Historians have debated when Hatton became familiar with the queen or her court. Some, such as Wallace T. MacCaffrey, have suggested that it was during the New Year festivities of 1562 at the Inner Temple. It is known that Hatton was enrolled in the Inner Temple in 1560 and therefore may have performed in front of the queen. However, he was still quite unknown to the queen. It was between March and June of 1564 when a royal warrant commanded the issue of a suit of armour for Hatton’s use that cements his relationship with the queen. Equally, she sent him to welcome Sir James Melville, the ambassador from Scotland, to escort the latter to the royal presence. These were all highly, and unusual, privileges granted to a man of little position and status. While there is no substantial evidence that Hatton performed in the 1562 revels, he is known to have co-authored the play ‘Gismond of Salem’, played before the queen in 1566 or 1567. Hatton was known for his impressive performances by this period and participated in the tilts (jousting) celebrating the Earl of Warwick’s marriage in 1565 and again on two occasions in 1571, where the other participants were the earls of Leicester and Oxford. What makes this significant is that Hatton was involved in such a high-status and chivalric sport, liaising with members of England’s finest noble families and court society.
While cementing his affections with the queen, Hatton also became a part of the enviable ceremonial gift-giving event that took place at court. As historian Maria Hayward has suggested, gift-giving was a means of demonstrating who was in, and who was out, of favour. The queen’s gift to him singled out her affection for him in 1572 since he received 400 oz. of silver plate, twice the amount awarded to other dignitaries. Evidently, a personal relationship with the queen, regardless of family background, was the ideal method of self-promotion at the Elizabethan court. Additional to Hatton’s rise was his highly charming character; becoming a regular participant in the game of courtly love, a game that Elizabeth advocated and adored at her court. As has been studied by academics, Elizabeth was incredibly vain and enjoyed nothing more than her eligible, and attractive, courtiers swooning over her; whether this be through letters, poems or ballads, Elizabeth enjoyed the unwavering devotion her subjects provided her with. What is unique about Hatton is that, due to his background, he likely had no family ambitions. Therefore, it can be argued that his relationship with the queen was honest. Given that he was from no noble house, the likelihood of him marrying the queen was completely unrealistic. In comparison Robert Dudley was a potential threat, being the son of the Duke of Northumberland and therefore being the offspring of an aristocratic house.
While Hatton was the ideal courtier in terms of revels and entertainments, he also excelled as an astute politician, being appointed to the Privy Chamber and quickly inaugurated into its business during the 1570s. According to historian MacCaffrey, his attendance record equalled that of Lord Burghley, who was the principal secretary and advisor to the queen; known for his letters and meticulous record keeping. Hatton revealed a sense of independent thinking as a result of his involvement in the Anjou marriage negotiations that occurred between the years 1578-82. He became a fervent, and vocal, critic of the marriage, alongside his contemporaries the Earl of Leicester. (Robert Dudley) They both suggested that a life of eternal virginity was more desirable than Elizabeth busying herself with foreign marriages. Equally, there was a concern among the anti-Anjou faction that Elizabeth’s marrying of a foreign prince would endanger the country’s security. To counter this, Elizabeth’s virginity was emphasised in a variety of portraits commissioned around the time of these negotiations. One painting, depicting her as the Vestal Virgin Tuccia, is believed to have been commissioned by Hatton. It depicts Elizabeth with a sieve and a group of courtiers in the background, with one being singled out as Hatton. Historians have argued that he may have commissioned the portrait as a means of opposing the Anjou match, that virginity was more desirable than marriage. While we cannot be sure, Elizabeth being symbolic of eternal virginity became popular during this period, especially among poets, such as Edmund Spenser and Philip Sidney, and artists whom opposed her marrying.
Aside from his political career, Hatton had varied interests. He acquired Corfe Castle in the 1570s and added the keepership of Branksea Castle in Poole Harbour. This gave him admiralty jurisdiction over a stretch of Dorset coast with various privileges. Equally, intent on securing money, he supported Drake’s circumnavigation voyage in 1577-1580. His position in power, and relationship with the queen, meant that Hatton spent substantial funds without hesitating. He vainly purchased the residence of the bishops of Ely against their wishes, with Elizabeth giving into his demands, something not unusual for her. Elizabeth would later, during the 1590s, become smitten by the Earl of Essex. Hatton died at Ely Place on 20th November 1591. He was buried on 14th* December of the same year in St Paul’s Cathedral, an opulent location for a common-born man. An elaborate monument was erected in the cathedral by his nephew and heir, William Hatton. In a fashion similar to Burghley, Hatton was a self-made man. He fashioned an image of himself as a well-rounded Elizabethan courtier: chivalric, astute, and lucrative.
By Alex Taylor
*An Elizabethan journal (transcribed in The Elizabethan Journals, Volume 1, edited by George Bagshawe Harrison) records the funeral as taking place on 16th December.