The Tudor Society

  • June 5 – The Earl of Essex is charged with insubordination

    10 months ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    A portrait of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, by Marcus Gheeraerts

    On this day in Tudor history, 5th June 1600, Elizabeth I’s favourite, thirty-four-year-old Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, was charged with insubordination during his time in Ireland at a special hearing at York House.

    Essex had been made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1599, but his campaign against the Irish was unsuccessful. He constantly ignored the Queen’s orders, acted contrary to her wishes and constantly worried about what his enemies were up to back in London. He ended up returning to England without Elizabeth’s permission, which amounted to desertion.

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  • March 18 – Soldier, secret agent and rebel Sir Christopher Blount

    1 year ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    A portrait of Blount's stepson, Robert Devereux, attributed to Nicholas Hilliard

    On 18th March 1601, just six days before the day of Queen Elizabeth I,  soldier, secret agent and rebel Sir Christopher Blount was executed on Tower Hill for high treason.

    He was accused of treason following his involvement in the rebellion of his stepson, Elizabeth’s former favourite, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.

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  • September 28 – Elizabeth I’s favourite sees the queen without her mask of youth

    1 year ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 28th September 1599, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Elizabeth I’s favourite, strode into the queen’s bedchamber unannounced. Elizabeth wasn’t ready to see people. She wasn’t made up and she wasn’t wearing her wig. She must have been furious with Essex.

    Why would Essex do such a thing?

    Find out why Robert Devereux needed to see his queen so urgently and how Elizabeth I reacted to his visit…

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  • June 5 – A favourite in trouble, a silkworm expert and Catherine of Aragon’s best friend

    1 year ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 5th June 1600, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, was in a spot of bother. Even though he was usually one of Elizabeth I’s favourite, Devereux was charged with insubordination. Oh dear.

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  • April 15 – A royal champion, blows and evil words from Elizabeth I, and an unhappy Earl of Essex

    2 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in 1545, Sir Robert Dymoke, champion at the coronations of Henry VII and Henry VIII, and a man who served in the households of Queens Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, died.

    He had an interesting career and survived being suspected of involvement in the 1536 Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion.

    Find out more about Sir Robert Dymoke…

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  • 28 September – Robert Devereux sees Elizabeth I without her mask of youth and Mary I travels to the Tower

    2 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 28th September 1599, Elizabeth I’s favourite, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, strode into the queen’s bedchamber unannounced and saw her without her makeup or wig, without her “mask of youth”.

    Why would he do such a thing?

    Find out why Devereux was troubled and wanted to see the queen urgently and how Elizabeth I reacted to his visit, and what happened next…

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  • 5 June – Robert Devereux is in trouble

    2 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 5th June 1600, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, was in a spot of bother. Even though he was usually one of Elizabeth I's favourite, he was charged with insubordination. Oh dear.

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  • 23 November – A plot to poison Elizabeth I’s saddle and Essex’s chair

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 23rd November 1598, scrivener and sailor Edward Squire was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn for treason after being accused of plotting with Jesuits in Seville to poison Elizabeth I’s saddle and the Earl of Essex’s chair.

    Squire, who ended up in Seville after being captured by Spaniards while on a voyage with Sir Francis Drake, confessed under torture, but claimed his innocence at his trial and execution.

    But what exactly happened, and how and why did a Protestant scrivener and sailor end up accused of treason?

    Find out all about Edward Squire and the alleged plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and her favourite, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, in today’s talk.

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  • 30 October – Elizabeth I’s favourite is driven to desperation

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 30th October 1600, Queen Elizabeth I refused to renew Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex’s monopoly on sweet wines, saying that “an unruly horse must be abated of his provender, that he may be the easier and better managed.”

    It may not sound like a major event, but it was for Essex and it drove him to desperation and, ultimately, to the scaffold.

    Why? What was going on? How could the queen’s refusal to renew this monopoly lead to Essex’s undoing?

    Find out what was happened in 1600 and what happened next with the queen and her favourite, in today’s talk.

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  • 8 February – The Queen’s favourite rebels

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 8th February 1601, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Queen Elizabeth I’s former favourite, did a rather foolish thing and raised a rebellion against the queen and her council.

    Spoilers: It didn’t go well and he ended up being executed as a traitor.

    Find out exactly what happened in today’s talk.

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  • 28 September 1599 – Robert Devereux upsets Elizabeth I

    6 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in history, 28th September 1599, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, strode into Queen Elizabeth I’s bedchamber unannounced and saw the Queen without her makeup or wig, without her “mask of youth”.

    Essex had been confirmed as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on 30th December 1598 and he left England on 27th March 1599, arriving in Dublin on 14 April. His campaign against the Irish was unsuccessful. Essex had assumed that he’d be able to defeat the Earl of Tyrone and his men quickly, but as things dragged on he became disillusioned with the situation. Exhaustion, disillusionment and a fear that his enemies at court were undermining him and influencing the queen against him, led to him giving up on the Irish situation, making a truce with the Irish rebel leader (against the qqueen’s wishes) and returning to England without the queen’s permission. This amounted to desertion and disobedience, something which Elizabeth I could not and would not tolerate

    Devereux rushed back to court at Nonsuch Palace to offer an explanation but ended up making things worse when he strode into the queen’s bedchamber unannounced while she was getting ready:

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  • 8 February 1601 – Essex’s Rebellion

    7 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in history, Sunday 8th February 1601, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, his supporters and two hundred soldiers gathered at Essex House. Essex then marched into the city crying “For the Queen! For the Queen! The crown of England is sold to the Spaniard! A plot is laid for my life!”. However, the people ignored him and stayed indoors.

    Essex was forced to give up after his supporters deserted him, and he surrendered after Lord Admiral Nottingham threatened to blow up his house if he did not give himself up.

    Thomas Birch gives an account of the failed rebellion in his book…

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  • 25 February 1601 – The Execution of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex

    8 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    At just before 8am on the 25th February 1601, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex was brought out of the Tower of London and walked to the scaffold. He was wearing a black velvet gown, black satin doublet and breeches and a black hat, which he took off as he climbed up onto the scaffold so that he could bow to the people gathered. He then made a speech acknowledging “with thankfulness to God, that he was justly spewed out of the realm”, and said:

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