought” made up only about 5% of indicted felonies in the courts of assize, and, interestingly, “killing one’s spouse … Continue reading →

Posted in Amy Robsart, errors & myths, sources & historians | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments