Tag Archives: Henry Sidney

A Grand Conspiracy in 1553? – Grants

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Christine Hartweg

Money is probably the best evidence for a conspiracy in 1553. The “cash flow” does not only tell us that there was a plot, but also when it took place. In May, but mostly in June 1553, a lot of … Continue reading →

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A Grand Conspiracy in 1553? – Foreign Affairs

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Christine Hartweg

On 13 March 1553 the English privy council busied itself with granting a licence for the export of 200,000 pairs of old shoes.1 On 27 June 1553 the members of the same council swore themselves to secrecy about their forthcoming … Continue reading →

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The Lovesick Earl, Part I

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Christine Hartweg

By 1565, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, ambassador first to France and then to Scotland, had become Leicester’s “political brain”.1 As will appear, he had also become the chief advisor of the earl’s love life. – For the first time since falling … Continue reading →

Posted in Elizabeth I, family & marriage, Lettice Knollys, Robert Dudley, sources & historians | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Andrew Dudley Meets the Emperor

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Christine Hartweg

On 28 December 1552 the Duke of Northumberland imparted his latest thoughts on English diplomacy to his right hand man, Sir William Cecil. King Edward had just okayed the council’s suggestion “to employ ministers abroad for the public weal of … Continue reading →

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The Marriage of Mary Dudley

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Christine Hartweg

On 29 March 1551 Lady Mary Dudley married Henry Sidney, in private; on 17 May 1551 she married him once again, this time in public, at her parents’ house, Ely Place, London. Henry Sidney was 22 in 1551, and he … Continue reading →

Posted in Edward VI, errors & myths, family & marriage, John Dudley | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Was Amy Dudley Ill? The Evidence

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Christine Hartweg

The earliest known mention of Amy Dudley’s health occurred on 18 April 1559 in a dispatch of the Count of Feria to his master King Philip II of Spain: “Lord Robert has come so much into favour that he does … Continue reading →

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The Death of Amy Robsart: The Improbability of Murder

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Christine Hartweg

The first mentions of sinister goings-on regarding Lady Amy Dudley née Robsart appear quite suddenly in November 1559, ten months before her death. The Habsburg ambassadors were at that point very angry about the fact that Queen Elizabeth had still … Continue reading →

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John Dudley: The Family Man

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Christine Hartweg

“Whatever else may be said of them, the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland produced a large and happy family.”1 Such a statement about a man who is best known for sacrificing his teenage son and daughter-in-law on the altar of … Continue reading →

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Edward VI – The Wills of a King

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Christine Hartweg

On 1 March 1553 King Edward VI opened Parliament. Not in the usual way (he was too ill for that), but in a low-key ceremony in Whitehall Palace. On the last day of the month the King performed the closing … Continue reading →

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Edward VI – Growing Into His Own

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Christine Hartweg

20th century historians have not always been kind to Edward VI, the nine-year-old boy who followed his oversized father, Henry VIII, on the throne in 1547. The famous G. R. Elton, in his best-selling England under the Tudors, was positively … Continue reading →

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