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16	<Metadata name="Author">Marilee Mongello</Metadata>
17	<Metadata name="Content">Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits with commentary, Primary Sources Elizabeth Tudor 1533 to 1603 The Virgin Queen Gloriana</Metadata>
18	<Metadata name="Page_topic">Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits with commentary, Primary Sources Elizabeth Tudor 1533 to 1603 The Virgin Queen Gloriana</Metadata>
19	<Metadata name="Title">Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources</Metadata>
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39	<Content>
40
41	<table border="0" cellpadding="3" width="100%" height="667">
42	<tr>
43	<td width="25%" height="29"></td>
44	<td valign="top" width="50%" height="29"><p align="center">&nbsp;</td>
45	<td width="25%" height="29"></td>
46	</tr>
47	<tr>
48	<td width="25%" height="3"></td>
49	<td width="50%" height="3">
50	<p align="center">
51	<IMG height=98 alt="Queen Elizabeth I"
52	src="_httpdocimg_/eliz1-queenuse.gif" width=422></td>
53	<td width="25%" height="3"></td>
54	</tr>
55	<tr>
56	<td width="25%" height="610"></td>
57	<td valign="top" width="50%" height="610">
58	<p align="center">
59	<IMG height=444
60	alt="'The Rainbow Portrait' of Elizabeth I, c1600"
61	src="_httpdocimg_/eliz1-rainbow.jpg" width=350 align=center border=2><blockquote>
62	<p align="left">
63	&nbsp;</blockquote>
64	<DIV align=left>Visit
65	<a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.marileecody.com%2feliz1-images.html">Elizabethan
66	Images</a> to view portraits of the queen and her courtiers, with
67	commentary.<BR>Read poems, letters, and speeches by the queen at <A
68	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html">Primary
69	Sources</A>.<BR>&nbsp;</DIV>
70	<DIV align=left>Read ES Beesly's 1892 biography of Queen
71	Elizabeth I at <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fsecondary.html">
72	Secondary Sources</a>.<BR>&nbsp;</DIV>
73	<DIV align=left>Visit <A
74	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fboleyn.html">the Anne
75	Boleyn website</A> to learn more about Elizabeth's mother.<BR>Visit <A
76	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fmaryqos.html">the Mary,
77	queen of Scots website</A> to learn more about Elizabeth's
78	cousin.<BR><BR>Test your knowledge of Elizabeth's life and times at <A
79	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2ftudor1.html">Tudor
80	Quizzes</A>.</DIV>
81	<DIV align=left>&nbsp;</DIV>
82	<DIV align=left>Meet other Elizabethan enthusiasts at
83	<a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.alassea.net%2ffl%2felizabeth">The Virgin Queen
84	fanlisting</a>.</DIV>
85	<DIV align=left>&nbsp;</DIV>
86	</td>
87	<td width="25%" height="610"></td>
88	</tr>
89	</table>
90
91	<blockquote>
92	<blockquote>
93	<blockquote>
94	<p>&nbsp;</p>
95	<p><B>Elizabeth Tudor is considered by many to be the greatest monarch in
96	English history.&nbsp; When she became queen in 1558, she was twenty-five
97	years old, a survivor of scandal and danger, and considered illegitimate
98	by most Europeans.&nbsp; She inherited a bankrupt nation, torn by
99	religious discord, a weakened pawn between the great powers of France and
100	Spain.&nbsp; She was only the third queen to rule England in her own
101	right; the other two examples, her cousin Lady Jane Grey and half-sister
102	Mary I, were disastrous.&nbsp; Even her supporters believed her position
103	dangerous and uncertain.&nbsp; Her only hope, they counseled, was to marry
104	quickly and lean upon her husband for support.&nbsp; But Elizabeth had
105	other ideas.&nbsp;</B> <BR><B>She ruled alone for nearly half a century,
106	lending her name to a glorious epoch in world history.&nbsp; She dazzled
107	even her greatest enemies.&nbsp; Her sense of duty was admirable, though
108	it came at great personal cost.&nbsp; She was committed above all else to
109	preserving English peace and stability; her genuine love for her subjects
110	was legendary.&nbsp; Only a few years after her death in 1603, they
111	lamented her passing.&nbsp; In her greatest speech to Parliament, she told
112	them, 'I count the glory of my crown that I have reigned with your
113	love.'&nbsp; And five centuries later, the worldwide love affair with
114	Elizabeth Tudor continues.</B></p>
115	<hr>
116	</blockquote>
117	</blockquote>
118	<p><font size="4">'Proud
119	and haughty, as although she knows she was born of such a mother, she
120	nevertheless does not consider herself of inferior degree to the Queen,
121	whom she equals in self-esteem; nor does she believe herself less
122	legitimate than her Majesty, alleging in her own favour that her mother
123	would never cohabit with the King unless by way of marriage, with the
124	authority of the Church....&nbsp; <BR>She prides herself on her father and
125	glories in him; everybody saying that she also resembles him more than the
126	Queen does and he therefore always liked her and had her brought up in the
127	same way as the Queen.' </font><FONT size=-1>&nbsp; <I>the Venetian
128	ambassador Giovanni Michiel describes Elizabeth; spring 1557</I></FONT></p>
129	<blockquote>
130	<blockquote>
131	<hr>
132	<p>Elizabeth Tudor was born on 7 September 1533 at Greenwich
133	Palace.&nbsp; She was the daughter of <A
134	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fhenry8.html">King Henry
135	VIII</A> and his second wife, <A
136	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fboleyn.html">Anne
137	Boleyn</A>.&nbsp; Henry had <A
138	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2ffaq.html#Eleven-b">defied the
139	papacy</A> and the Holy Roman Emperor to marry Anne, spurred on by love
140	and the need for a legitimate male heir.&nbsp; And so Elizabeth's birth
141	was one of the most exciting political events in 16th century European
142	history; rarely had so much turmoil occurred on behalf of a mere
143	infant.&nbsp; But the confident predictions of astrologers and physicians
144	were wrong and the longed-for prince turned out to be a princess.&nbsp;
145	</p>
146	<P>Eustace Chapuys, the Imperial ambassador and enemy of Anne Boleyn,
147	described the birth to his master as 'a
148	<IMG height=324 alt="portrait of Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn"
149	src="_httpdocimg_/elizmom.jpg" width=250 border=2 align="left">great disappointment and sorrow to
150	the King, the Lady herself and to others of her party.'&nbsp; But for the
151	next two years, Henry VIII was willing to hope for a son to join this
152	healthy daughter.&nbsp; Immediately after Elizabeth's birth, he wrote to
153	his 17 year old daughter, <A
154	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fmary1.html">Princess
155	Mary</A>, and demanded she relinquish her title Princess of Wales and
156	acknowledge both the annulment of his marriage to her mother, <A
157	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2faragon.html">Katharine of
158	Aragon</A>, and the validity of his new marriage.&nbsp; Mary refused; she
159	already blamed Anne Boleyn (and, by extension, Elizabeth) for the sad
160	alteration of her own fortunes.&nbsp; In December, she was moved into her
161	infant half-sister's household.&nbsp; When told to pay her respects to the
162	baby Princess, she replied that she knew of no Princess of England but
163	herself, and burst into tears.&nbsp; </P>
164	<P>Henry already ignored Mary and Katharine's constant pleas to meet; now
165	he began a more aggressive campaign to secure Anne and Elizabeth's
166	position.&nbsp; For one mother and daughter to be secure, the other pair
167	must necessarily suffer.&nbsp; Most Europeans, and indeed Englishmen,
168	still believed Katharine to be the king's valid wife.&nbsp; Now old and
169	sickly, imprisoned in one moldy castle after another, she remained a very
170	popular figure.&nbsp; Anne Boleyn was dismissed in polite circles as the
171	king's 'concubine' and their marriage was recognized only by those of the new
172	Protestant faith.&nbsp; Henry attempted to legislate popular acceptance of
173	his new queen and heiress.&nbsp; But the various acts and oaths only cost
174	the lives of several prominent Catholics, among them <A
175	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fmore.html">Sir Thomas
176	More</A> and Bishop John Fisher.&nbsp; The English people never accepted
177	'Nan Bullen' as their queen.&nbsp; </P>
178	<P>But while she had the king's personal favor, Elizabeth's mother was
179	secure.&nbsp; And she held that favor far longer than any had
180	expected.&nbsp; It was only after she miscarried twice that Henry began to
181	consider this second marriage as cursed as the first.&nbsp; The last
182	miscarriage occurred in January 1536; Katharine died that same
183	month.&nbsp; With her death, the king's Catholic critics considered him a
184	widower, free to marry again.&nbsp; And this next marriage would not be
185	tainted by the specter of bigamy.&nbsp; It was only necessary to get rid
186	of Anne, and find a new wife - one who could hopefully deliver a
187	son.&nbsp; The king already had a candidate in mind; her name was <A
188	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fseymour.html">Jane
189	Seymour</A>, a lady-in-waiting to both Katharine and Anne.&nbsp; </P>
190	<P>In the end, Henry VIII was not merely content to annul his marriage to
191	Anne.&nbsp; She was arrested, charged with a variety of crimes which even
192	her enemies discounted, and executed on 19 May 1536.&nbsp; Her little
193	daughter was now in the same position as her half-sister, Princess
194	Mary.&nbsp; However, all of Europe and most Englishmen considered Mary to
195	be Henry's legitimate heir, despite legislation to the contrary.&nbsp; No
196	one believed Elizabeth to be more than the illegitimate daughter of the
197	king.&nbsp; Also, there were already disparaging rumors of her mother's
198	infidelities; perhaps the solemn, red-headed child was not the king's
199	after all?&nbsp; It was to Henry's (small) credit that he always
200	acknowledged Elizabeth as his own, and took pride in her intellectual
201	accomplishments.&nbsp; As she grew older, even Catholic courtiers noted
202	Elizabeth resembled her father more than Mary did.&nbsp; </P>
203	<P>Henry married Jane just twelve days after Anne's execution and his
204	long-awaited son, <A
205	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fedward6.html">Prince
206	Edward</A>, was born in October 1537.&nbsp; Elizabeth participated in the
207	christening, carried by Thomas Seymour, the handsome young brother of the
208	queen.&nbsp; Jane died shortly after the birth of childbed fever.&nbsp;
209	Henry VIII married <A
210	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fcleves.html">Anne of
211	Cleves</A> on Twelfth Night (6 January) 1541.&nbsp; The marriage was a disaster,
212	and Henry quickly divorced Anne and married <A
213	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fhoward.html">Catherine
214	Howard</A>.&nbsp; Catherine was a cousin of Anne Boleyn; they were both
215	related to Thomas Howard, 3rd duke of Norfolk and perhaps Henry's most
216	nervous peer.&nbsp; The king enjoyed a brief few months of happiness with
217	his fifth wife.&nbsp; But Catherine was thirty years younger than Henry
218	and soon enough resumed an affair with a former lover.&nbsp; She was
219	executed in February 1543 and buried beside Anne Boleyn in the Tower of
220	London.&nbsp; </P>
221	<P>For Elizabeth, these changes in her father's marital fortunes did not
222	pass unnoticed.&nbsp; She was part of her half-brother Edward's household;
223	her days were spent mostly at lessons, with the occasional visit from her
224	father.&nbsp; As a child, no one expected her to comment upon her
225	various stepmothers.&nbsp; It was only when she reached adulthood and
226	became queen that its psychological effects were revealed.&nbsp; Elizabeth
227	had a dim view of romantic love and, given her father's example, who can
228	blame her?&nbsp; </P>
229	<P>It was Henry's sixth and final wife, <A
230	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fparr.html">Katharine
231	Parr</A>, who had the greatest impact upon Elizabeth's life.&nbsp; A kind
232	woman who believed passionately in<img border="2" src="_httpdocimg_/eliz1-scrots.jpg" align="right" alt="Princess Elizabeth, c1546, attributed to William Scrots" width="370" height="495"> education and religious reform,
233	Katharine was a devoted stepmother.&nbsp; Understandably, she had far more
234	of an impact with the young Edward and Elizabeth than with Mary, who was
235	just four years her junior.&nbsp; Katharine arranged for 10 year old
236	Elizabeth to have the most distinguished tutors in England, foremost among
237	them Roger Ascham.&nbsp; As a result, Elizabeth was educated as well as
238	any legitimate prince, and she displayed a genuine love and aptitude for
239	her studies.&nbsp; 'Her mind has no womanly weakness,' Ascham would write
240	approvingly, 'her perseverance is equal to that of a man.'&nbsp; And
241	later, 'She readeth more Greek every day, than some Prebendaries of this
242	Church do in a whole week.'&nbsp; And so she did; Elizabeth's love of
243	scholarship never faltered and, in an age when women were considered
244	inferior to men, she was a glorious exception.&nbsp; </P>
245	<P>
246	Along with
247	such classical subjects as rhetoric, languages, philosophy, and history,
248	Elizabeth also studied theology.&nbsp; Ascham and her other tutors were
249	famous Cambridge humanists who supported the Protestant cause.&nbsp;
250	Likewise, Katharine Parr was devoted to the reformed faith.&nbsp; Unlike
251	their half-sister Mary, both Edward and Elizabeth were raised Protestant
252	during its most formative years.&nbsp; Yet while Edward was known for his
253	piety and didacticism, Elizabeth already displayed the pragmatic character
254	which would make her reign successful.&nbsp; She studied theology and
255	supported the Protestant cause; she had been raised to do so and knew
256	only Protestants recognized her parents' marriage.&nbsp; But she was never
257	openly passionate about religion, recognizing its divisive role in English
258	politics.&nbsp; </P>
259	<P>&nbsp;Most people viewed the adolescent Elizabeth as a serious young
260	woman who always carried a book with her, preternaturally composed.&nbsp;
261	She encouraged this perception, which was as accurate as any, by dressing
262	with a degree of severity virtually absent at the Tudor royal court.&nbsp;
263	But she was not so serious that she avoided all the material trappings of
264	her position.&nbsp; Her household accounts, which came under the
265	management of William Cecil (who later became her secretary of state),
266	show evidence of a cultivated and lively mind, as well as a love of
267	entertainment:&nbsp; fees for musicians, musical instruments, and a
268	variety of books.&nbsp; As she grew older and her position more prominent,
269	her household also expanded.&nbsp; During her brother Edward's reign, she
270	lived the life of a wealthy and privileged lady - and apparently enjoyed
271	it immensely.&nbsp; </P>
272	<P>Elizabeth was thirteen years old when her father died.&nbsp; They
273	were never particularly close though he treated her with affection on her
274	few visits to his court.&nbsp; He even occasionally discussed the
275	possibility of her marriage for, in the 16th century, royal bastards were
276	common and often used to great advantage in diplomacy.&nbsp; Under the
277	1536 'Second Act of Succession', which declared both her and the 19 year
278	old Mary illegitimate, Parliament gave Henry the ability to determine his
279	children's status, as well as the actual succession.&nbsp; Typically for
280	Henry, he simply let both his daughters live as princesses and gave them
281	precedence over everyone at court except his current wife.&nbsp; But they
282	had no real claim to the title of 'princess' and were known as 'the lady
283	Elizabeth' and 'the lady Mary'.&nbsp; This was often followed by the
284	explanatory 'the king's daughter.'&nbsp; It was an awkward situation which
285	the king saw no reason to resolve.&nbsp; His will did recognize his
286	daughters' crucial place in the succession.&nbsp; If Edward died without
287	heirs, Mary would inherit the throne; if Mary died without heirs,
288	Elizabeth would become queen.&nbsp; He also left them the substantial
289	income of 3000 pds a year, the same amount for each daughter.&nbsp; </P>
290	<P>Did Elizabeth mourn her father?&nbsp; Undoubtedly so, for at least
291	under Henry VIII she was three steps from the throne and protected by his
292	rough paternal affection.&nbsp; After his death, she had good cause to
293	wish him alive again.&nbsp; Ten year old Edward was king in name
294	only.&nbsp; The rule of England was actually in the hands of his uncle,
295	the Lord Protector Edward Seymour, soon titled duke of Somerset.&nbsp;
296	Elizabeth was now separated from her brother's household, moving to
297	Katharine Parr's home in Chelsea.&nbsp; This was perhaps the happiest time
298	of her adolescence.&nbsp; </P>
299	<P>But Katharine married again quickly, to the man she had loved before
300	Henry VIII had claimed her.&nbsp; Her new husband was Thomas Seymour, the
301	younger brother of Lord Protector Somerset and uncle to the new King
302	Edward.&nbsp; He was handsome, charming, and very ambitious.&nbsp; He also
303	had terrible political instincts.&nbsp; Seymour was not content to be
304	husband of the Dowager Queen of England.&nbsp; He was jealous of his
305	brother's position and desperate to upstage him.&nbsp; And so he
306	inadvertently played into the hands of the equally ambitious John Dudley,
307	earl of Warwick.&nbsp; Dudley wished to destroy the Seymour protectorship
308	and seize power for himself.&nbsp; He allowed the feuding brothers to
309	destroy each other.&nbsp; </P>
310	<P>For Elizabeth, the main problem with Seymour was his inappropriate and
311	very flirtatious behavior.&nbsp; As a teenaged girl with little experience
312	of men, she was flattered by his attention and also a bit
313	frightened.&nbsp; Certainly it placed great strain on Katharine Parr, who
314	had become pregnant soon after her marriage.&nbsp; The queen originally
315	participated in Seymour's early morning raids into Elizabeth's room, where
316	he would tickle and wrestle with the girl in her nightdress.&nbsp; But
317	while Katharine considered this simple fun, her husband was more
318	serious.&nbsp; He soon had keys made for every room in their house and
319	started visiting Elizabeth while she was still asleep and he was clad in
320	just his nightshirt.&nbsp; She soon developed the habit of rising early;
321	when he appeared, her nose was safely in a book. Edward's council heard
322	rumors of these romps and investigated.&nbsp; Elizabeth proved herself
323	circumspect and clever; she managed to admit nothing which would
324	offend&nbsp; </P>
325	<P>She left the Seymour home for Hatfield House in May 1548, ostensibly
326	because the queen was 'undoubtful of health'.&nbsp; Elizabeth and
327	Katharine exchanged affectionate letters, but they would not meet
328	again.&nbsp; The queen died on 4 September 1548 of childbed fever.&nbsp;
329	</P>
330	<P>After her death, Seymour's position became more dangerous.&nbsp; It was
331	rumored that he wished to marry Elizabeth and thus secure the throne of
332	England in case Edward died young.&nbsp; He had already bought the
333	wardship of <A
334	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html">Lady Jane
335	Grey</A>, a Tudor cousin and heir in Henry VIII's will.&nbsp; He planned
336	to marry Jane and Edward, thus securing primary influence with his
337	nephew.&nbsp; Eventually, his grandiose plans unraveled and he was
338	arrested.&nbsp; Perhaps the most damning charge was his planned marriage
339	to Elizabeth.&nbsp; Immediately, the council sent Sir Robert Tyrwhit to
340	Hatfield with the mission to take control of Elizabeth's household and
341	gain her confession.&nbsp; He immediately arrested Elizabeth's beloved
342	governess Kat Ashley and her cofferer, Thomas Parry; they were sent to the
343	Tower.&nbsp; Now, Tyrwhit told the princess, confess all; he wanted
344	confirmation of the charge that Seymour and Elizabeth planned to
345	wed.&nbsp; If she confessed, Tyrwhit said, she would be forgiven for she
346	was young and foolish - her servants should have protected her.&nbsp; </P>
347	<P>
348	<IMG height=122 alt="Elizabeth's signature as Princess of England"
349	src="_httpdocimg_/elizsig-sm.jpg" width=200 align=left border=2>Elizabeth did not hesitate to demonstrate her own wit and
350	learning.&nbsp; Indeed, she drove Tyrwhit to exasperation; 'in no way will
351	she confess any practice by Mistress Ashley or the cofferer concerning my
352	lord Admiral; and yet I do see it in her face that she is guilty and do
353	perceive as yet she will abide more storms ere she accuse Mistress
354	Ashley,' he wrote to Somerset, 'I do assure your Grace she hath a very
355	good wit and nothing is gotten of her but by great policy.'&nbsp;
356	Elizabeth refused to scapegoat her loyal servants and defiantly asserted
357	her complete innocence.&nbsp; She told Tyrwhit she cared nothing for the
358	Admiral and when he had mentioned some vague possibility of marriage, she
359	had referred him to the council.&nbsp; She also secured permission to
360	write to Somerset and, upon doing so, demanded a public apology be made
361	regarding her innocence.&nbsp; She also demanded the return of her loyal
362	servants for if they did not return, she said, her guilt would be
363	assumed.&nbsp; She read Ashley and Parry's 'confessions' in which they
364	described Seymour's romps with her at Katharine Parr's home.&nbsp; The
365	details were undoubtedly embarrassing but she recognized their
366	harmlessness.&nbsp; In short, she demonstrated every aspect of her
367	formidable intelligence and determination.&nbsp; Poor Tyrwhit left for
368	London with no damaging confession.&nbsp; </P>
369	<P>But the council didn't need Elizabeth's confession to execute
370	Seymour.&nbsp; He was charged with thirty-three other crimes, and he
371	answered only three of the charges.&nbsp; He was not given a trial; a
372	messy execution was always best passed by a Bill of Attainder.&nbsp; He
373	was executed on 20 March 1549, dying 'very dangerously, irksomely,
374	horribly... a wicked man and the realm is well rid of him.'&nbsp; Contrary
375	to some biographies, Elizabeth did not say, 'This day died a man with much
376	wit, and very little judgment.'&nbsp; The 17th century Italian novelist
377	Leti invented this, as well as several forged letters long supposed to be
378	hers.&nbsp; </P>
379	<P>Soon enough, Seymour's brother followed him to the scaffold.&nbsp;
380	Somerset was a kind man in private life and genuinely dedicated to
381	economic and religious reform in England but, as a politician, he failed
382	miserably.&nbsp; He lacked charisma and confidence; he preferred to bully
383	and bluster his way through council meetings.&nbsp; He simply did not
384	understand how to manage the divisive personalities of Edward VI's privy
385	council.&nbsp; Meanwhile, John Dudley had been quietly manipulating other
386	councilors and the young king to gain ascendancy.&nbsp; Upon Somerset's
387	execution, Dudley became Lord Protector; he was also titled duke of
388	Northumberland.&nbsp; He was the first non-royal Englishman given that
389	title.&nbsp; </P>
390	<P>For Elizabeth, these events were merely background noise at
391	first.&nbsp; Dudley took pains to cultivate a friendship with her, which
392	she wisely avoided.&nbsp; He sent her and Mary amiable letters.&nbsp;
393	Since Mary was a Catholic, and Dudley a Protestant who had benefited
394	materially from the Reformation, he was necessarily more friendly to
395	Elizabeth.&nbsp; For example, Edward VI had given Dudley Hatfield House,
396	which was currently Elizabeth's residence.&nbsp; Dudley graciously
397	returned it to her in exchange for lesser lands in her possession.&nbsp;
398	He also passed the patents to her lands, which allowed her more
399	income.&nbsp; This, of course, should have been done at Henry VIII's
400	death.&nbsp; So Elizabeth at first benefited from Dudley's rise to
401	power.&nbsp; She was now a well-respected and popular princess, a landed
402	lady in her own right with a large income and keen mind.&nbsp; She was
403	also an heir to the English throne, though still officially recognized as
404	a bastard.&nbsp; But she was shown every respect, and a degree of
405	affection from Edward VI completely lacking in his relations with their
406	sister Mary.&nbsp; </P>
407	<P>Their mutual faith was an important connection with the increasingly
408	devout Edward.&nbsp; Elizabeth visited Court occasionally, corresponded
409	with her brother, and continued her studies mainly at Hatfield.&nbsp; She
410	had always been excessively cautious and very intelligent, qualities she
411	displayed to great effect during the Seymour crisis.&nbsp; The only time
412	in her life when she demonstrated any recklessness had been during the
413	Seymour debacle; she had learned its lesson well.&nbsp; </P>
414	<P>She also cultivated the image of a sober Protestant young lady.&nbsp;
415	When queen, she became known for her love of beautiful gowns and
416	jewels.&nbsp; But before 1558, she took care to dress soberly, the image
417	of chastity and modesty.&nbsp; This was perhaps a conscious attempt to
418	distance herself from Mary, a typical Catholic princess who dressed in all
419	the glittering and garish finery she could afford.&nbsp; It is an ironic
420	note on Mary's character that she has become known as a dour, plain woman;
421	she was as fond of clothes and jewelry as her sister would become.&nbsp;
422	It was Elizabeth who dressed plainly, most often in severely cut black or
423	white gowns.&nbsp; She wore each color to great effect.&nbsp; She had
424	matured into a tall, slender and striking girl, with a fair, unblemished
425	complexion and the famous Tudor red hair.&nbsp; She wore her hair loose
426	and did not use cosmetics.&nbsp; When she traveled about the countryside,
427	crowds gathered to see her, a Protestant princess renowned for her virtue
428	and learning, her appearance modest and pleasing.&nbsp; In this respect,
429	she was emulated by her cousin Jane Grey.&nbsp; When Jane was invited to a
430	reception for Mary of Guise, the regent of Scotland, Mary Tudor sent her
431	'some goodly apparel of tinsel cloth of gold and velvet laid on with
432	parchment lace of gold.'&nbsp; Jane, a devout Protestant, was offended;
433	such apparel reflected the material trappings of Catholicism.&nbsp; When
434	her parents insisted she wear it, Jane replied, 'Nay, that were a shame to
435	follow my Lady Mary against God's word, and leave my Lady Elizabeth, which
436	followeth God's word.'&nbsp; </P>
437	<P>Elizabeth was honorably and extravagantly received at her brother's
438	court.&nbsp; For example, on 17 March 1552, she arrived at St James's
439	Palace with 'a great company of lords, knights and gentlemen' along with
440	over 200 ladies and a company of yeomen.&nbsp; Two days later she left St
441	James for Whitehall Palace, her procession accompanied by a grand
442	collection of nobles.&nbsp; The visit was a marked success for Edward was
443	open in his affection.&nbsp; She was his 'sweet sister Temperance,' unlike
444	Mary who continued to defy his religious policy.&nbsp; The Primary Sources
445	section of this site contains an excerpt from Edward VI's journal in which
446	he records a religious argument with Mary.&nbsp; In that matter, Elizabeth
447	remained distant, preferring to let her siblings argue without her.&nbsp;
448	</P>
449	<P>Edward's ministers, especially after the Seymour affair, were careful
450	with her.&nbsp; Dudley recognized Elizabeth's formidable
451	intelligence.&nbsp; When Edward VI became ill in 1553 and it was clear he
452	would not survive, Dudley had a desperate plan to save himself from Mary
453	I's Catholic rule - place Henry VIII's niece, Lady Jane Grey on the
454	throne.&nbsp; (This is discussed in great length at the <A
455	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html">Lady Jane
456	Grey</A> site.)&nbsp; Simply put, Dudley believed he would be supported
457	because Jane was Protestant and the English would not want the Catholic
458	Mary on the throne.&nbsp; Of course, the question arises - Elizabeth was
459	Protestant, so why not put her on the throne instead of Jane?&nbsp; The
460	main reason is that Dudley was well aware that Elizabeth Tudor would not
461	be his puppet, unlike Jane Grey whom he had married to his son
462	Guildford.&nbsp; As for Edward VI, he went along with the plan because of
463	two main reasons: Elizabeth was illegitimate so there might be resistance
464	to her rule and, as a princess, she might be persuaded to marry a foreign
465	prince and England would fall under foreign control.&nbsp; Jane was
466	already safely wed to an Englishman.&nbsp; </P>
467	<P>
468	<IMG height=228
469	alt="a profile portrait of Elizabeth's half-brother, King Edward VI"
470	src="_httpdocimg_/edward4-cr.jpg" width=150 border=2 align="left">Edward VI's decision should not indicate any great dislike of
471	Elizabeth.&nbsp; He was primarily determined to preserve the Protestant
472	regime in England.&nbsp; He believed this was necessary for his personal
473	and political salvation.&nbsp; He was also practical.&nbsp; He
474	disinherited Mary because of her Catholicism; however, it was officially
475	sanctioned because of her illegitimacy.&nbsp; Like Elizabeth, Mary had her
476	illegitimacy established by an act of Parliament during Henry VIII's
477	reign.&nbsp; Since he had ostensibly disinherited Mary because of this
478	act, he couldn't let Elizabeth inherit - it simply wasn't logical.&nbsp;
479	So the throne would pass to the legitimate - and Protestant - Lady Jane
480	Grey.&nbsp; As most know, she ruled for just nine days before Mary became
481	queen of England.&nbsp; It should be noted that Edward originally told
482	Dudley that, though he didn't want Mary to succeed him, he saw no logical
483	reason for Elizabeth to be disowned.&nbsp; It was Dudley who pointed out
484	the logical inconsistency - that Mary 'could not be put by unless the Lady
485	Elizabeth were put by also.'&nbsp; </P>
486	<P>Dudley attempted to place Mary and Elizabeth in his power while Edward
487	was dying.&nbsp; He knew that if he imprisoned the two princesses, they
488	would be unable to rouse popular support against his plan.&nbsp; But if
489	that failed, he was determined to prevent them from seeing Edward,
490	especially Elizabeth.&nbsp; Dudley feared that Edward's affection for his
491	sister, and Elizabeth's cleverness, might persuade Edward to rewrite his
492	will in her favor.&nbsp; Like her sister, Elizabeth would undoubtedly
493	destroy Dudley, making him the scapegoat for Edward's ineffectual
494	regime.&nbsp; In fact, Elizabeth had suspected her brother was ill and set
495	out from Hatfield to visit him just a few weeks before Edward died, but
496	Dudley's men intercepted her and sent her home.&nbsp; She then wrote her
497	brother a number of letters, inquiring about his health and asking
498	permission to come to Court.&nbsp; These were intercepted as well.&nbsp;
499	</P>
500	<P>But as Edward's health continued to deteriorate and death was imminent,
501	Dudley sent a message to Hatfield, ordering Elizabeth to Greenwich
502	Palace.&nbsp; She may have been warned of his intentions - more likely she
503	guessed them.&nbsp; She refused the summons, taking to her bed with a
504	sudden illness.&nbsp; As a further precaution, her doctor sent a letter to
505	the council certifying she was too ill for travel.&nbsp; As for Mary,
506	Dudley had told her that Edward desired her presence; it would be a
507	comfort to him during his illness.&nbsp; She was torn - though Dudley hid
508	the true extent of the king's illness, the Imperial ambassador had kept
509	Mary informed.&nbsp; He was the agent of her cousin, the Holy Roman
510	Emperor Charles V; Mary's mother had been his aunt.&nbsp; Conscious of her
511	sisterly duty, Mary set out for Greenwich from Hunsdon the day before
512	Edward died.&nbsp; </P>
513	<P>Dudley was enraged by Elizabeth's refusal but he could do
514	nothing.&nbsp; Soon enough, events moved too quickly for the princess to
515	be his primary concern.&nbsp; It was being whispered that Dudley had
516	poisoned the king to place his daughter-in-law on the throne.&nbsp; Of
517	course, this was untrue since Dudley needed Edward to live as long as
518	possible for his plan to work.&nbsp; To this end, he had engaged a female
519	'witch' to help prolong the king's life.&nbsp; She concocted a mix of
520	arsenic and other drugs; they worked, at least for Dudley's purpose.&nbsp;
521	The young king lived for a few more weeks though he suffered
522	terribly.&nbsp; Finally, on 6 July 1553, Edward VI died.&nbsp;
523	Immediately, Dudley had Jane Grey proclaimed queen, an honor she had not
524	sought and did not want.&nbsp; It was only Dudley's appeal to her
525	religious convictions which convinced her to accept the throne.&nbsp; </P>
526	<P>Meanwhile, Jane's cousin, Mary Tudor, was still on her way to Greenwich
527	to see her brother, until a sympathizer (sent by Nicholas Throckmorton or
528	William Cecil) rode out to meet her; the summons was a trap, he told her,
529	and Dudley intended to imprison her.&nbsp; Mary rode to East Anglia, the
530	conservative section of England where her support would be
531	strongest.&nbsp; Eventually she would realize the true extent of her
532	support.&nbsp; Protestants and Catholics alike rallied to her cause since
533	she was Henry VIII's daughter and the true heir under his will.&nbsp; As
534	she left for East Anglia, she didn't know her brother was already dead but
535	she sent a note to the Imperial ambassador Simon Renard; once she knew of
536	Edward's death, she said, she would declare herself queen.&nbsp; She sent
537	another note to Dudley, telling him she was too ill to travel.&nbsp; </P>
538	<P>The failure of Dudley's ambitions is discussed at the <A
539	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html">Lady Jane
540	Grey</A> site.&nbsp; Suffice to say, he was overthrown and executed and
541	Mary Tudor, at the age of thirty-seven, was declared queen of England in
542	her own right.&nbsp; During the nine days of Jane's reign, Elizabeth had
543	continued her pretense of illness.&nbsp; It was rumored that Dudley had
544	sent councilors to her, offering a large bribe if she would just renounce
545	her claim to the throne.&nbsp; Elizabeth refused, remarking, 'You must
546	first make this agreement with my elder sister, during whose lifetime I
547	have no claim or title to resign.'&nbsp; So she remained at her beloved
548	Hatfield, deliberately avoiding a commitment one way or another.&nbsp;
549	When word reached her that Mary was finally queen, she sent a letter of
550	congratulation to her sister and set off for London.&nbsp; On 29 July, she
551	entered the capital with 2000 mounted men wearing the green and white
552	Tudor colors.&nbsp; There she awaited Mary's official arrival into the
553	city.&nbsp; On 31 July, Elizabeth rode with her attendant nobles along the
554	Strand and through the City to Colchester, the same path her sister would
555	take.&nbsp; It was here she would receive her sister as queen.&nbsp; They
556	had not seen each other for about five years.&nbsp; </P>
557	<P>Mary had always disliked her half-sister for many reasons, not least
558	because she sensed an innate shiftiness in Elizabeth's character.&nbsp;
559	Elizabeth, Mary believed, was never to be trusted.&nbsp; Originally, this
560	dislike was because of Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn.&nbsp; Mary had
561	long blamed Anne for her own mother's tragic end as well as the alienation
562	of her father's affections.&nbsp; After Anne died and Elizabeth, too, was
563	declared illegitimate, Mary found other reasons to hate Elizabeth, chief
564	among them religion.&nbsp; Like her mother, Mary was a devout Catholic;
565	she recognized Elizabeth's lack of religious zeal.&nbsp;<img border="2" src="_httpdocimg_/elizsister.jpg" align="right" alt="portrait of Elizabeth's half-sister, Queen Mary I; she ruled England from 1553 to 1558" width="350" height="522"> But at her
566	accession, the moment of her great triumph, she was prepared to be
567	conciliatory.&nbsp; </P>
568	<P>Mary ordered that Elizabeth share her triumphal march through
569	London.&nbsp; Their processions met at Wanstead on 2 August.&nbsp; There,
570	Elizabeth dismounted and knelt in the road before her sister.&nbsp; Mary
571	dismounted and raised her sister, embracing and kissing her with
572	affection.&nbsp; She even held her hand as they spoke.&nbsp; Their two
573	parties entered London together, the sisters riding side by side.&nbsp;
574	The contrast between their physical appearances could not have been more
575	striking.&nbsp; Mary, at thirty-seven, was old beyond her years.&nbsp; An
576	adulthood passed in anxiety and tribulation had marred her health and
577	appearance.&nbsp; She was small like her mother and thin, with Katharine's
578	deep, almost gruff voice.&nbsp; Elizabeth was nineteen years old, taller
579	than her sister and slender.&nbsp; While Mary was richly attired in
580	velvets covered in jewels and gold, Elizabeth was dressed in her usual
581	strikingly severe style.&nbsp; Neither sister was conventionally beautiful
582	but onlookers commented upon Mary's open compassion and kindness and
583	Elizabeth's innate majesty.&nbsp; And since Mary was thirty-seven, quite
584	old to have a child, Elizabeth was viewed as her probable heir.&nbsp; As
585	such, she was cheered as much as the new queen.&nbsp; </P>
586	<P>On 1 October, Elizabeth rode to Mary's coronation with Henry VIII's
587	discarded fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.&nbsp; She was once again accorded a
588	place of honor amongst the English ladies, though not the highest position
589	as was her due.&nbsp; The Imperial ambassador Renard reported that she
590	spoke often with the French ambassador de Noailles.&nbsp; For his part, de
591	Noailles reported that Elizabeth complained her coronet was too heavy and
592	made her head ache.&nbsp; He replied to her that, God willing, she would
593	soon wear a heavier crown.&nbsp; </P>
594	<P>This was dangerous talk, as Elizabeth soon discovered.&nbsp; Mary's
595	mood was fickle regarding her clever half-sister.&nbsp; For every kind
596	word or gesture, there were public statements dismissing Henry VIII as
597	Elizabeth's father, or allowing distant cousins precedent at court.&nbsp;
598	It was simply impossible for Mary to forget the past, etched so acutely
599	upon her spirit.&nbsp; She could not like Elizabeth, nor trust her.&nbsp;
600	Elizabeth responded to this emotional hostility by retreating to
601	Hatfield.&nbsp; There she continued her studies and attempted to remain
602	safe in the morass of English politics.&nbsp; </P>
603	<P>But however much she might wish for peace, she was not to have
604	it.&nbsp; She was destined to be the focal point for all discontent over
605	Mary's reign.&nbsp; And there was soon much reason for discontent.&nbsp;
606	Edward VI's council had left the economy in shambles; currency was debased
607	and near worthless.&nbsp; There was a series of bad harvests.&nbsp; Prices
608	rose and discontent spread.&nbsp; And worst of all, Mary soon decided to
609	marry King Philip II of Spain, son and heir of Charles V.&nbsp; This was
610	yet another example of her inability to forget the past.&nbsp; Philip
611	represented the homeland of her beloved mother, and a chance to bring all
612	the weight of the Holy Roman Empire to bear upon the heretics of
613	England.&nbsp; Mary was determined to turn back the clock on twenty years
614	of religious reform and make England a Catholic nation again.&nbsp; </P>
615	<P>Understandably, her subjects were less than thrilled.&nbsp; Even
616	English Catholics did not want their country to become a powerless
617	appendage of the Hapsburg empire.&nbsp; Certainly a queen had to marry,
618	but not the emperor's son!&nbsp; In this climate of rebellion and
619	repression, Elizabeth's life was in great danger.&nbsp; It could not be
620	otherwise; she was the only alternative to Mary's rule.&nbsp; </P>
621	<P>Elizabeth conformed outwardly to the Catholic faith.&nbsp; But she
622	could not distance herself too much from her Protestant supporters.&nbsp;
623	When Sir Thomas Wyatt, the son of her mother's great poetic admirer, led a
624	rebellion in January 1554, matters came to an unpleasant impasse.&nbsp;
625	Wyatt had written to Elizabeth that he intended to overthrow Mary but his
626	letter was intercepted, as was a letter from de Noailles to the king of
627	France.&nbsp; His letter implied that Elizabeth knew of the revolt in
628	advance, and repeated rumors that she was off gathering armed
629	supporters.&nbsp; The government was able to suppress the rebellion before
630	it spread very far and Wyatt was arrested.&nbsp; Mary's council could find
631	no real proof that de Noailles's suppositions were true but they decided
632	to summon Elizabeth back to London for questioning.&nbsp; She was
633	understandably frightened and ill; she sent word that she could not
634	travel.&nbsp; Two of Mary's personal physicians were sent to evaluate her
635	condition.&nbsp; They diagnosed 'watery humors' and perhaps an
636	inflammation of the kidneys.&nbsp; She was ill, they reported, but not too
637	ill to travel the 30 miles to London in the queen's own litter.&nbsp;
638	Three of the queen's councilors - Howard, Hastings, and Cornwallis, all of
639	whom were friendly with Elizabeth - escorted her back to London.&nbsp;
640	They traveled quite slowly, covering just six miles a day.&nbsp; </P>
641	<P>Elizabeth kept the curtains of the litter pulled back as she entered
642	the city, and the citizens were able to see her pale, frightened
643	face.&nbsp; She had good cause for her fear; the heads and corpses of
644	Wyatt and his supporters were thrust upon spikes and gibbets throughout
645	the city.&nbsp; The queen waited for her at Whitehall but they did not
646	meet immediately.&nbsp; First, Elizabeth's household was dismissed and she
647	was told that she must undergo close interrogation about her
648	activities.&nbsp; She was questioned by the unfriendly bishop of
649	Winchester, Stephen Gardiner, but she was not intimidated.&nbsp; She
650	denied any involvement in the rebellion and repeatedly asked to see the
651	queen.&nbsp; But she was told that Mary was leaving for Oxford where she
652	would hold a Parliament.&nbsp; Elizabeth would be leaving Whitehall as
653	well, though at first the council could not decide where to send
654	her.&nbsp; No councilor wanted the responsibility of keeping her in close
655	confinement at their homes; it was too unpleasant and potentially
656	dangerous.&nbsp; And so Gardiner and Renard had their way and she went to
657	the Tower of London.&nbsp; The earl of Sussex and the marquess of
658	Winchester were sent to escort her from Whitehall.&nbsp; </P>
659	<P>Elizabeth was terrified.&nbsp; The mere mention of the Tower was enough
660	to shatter her already fragile nerves.&nbsp; She begged to be allowed to
661	write to her sister, and the men agreed.&nbsp; The letter was long,
662	rambling, and repetitious - proof of her fear and trepidation:&nbsp; </P>
663	<BLOCKQUOTE>
664	<p>I have heard in my time of many cast away for want of coming
665	to the presence of their Prince....&nbsp; Therefore once again kneeling
666	with humbleness of my heart, because I am not suffered to bow the knees
667	of my body, I humbly crave to speak with your Highness, which I would
668	not be so bold to desire if I knew not myself most clear as I know
669	myself most true.&nbsp; And as for the traitor Wyatt, he might
670	peradventure write me a letter but on my faith I never received any from
671	him; and as for the copy of my letter sent to the French king, I pray
672	God confound me eternally if ever I sent him word, message, token or
673	letter by any means, and to this truth I will stand it to my
674	death.&nbsp; <BR>....Let conscience move your Highness to take some
675	better way with me than to make me be condemned in all men's sight afore
676	my desert know.</p>
677	</BLOCKQUOTE>
678	<p>After finishing, she carefully drew lines
679	throughout the rest of the blank sheet so no forgeries could be added, and
680	she signed it 'I humbly crave but one word of answer from yourself.&nbsp;
681	Your Highness's most faithful subject that hath been from the beginning
682	and will be to my end, Elizabeth'.&nbsp; </p>
683	<P>The letter had taken too long to write; they had missed the tide.&nbsp;
684	They could wait a few hours and take her to the Tower in the darkest part
685	of night, but the council disagreed.&nbsp; There could be an attempt to
686	rescue her under cover of darkness.&nbsp; They decided to wait until the
687	next morning, Palm Sunday, when the streets would be nearly deserted since
688	everyone would be in church.&nbsp; Meanwhile, her letter was sent to Mary
689	who received it angrily and refused to read it through.&nbsp; She had not
690	given permission for it to be written or sent, and she rebuked her
691	councilors fiercely.&nbsp; </P>
692	<P>The next morning, 17 March 1554, arrived cold and grey; there was a
693	steady rain.&nbsp; At 9 o'clock in the morning, Elizabeth was taken from
694	her rooms and through the garden to where the barge waited.&nbsp; She was
695	accompanied by six of her ladies and two gentleman-attendants.&nbsp; She
696	waited under a canopy until the barge began to slow; she then saw that
697	they would enter beneath Traitor's Gate, beneath St Thomas's Tower.&nbsp;
698	This was the traditional entrance for prisoners returned to their cells
699	after trial at Westminster.&nbsp; The sight terrified her and she begged
700	to be allowed entry by any other gate.&nbsp; Her request was
701	refused.&nbsp; She was offered a cloak to protect her from the rain but
702	she pushed it aside angrily.&nbsp; Upon stepping onto the landing, she
703	declared, 'Here landeth as true a subject, being prisoner, as ever landed
704	at these stairs.&nbsp; Before Thee, O God, do I speak it, having no other
705	friend but Thee alone.'&nbsp; She then noticed the yeoman warders gathered
706	to receive her beyond the gate.&nbsp; 'Oh Lord,' she said loudly, 'I never
707	thought to have come in here as a prisoner, and I pray you all bear me
708	witness that I come in as no traitor but as true a woman to the Queen's
709	Majesty as any as is now living.'&nbsp; Several of the warders stepped
710	forward and bowed before her, and one called out, 'God preserve your
711	Grace.'&nbsp; </P>
712	<P>She still refused to enter the Tower.&nbsp; After the warder's
713	declaration, she sat upon a stone and would not move.&nbsp; The Lieutenant
714	of the Tower, Sir John Brydges, said to her, 'You had best come in,
715	Madame, for here you sit unwholesomely.'&nbsp; Elizabeth replied with
716	feeling, 'Better sit here, than in a worse place, for God knoweth where
717	you will bring me.'&nbsp; And so she sat until one of her attendants burst
718	into tears.&nbsp; She was taken to the Bell Tower, a small corner tower
719	beside Brydges's own lodgings.&nbsp; Her room was on the first floor, and
720	had a large fireplace with three small windows.&nbsp; Down the passageway
721	from the door were three latrines which hung over the moat.&nbsp; It was
722	not as destitute or uncomfortable as she had feared, but it was still the
723	Tower of London and she was a prisoner.&nbsp; </P>
724	<P>This was the beginning of one of the most trying times of her
725	life.&nbsp; </P>
726	<P>Elizabeth spent just two months in the Tower of London, but she had no
727	idea that her stay would be so brief - and it did not feel particularly
728	brief.&nbsp; She truly believed some harm would come to her and she dwelt
729	most upon the possibility of poison.&nbsp; She knew Mary hated her and
730	that many of her councilors constantly spoke ill of her, encouraging
731	either her imprisonment or execution.&nbsp; </P>
732	<P>However, Elizabeth had enough popular support that she would not face
733	death at her sister's orders.&nbsp; But Lady Jane Grey, the unfortunate
734	Nine Days' Queen, and her husband were neither so popular or lucky.&nbsp;
735	They, too, had lived in the Tower under threat of execution; both had been
736	convicted of treason.&nbsp; But Mary had always been fond of Jane and was
737	close friends with her mother Frances; she allowed her cousin to live very
738	comfortably in the Tower while her fate remained undecided.&nbsp; Mary
739	probably intended to release Jane as soon as the country settled under her
740	own rule.&nbsp; But Renard wanted both Jane and her husband
741	executed.&nbsp; He warned Mary that the emperor would not allow Philip to
742	enter England as long as Jane lived.&nbsp; She was a traitor, and it was
743	only a matter of time before the Protestants tried to place either Jane or
744	Elizabeth upon the throne.&nbsp; Mary was not persuaded by Renard's
745	arguments, but his threat carried greater force - she wanted to marry
746	Philip and he would not come to England until it was safe.&nbsp; The small
747	rebellion led by Jane's father clearly did not help matters.&nbsp; And so
748	Jane and the equally unfortunate Guildford Dudley were executed.&nbsp;
749	Elizabeth herself arrived at the Tower just six weeks later, and her
750	cousin's fate must have weighed heavily on her mind.&nbsp; After all, she
751	and Jane had lived and studied together briefly under Katharine Parr's
752	tutelage, and Jane's admiration of Elizabeth had been open and
753	obvious.&nbsp; </P>
754	<P>It was abundantly clear to Elizabeth that her position was precarious
755	and dangerous.&nbsp; During the first weeks of her imprisonment, she was
756	allowed to take exercise along the Tower walls but when a small child
757	began to give her flowers and other gifts, Brydges was told to keep her
758	indoors.&nbsp; Elizabeth had always been active, both physically and
759	mentally.&nbsp; She chafed at her confinement and its boring
760	routine.&nbsp; She was occasionally interrogated by members of Mary's
761	council, but she held firm to her innocence.&nbsp; She had faced such
762	interrogations during Thomas Seymour's fall from grace, and could not be
763	easily intimidated.&nbsp; Still, the stress - which she handled with
764	outward aplomb - took its toll on her physical health.&nbsp; She lost
765	weight, and became prone to headaches and stomach problems.&nbsp; </P>
766	<P>Ironically enough, it was the impending arrival of Philip of Spain
767	which led to her freedom.&nbsp; Renard had urged Mary to execute Jane and
768	imprison Elizabeth so that Philip would be safe in England.&nbsp; Philip,
769	however, was far more sensitive to the political implications of such an
770	act.&nbsp; He knew the English were acutely sensitive to any shift in
771	Mary's policies simply because she had chosen to marry a foreigner.&nbsp;
772	If she made an unpopular decision, it would be blamed upon his
773	influence.&nbsp; He knew, too, that the Protestant faith was still popular
774	in the country, and that Elizabeth embodied its greatest hope.&nbsp; If
775	she were harmed in any way, his arrival in England would be even more
776	unpopular and dangerous.&nbsp; And the Wyatt rebellion had merely
777	reinforced Philip's natural inclination to tread lightly.&nbsp; His
778	intention was to wed Mary, be crowned king of England, and find a suitable
779	husband for Elizabeth, preferably one of his Hapsburg relations.&nbsp;
780	Then, if Mary died without bearing a child, England would remain within
781	the Hapsburg sphere of influence, a willing and useful adjunct of the
782	empire.&nbsp; </P>
783	<P>Accordingly, Philip wrote to Mary and advised that Elizabeth be set at
784	liberty.&nbsp; This conciliatory gesture was not appreciated by Mary,
785	always inclined to believe the worst in her half-sister, but - once again
786	- her eagerness for Philip's arrival made her desperate to please
787	him.&nbsp; She dispensed with Renard's advice and on Saturday 19 May at
788	one o'clock in the afternoon, Elizabeth was finally released from the
789	Tower; incidentally, her mother had been executed on the same day eighteen
790	years earlier.&nbsp; She spent one night at Richmond Palace, but it was
791	clear that her release had not lifted Elizabeth's spirits.&nbsp; That
792	night she summoned her few servants and asked them to pray for her, 'For
793	this night,' Elizabeth said, 'I think to die.'&nbsp; </P>
794	<P>She did not die, of course, but she was still frightened and
795	lonely.&nbsp; She had been released into the care of Sir Henry
796	Bedingfield, a Catholic supporter of Queen Mary whose father had guarded
797	Katharine of Aragon during her last years at Kimbolton Castle.&nbsp; He
798	had come to the Tower on 5 May as the new Constable, replacing Sir John
799	Gage, and his arrival had caused Elizabeth no end of terror.&nbsp; She
800	believed he was sent to secretly murder her for, not long before, a
801	credible rumor had reached her; it was said that the Catholic elements of
802	Mary's council had sent a warrant for her execution to the Tower but that
803	Sir John Brydges, the strict but honest Lieutenant, had not acted upon it
804	because it lacked the queen's signature.&nbsp; With Bedingfield's arrival,
805	Elizabeth lost her almost preternatural self-control and she asked her
806	guards 'whether the Lady Jane's scaffold was taken away or no?'&nbsp; When
807	told it was gone, she asked about Bedingfield, and if 'her murdering were
808	secretly committed to his charge, he would see the execution
809	thereof?'&nbsp; </P>
810	<P>From Richmond, Bedingfield took his cowed charge to Woodstock, a
811	hunting-lodge miles from London and once favored by her Plantagenet
812	grandfather, Edward IV.&nbsp; She was neither officially under arrest nor
813	free, a nebulous position which confused nearly everyone.&nbsp; She could
814	not be received at court, but she could not be set at liberty in the
815	countryside.&nbsp; And so Bedingfield was essentially her jailer, but not
816	referred to as such; and Woodstock was her prison, but also not called
817	such.&nbsp; The journey to Woodstock certainly raised her spirit.&nbsp;
818	She was greeted by throngs of people shouting 'God save your grace!' and
819	other messages of support.&nbsp; Flowers, sweets, cakes and other small
820	gifts were given to her.&nbsp; At times, the reception was so enthusiastic
821	that Elizabeth was openly overwhelmed.&nbsp; It was now clear to her that
822	the English people loved her, perhaps as much as they did Queen
823	Mary.&nbsp; </P>
824	<P>But the love of the people was small comfort when faced with the
825	dilapidation of Woodstock.&nbsp; The main house was in such disrepair that
826	Elizabeth was lodged in the gatehouse.&nbsp; The queen had ordered that
827	her sister be treated honorably and given limited freedom; Elizabeth was
828	allowed to walk in the orchard and gardens.&nbsp; She also requested
829	numerous books.&nbsp; After a few weeks, her initial fear of Bedingfield
830	had settled into a bemused appraisal of her jailer.&nbsp; She now
831	recognized him for what he was - a conscientious, unimaginative civil
832	servant with a difficult assignment.&nbsp; They got on tolerably well, and
833	Bedingfield even forwarded her numerous letters to the Council and the
834	queen.&nbsp; Elizabeth was concerned that her imprisonment in the
835	countryside would remove her too much from the public eye and her
836	ceaseless letter-writing was an attempt to reassert her position as
837	princess of England.&nbsp; Mary did not read the letters and angrily order
838	Bedingfield to stop sending them along.&nbsp; </P>
839	<P>At the end of June, Elizabeth fell ill and asked that the queen's
840	physician Dr Owen be sent to her.&nbsp; But Dr Owen was busy tending to
841	Queen Mary and told Bedingfield that his charge must be patient.&nbsp; He
842	recommended the services of Drs Barnes and Walbeck.&nbsp; Elizabeth
843	refused to allow their examination; she preferred to commit her body to
844	God rather than to the eyes of strangers, she told Bedingfield.&nbsp;
845	Finally, on 7 July, Mary finally sent permission to Woodstock for
846	Elizabeth to write to her and the Council about her various
847	concerns.&nbsp; Elizabeth was petulant and took her time with the
848	composition of this most important letter.&nbsp; When it was finally sent,
849	written in Bedingfield's hand from her dictation, it was a typically
850	shrewd and pointed document.&nbsp; Elizabeth wanted the Council to
851	consider 'her long imprisonment and restraint of liberty, either to charge
852	her with special matter to be answered unto and tried, or to grant her
853	liberty to come unto her highness's presence, which she sayeth she would
854	not desire were it not that she knoweth herself to be clear even before
855	God, for her allegiance.'&nbsp; Elizabeth specifically requested that the
856	members of the queen's council who were executors of 'the Will of the
857	King's majesty her father' read the letter and be allowed to visit with
858	her.&nbsp; It was a pointed reminder that despite her deprived
859	circumstances, she was still next in line to the English throne.&nbsp; The
860	Council heard the document uneasily.&nbsp; </P>
861	<P>Mary, however, had other matters on her mind.&nbsp; Finally, on 20
862	July, even as Elizabeth mulled over her letter, Philip II of Spain finally
863	landed at Southampton.&nbsp; The handsome, fair-haired 27 year old King
864	was already a widow with a male heir; his first wife Maria of Portugal had
865	died in childbirth in 1545 after two years of<IMG height=480
866	alt="another portrait of Elizabeth's half-sister, Queen Mary I"
867	src="_httpdocimg_/mary1-eworth.jpg" width=332 border=2 align="right"> marriage.&nbsp; He was a
868	conscientious and pious man who impressed all who met him with his
869	discipline and work ethic.&nbsp; But he also had a tendency toward
870	religious asceticism which worsened as he grew older.&nbsp; As a child, he
871	had accompanied his father to the inquisition in Spain, watching
872	impassively as heretics were burned alive.&nbsp; But his marriage to Mary
873	was one of political necessity and Philip had no intention of threatening
874	its success with unpopular religious policies.&nbsp; He was willing to
875	move England slowly back into the Catholic fold; faced with Mary's
876	impatience, it was Philip who advised moderation.&nbsp; He wed his cousin
877	at Winchester Cathedral on 25 July in a splendid ceremony.&nbsp; On 18
878	August they finally entered London in triumph, its citizens plied with
879	enough free drinks and entertainment to greet Philip
880	enthusiastically.&nbsp; But there were already signs of trouble; the
881	anonymous pamphlets condemning foreigners and the queen's marriage
882	circulated, and Philip's Spanish entourage were unhappy over a number of
883	petty slights and insults from their English hosts.&nbsp; </P>
884	<P>Elizabeth had hoped the marriage would result in some change in her
885	circumstances.&nbsp; But she was sadly mistaken.&nbsp; Instead she passed
886	the months needling Bedingfield for more books, scribbling more letters,
887	and listening to the occasional rumor from her servants.&nbsp; The rumors
888	were hardly comforting.&nbsp; The queen was reportedly pregnant and she
889	and Philip would open Parliament together on 12 November.&nbsp; From then
890	on, the reunion between England and the papacy could begin in force.&nbsp;
891	Mary was the happiest she had been since childhood, but the problem of
892	Elizabeth remained.&nbsp; Gardiner wanted her executed; he argued that
893	Protestantism could not be completely eradicated until its great hope,
894	Elizabeth herself, was gone.&nbsp; But Philip and most other councilors
895	were more pragmatic.&nbsp; Parliament had already agreed that if Mary died
896	in childbirth, Philip would be regent of England during their child's
897	minority.&nbsp; However, if both mother and child died, then Elizabeth
898	once again assumed prominence.&nbsp; Philip, always prudent, preferred to
899	know his sister-in-law before making an enemy of her.&nbsp; With his
900	encouragement, and flush with happiness at her marriage and pregnancy,
901	Mary finally invited Elizabeth to court.&nbsp; </P>
902	<P>In the third week of April 1555, almost a year since she was sent to
903	Woodstock, Elizabeth was brought to Hampton Court Palace.&nbsp; Mary had
904	gone there to prepare for her lying-in.&nbsp; They did not meet
905	immediately.&nbsp; Elizabeth was brought into the palace through a side
906	entrance, still closely guarded.&nbsp; According to the French ambassador,
907	Philip visited her three days later but Mary never came.&nbsp; Two weeks
908	later, the most powerful members of the council appeared to chide her for
909	not submitting to the queen's authority; she was told to admit her past
910	wrongdoing and seek the queen's forgiveness.&nbsp; Elizabeth replied that
911	she had done nothing wrong in the past and wanted no mercy from her sister
912	'but rather desired the law'.&nbsp; She told Gardiner she would rather
913	remain in prison forever than admit to crimes she had never
914	committed.&nbsp; He went off immediately to tell Mary of her sister's
915	continued stubbornness.&nbsp; The queen was not pleased.&nbsp; The next
916	day, Gardiner told Elizabeth that the queen marveled that 'she would so
917	stoutly use herself, not confessing that she had offended'.&nbsp; Did
918	Elizabeth really believe she was wrongfully imprisoned? Gardiner asked.&nbsp;
919	Elizabeth refused the bait.&nbsp; She did not criticize her sister
920	explicitly, telling him only that the queen must do with her as her
921	conscience dictated.&nbsp; Gardiner replied that if she wanted her liberty
922	and former position, she must tell a different story; only by admitting
923	her past faults, confessing all sins, could she hope for
924	forgiveness.&nbsp; It was a stalemate.&nbsp; Elizabeth again told him she
925	would rather be unjustly imprisoned than gain freedom with lies.&nbsp;
926	</P>
927	<P>The next week passed with no word from anyone.&nbsp; And then, around
928	10 o'clock one evening, a message arrived that the queen would see
929	her.&nbsp; Elizabeth had begged for an interview for more than a year but
930	now that the moment had at last arrived, she was understandably
931	nervous.&nbsp; She was accompanied into Mary's apartments by one of her
932	own ladies-in-waiting and Mary's close friend and Mistress of the Robes
933	Susan Clarencieux.&nbsp; The queen's bedroom was lit with flickering
934	candlelight; the queen herself was half-hidden in shadow.&nbsp; Without
935	asking permission, Elizabeth immediately prostrated herself and declared
936	her innocence.&nbsp; And though she and Mary sparred for a short while,
937	the queen was willing to be generous at her own moment of triumph.&nbsp;
938	It was rumored that Philip watched the sisters from behind a curtain;
939	whether or not he was there, Mary was content to make peace of
940	sorts.&nbsp; She sent Elizabeth away amicably enough and a week later poor
941	Bedingfield was relieved of his duties.&nbsp; Elizabeth would remain at
942	Hampton Court, still under light guard but with her own household and
943	permission to receive certain guests.&nbsp; It was the end of over a year
944	of tiresome captivity and she was delighted.&nbsp; </P>
945	<P>While she enjoyed her newfound liberty, the burning of Protestant
946	heretics began in earnest.&nbsp; These killings have earned Mary the
947	nickname 'Bloody Mary' and blighted her reputation.&nbsp; In truth, the
948	roughly 300 people killed (about 60 women) was not considered excessive by
949	Mary's European contemporaries; and in the government's mind,
950	Protestantism had become dangerously linked with treason, sedition, and
951	other secular crimes.&nbsp; For Mary, who was perhaps the most personally
952	kind and gentle of the Tudor rulers, the killings were necessary to save
953	the heretics' souls as well.&nbsp; It is a telling feature of her
954	character that she could often forgive treason against herself, but would
955	not countenance treason against God.&nbsp; </P>
956	<P>The burnings, coupled with the Spanish marriage, caused enough
957	resentment; but, unfortunately for Mary, famine and poverty added to her
958	list of woes.&nbsp; But the greatest tragedy of all for the queen was the
959	humiliating and heartbreaking realization that her pregnancy was not
960	real.&nbsp; Mary had truly believed she was pregnant; her stomach had
961	become swollen and she had felt the child quicken.&nbsp; But she had
962	always suffered from digestive and menstrual troubles.&nbsp; It is
963	probable that she developed a tumor in her stomach which, combined with
964	the lack of a cycle and her own fervent prayers, made her believe she was
965	pregnant.&nbsp; All of April was spent in a state of readiness.&nbsp;
966	Dozens of nurses and midwives crowded into Hampton Court, joined by a
967	throng of noble ladies who would assist in the delivery.&nbsp; On 30 April
968	a rumor reached London that a male child had been born and celebrations
969	ensued.&nbsp; But it was a false alarm; the next three months were spent
970	in a state of suspended disbelief.&nbsp; Finally, on 3 August, the queen's
971	household departed to Oatlands and the pregnancy was not mentioned
972	again.&nbsp; </P>
973	<P>Mary's heartache was soon worsened by the impending departure of
974	Philip.&nbsp; He had spent over a year in a country he disliked, married
975	to a woman he pitied but did not love.&nbsp; He used the excuse of
976	pressing business in the Low Countries to leave England.&nbsp; Mary
977	protested passionately, begging him to stay; it was clear to everyone that
978	she truly loved her husband.&nbsp; But Philip was equally determined to
979	go.&nbsp; It was perhaps clear to him that Mary was seriously ill and
980	would never have children.&nbsp; If that was the case, he had no reason to
981	remain in England.&nbsp; He left explicit instructions that she treat her
982	sister well.&nbsp; </P>
983	<P>Elizabeth was sent to a small manor house a few miles from Oatlands
984	where she played another waiting game, only this time with some measure of
985	freedom and hope.&nbsp; But it was to be another three years before she
986	would become queen of England.</P>
987	<P>&nbsp;</P>
988	<CENTER>
989	<P><B><A
990	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz2.html">CONTINUE
991	READING</A></B> <BR>&nbsp; </P>
992	<P><FONT size=-1><A
993	href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs.html">to Tudor
994	Monarchs</A></FONT></P>
995	</blockquote>
996	</blockquote>
997	</blockquote>
998
999
1000
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1004	</Section>
1005	</Archive>

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