After decades of banishment and scandal, Lettice Knollys was finally granted an audience with her former friend, Queen Elizabeth the First. But their long-awaited meeting was utterly heartbreaking. A woman in power is always a threat, but that went double for Elizabethan England. So when beautiful, wealthy, and educated Lettice Knollys managed to snag the hand of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite courtier and rumored lover, Robert Dudley, the Queen took her down an infamous peg.
Knollys’s tragic life did the rest. Born in 1543 in Oxfordshire, England, Lettice Knollys was born about as close as you can get to royalty without actually being royalty. Her mother was the first cousin of the future Queen Elizabeth the First, and her father was both a member of Parliament and the master of the horse for King Henry VIII’s son, Prince Edward. As it turned out, these connections would save the family’s lives.
Lettice and her family were Protestants, like Elizabeth. So when Elizabeth’s Catholic older sister, Queen Mary the First, took the throne, they had to flee for safety. After all, Mary was infamously called Bloody Mary for burning Protestant hereticsat the stake. During this time, Lettice made even stayed in Elizabeth’s household and gotten ever closer to the future Queen.
When Elizabeth actually became the monarch, she made their friendship official. Just 2 months after she succeeded her sister on the throne, the whole Knollys family came back to court, and Lettice got an enormous promotion. As a show of her trust and support, Elizabeth made Lettice’s mother the lady of the bedchamber, while Lettice herself became the maid of the privy chamber. They were positions of great power, and Lettice certainly used it to her advantage.
In 1560, when Lettice was around 17 years old, she married Walter Devereux, who would eventually become the Earl of Essex. For the first years of their marriage, everything seemed to go right. They had four children who survived into adulthood, and Lettice, considered one of the best-looking ladies of the court, spent ample time with Queen Elizabeth as one of her favorites. This only meant she had further to fall.
In 1565, Lettice made a faux pas. While still married to Walter Devereux, she came across Robert Dudley, a handsome courtier and Queen Elizabeth’s rumored lover. Although Dudley and Knollys had known each other for years, this time sparks flew, and they flirted in public. Robert Dudley was extremely unavailable to Lettice.
For one, he had a murder scandal hanging over his head. His first wife, Amy Robsart, had died from a fall down the stairs just 5 years earlier. And although her demise was likely accidental, rumors swirled that he had done it so he could marry Queen Elizabeth at long last. For another, this very scandal actually prevented him from doing just that.
And now he and Elizabeth had a tormented, star-crossed kind of relationship. It was a tense situation, as Lettice soon found out. Even just the thought of her friend Lettice practicing any seduction on Dudley threw Elizabeth into a fit of jealousy. Never mind that Lettice was still married to Devereux and actually pregnant with her first son at the time.
But Elizabeth was still right to worry. Things between Lettice and Robert Dudley seemed to cool off for a handful of years, but in 1573, they flared up again, and under the most scandalous circumstances. Lettice’s husband, Walter, now the Earl of Essex, had to travel to Ireland for a protracted period of time. And suddenly, Lettice and Dudley began spending a lot of time together, with Dudley sending her gifts and Letice visiting him for hunting trips.
These didn’t seem like innocent meetings either. We can’t know for sure, but some believe that Letice and Dudley became lovers during this period. And there were, in all probability, false rumors that she managed to give birth to two of Dudley’s children during this time. Her husband was certainly aware of the atmosphere.
The next event only increased the drama. In the summer of 1576, Letice’s husband was once more called away to Ireland. But instead of more free reign to flirt with Dudley, Letice got a plot twist. Walter died of dysentery, putting into overdrive the rumor mill about the possibility he was poisoned.
Walter did, after all, complain of the frailness of woman in his final breaths. Dudley and Letice now had scandalously dead spouses, but they did not let that stop them
On September 21st, 1578, Letice made the most controversial decision of her life. At 35 years old, she married the 46-year-old Robert Dudley, albeit in the utmost secrecy. The ceremony happened at 7:00 in the morning, with only six people present, lest the news get out to Queen Elizabeththat her favorite had married at last.
And to a woman she called a friend. It wasn’t the only secret Letice may have been keeping that day. She reportedly wore a loose gown during the ceremony, that is, a mourning dress, but this one fashion choice spurred decades of historical theories. Some believe Letice may have actually been pregnant at the time of her marriage, although she and Dudley had been planningthe nuptialsfor a year, had timed it to coincide with the end of the official period of mourning for her first husband, and no baby was forthcoming.
In the end, Letice had much bigger things to worry about than pregnancy. Although both Knowles and Dudley sought to keep their uniona secret from Queen Elizabeth, word got out anyway. And 9 months later, Dudley’s enemies at court had tattled to the Queen. In response, Elizabeth had a furious outburst and then banished Letticefrom her court as long as she lived.
And if Lettice thought this was a passing grudge, she didn’t know Queen Elizabeth. In banishing Lettice, Elizabeth was also hugely limiting her former friend’s social life as she was now relegated to country estatesand out of the way places where the Queen wasn’t. More than that, the permanently jealous Elizabeth kept a close eye on Lettice’s movements. And even summer visits by the married couple to Dudley’s estates could throw the Queen into a rage.
For the next months, Lettice lay consummately low, though it’s not as if she had a choice, and spent most of her time in her family home in Oxfordshire. Still, this was a far cry from giving up Dudley. Less than 2 years into her marriage, she appeared to be pregnant. And there were reports in February 1580that she was expecting the birth of a child.
Instead, disappointment crept in. If Elizabeth heard of Lettice’s pregnancy, she was likely overjoyed at the next bit of news. Although historians don’t know exactly what happened to the baby or to Lettice in these months, no infant materialized. This lack of information also means we can only imagine Lettice’s pain.
Not to mention the stress the Queen’s displeasure must have put on her during this period. But Elizabeth was Henry VIII’s daughter and she wasn’t one to let up. For Elizabeth, hating Lettice seemed to be a principle, not an emotion, especially after all the favors the Queen had given her maid of the privy chamber
In 1583, 5 years after the marriage, she exploded over learning the simple, predictable factthat Lettice had officially moved into Dudley’s house. And Elizabeth didn’t confine her anger at Lettice to her close confidants.
Also in 1583, Elizabeth let visiting ambassadors know that Lettice Knollys was a she-wolf. More than that, even the smallest, most offhand mention of Letticeat court would put her into a public snit. Elizabeth did, however, save some special vitriolfor Lettice’s husband. While Lettice was a she-wolf, Elizabeth did also blame Dudleyfor being a traitor.
And Dudley reportedly endured great disgraces delivered from Her Majesty’s mouth when he was in Elizabeth’s presence. Even 7 years after the wedding, Dudley complained how she doth take every occasion by my marriage to withdraw any good from me. But even with all her sharp words, Elizabeth was still openly fond of Dudley when she was in the mood. And they carried on a relatively close relationship inthe years after the marriage.
Indeed, Elizabeth continued to exert a proprietary power over Dudley however she could. For Lettice, though, it was as if their long friendship had never even happened. Elizabeth also found new ways to turn the screw on her old friend. With Dudley married, there was now a vacancy for a royal favorite.
Elizabeth’s choice was the perfect revenge. She chose Lettice’s eldest son, Robert Devereux,as her new pet. She made him master of the horse, gave him a monopoly on sweet wines,and turned him into a knight ofthe garter. All while Lettice moldered away infusty estates.
Still, for the time at least, nothing could touch Lettice’s happiness. As with her first marriage, the early days of Lettice’s unionwith Dudley were almost idyllic. In June of 1581, she gave birth to a a little Lord Denbigh. As Robert Dudley had no previous children,save an illegitimate son froma long-term affair, Lord Denbighwas fetedand pettedwith all the pomp and circumstance due to his stationas a sole heir.
Moreover, by all accounts, Dudley was deeply in love with his new wife. Visitors atthe time indicated how Lettice had much influence over him, and that Dudley introduced her only to those whom he wishes to show a particular mark of attention. Dudley’s love for Lettice also extended into constant efforts to get her back in Elizabeth’s favor. A tricky proposition when even themere mention of Lettice could send Elizabeth spiraling.
To mitigate this, Dudley often recruited friends to act as his ambassadors. Unfortunately, at least while Dudley lived, it all came to nothing. Another dark spot was to come. In 1582, Lettice found herself pregnant again,and in September of the same year, the pregnancy was far enough alongthat the French ambassador was reporting on it.
Except it only led to another quiet disaster. Just as with her 1580 pregnancy, no baby ever came, though the details are lost to history. The next tragedy hit Lettice and Dudley even harder
In 1584, Lettice endured ura crushing blow. Her little boy, Lord Denbigh, died suddenly that July at just 3 years old, taking all the hopes of a Dudley dynastywith him.
Lettice, now in her 40s, was unlikely to bear any further children,and she took the loss hard. Dudley even excused himself from court dutiesfor a time in order to comfort my sorrowful wife. Little did Lettice know it was only the first in a series of misfortunes. Starting in 1585, just after the loss of their son, Dudley began spending large periods of time inthe Netherlands away from Lettice to her great sadness.
However, since he was there as a representative of Her Majesty to help quell unrest, Lettice could hardly complain. Yet, Queen Elizabeth, who actually wasn’t all that keenon Dudley’s efforts inthe Netherlands, either, still found a way to get mad at Lettice. Letticehad no plans to meet Dudley over inthe Netherlands, but that wasn’t the story Queen Elizabeth heard. She became incensed when she found outthat Lettice was going to head over with such a train of ladies and gentlewomenand such rich coaches, litters,and side saddlesas Her Majesty had none.
In other words, Elizabeth was convinced Lettice was going to try to upstage her and once more became infuriated over the plot. It all nearly broke Lettice
Letticehad endured almost a decade of her former friend’s displeasure, not to mention the loss of at least three children inthe same period. Although Dudley’s friends and family smoothed down the Queen’s anger and assured her these train of ladies rumors were falseand that Lettice wasn’t going anywhere,the drama still reached Letticeand frayed her further atthe edges. As one family friend put it when he visited Lettice during this time, "I found her greatly troubledwith tempestuous news she received from court.
" As it happened, Dudley’s intercessions inthe Netherlands political drama were mostly failuresand not worth the time he was spending away from home. After more visits back and forthand more heartbreak from Letticeabout his absences,he finally resigned from his post entirely in December1587. But they had precious little time left. In the end, Lettice got nine more months with her husbandand not a week more.
In September of 1588, while he and Letice were together, Dudley perished suddenlyand unexpectedly from a vicious illness, possibly either malaria or stomach cancer. Heartbroken now more than ever, Letice was left to pick up the pieces,and there were many pieces
Queen Elizabeth responded to the news about Dudleyby locking herself in her room for days,but Letice had no such luxury. While she was now ostensibly a wealthy widow, Dudley’s massive estateshad also come with equally massive debts,and Letice found her wealth greatly reduced after a series of lengthy legal battlesand discussions. Her consolation during this time was,in typical Letice fashion, utterly scandalous.
LeticeKnowles had proved herself a woman who knew her desiresand went after them. But her next move shocked even those closest to her. Just 6 months after Dudley’s passing,and nowhere near the end of the official period of mourning, she married another man, Sir Christopher Blount. And really,the timing of their wedding was just the tip ofthe iceberg.
Christopher Blount had very little to recommend him to the 45-year-old Letice. He was poor, he was Catholic,and he was a full 12 years her junior. More than that,he’d actually been a close confidant of Robert Dudley,leading some to whisper,especially given Letice’s track record,that they had begun an affair before Dudley’s passing. Even Letice’s own son called it an unhappy choice.
Still, despite the shaky beginnings of her third marriage, Letice stood by her husband. She claimed that as a widow, she was in need of protection,and she might have been,especially since she hadthe Queen of England as an enemy. She had affection for Christopher Blount,and he was as good a man as any to give that protection to her. Indeed,the first bit of their union was genuinely happy.
Lettice would have to hold on to that feeling because another hurricane of turmoil was on the way
In 1591, Lettice got a taste of the tragedy to come. That year, her second oldest son, Walter Devereux, died while on military duty in France. At the time, Walter had been fighting alongside his older brother, Robert,the new Earl of Essex,who had gotten lucky and survived. With one son gone and only Robert left, Lettice began to get anxious about her eldest boy’s safety.
After all, Robert was notoriously moody and depressive,even if he was still firmly one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorites. Lettice wrote to him frequently,trying to boost his moodand give him support. Crucially, she also tried to use him to get back intothe Queen’s favor. Andin late 1597, Lettice got news she never thought she’d hear.
Queen Elizabeth was apparently very well prepared to hearken to terms of pacification. She wrote immediately to her son, Robert, asking him if he thought it would be worth it to go to Elizabeth’s court. He apparently responded inthe affirmative,and she traveled to his house in London to await an audiencewith the Queen. But the long-awaited meeting was entirely depressing.
After all the angst and torment between Lettice Knollysand Queen Elizabeth,the true end of their friendship came not with a bang,but a whimper. Lettice did eventually get her audiencewith the Queen,and the pair kissed each otherin apparent friendship,but it changed nothing. Lettice was not back in favorand had to remain on the outskirts of society. If she’d won a stronger influence over Elizabeth, maybe she could have stopped the coming storm
In 1599, Lettice’s brash,ambitious son, Robert, convinced Queen Elizabeth to send him to Irelandas Lord Lieutenant so that he could continue fightingthe Nine Years’ War there.
Lettice then could only watch in horroras it all fell apart. Robert was an embarrassingly bad commander. He wasted money, handed knighthoodsout to his men like candy,and even entered a truce many back home thought was humiliating. Eventually, it got so badthat even Elizabeth snappedthat if she wanted to abandon Ireland,she could have done it withoutthe inconvenience of sending him there.
In September of 1599, Lettice’s son ran back to England,but this was not a happy homecoming. The Queen had explicitly forbidden him to come back. And Robert didn’t help matters when he appeared unannounced atthe monarch’s bedchamber to talk,all before the image-conscious Queen even had her wig or gown on. Elizabeth had more patiencefor Robert than she did for his mother,but this patience finally ran out.
Elizabeth confined Robert to York House to waita trial for desertion. Terrifiedfor her son, Lettice went into overdrive,using any last shred of nostalgia the Queen had for her to beg for mercyfor Robert. She even sent the Queen a gownas a present,but humiliatingly, Elizabeth neither refused the gift nor accepted it. But Lettice didn’t give up.
She did everything she could to see Robert during his confinement. According to one report, Letticeand some friends even took up residencein a housethat overlookedthe garden at York House,and then waited for Robert to take walks. When Lettice spotted him,mother and son saluted each otherout of a window. So when the verdict on his trial finally came, Lettice’s heart must have stopped.
In June of 1600, a commission of 18 men heard Robert Devereux’s case,and ultimately convicted him of abandoning his postin Ireland. The punishment was harsh. They stripped the Earl of his public office,and he was to stay in confinementat York Houseuntil the authorities decided otherwise. Nonetheless, Lettice must have been grateful that Robert got to keep his head.
She just wouldn’t be grateful for long
That August, Robert regained his freedom,but he’d forever lostthe sweet wine income Elizabeth had given him when he was still her favorite. Strapped forcash, Robert took a dark turn. In a matter of months, he went from sorrowand repentance to rageand rebellion. Too angry to think rationally, Robert began fortifying his homeand gathering followersfor a rebellion.
In early 1601, Robertand his group of malcontents marchedintothe city of Londonand tried to force their way into an audiencewith Queen Elizabeth. Lettice must have been beside herself,and not just because her son was inthe middle ofthe fray. Her husband, Christopher Blount,had also decided to join his stepson inthe uprising. The outcome was pure Shakespearean tragedy.
Robert and Christopher Blount had no chanceat all against the crown. And Queen Elizabeth’s secretary immediately branded themas traitors. Inthe ensuing skirmish,which Robert’s group very roundly lost,Blount was badly injured inthe cheek before therebels surrendered themselves to the government. This time,there was no mercy.
On February 25th,1601, Lettice’s last surviving son was beheadedat the Tower Green section ofthe Tower of London. Three weeks later,on March 18th,Lettice’s third husband was beheadedon Tower Hill,following his stepsonintotreasonous death. Lettice,who had both loved her son,whom she’d called sweet Robin,and her third husband,whom she’d called her best friend,was now beyond comfort
And still, one last scandal came for her. In 1603,a vengeful ghost appearedat her door.
Her second husband,Robert Dudley’s illegitimate son,began claimingthat his fatherand mother had marriedand that he was thus entitled to much of Lettice’s remaining wealth. To add insult to injury,this also impliedthat Letticeand Dudley had been in a bigamous union. Only by this time,Lettice had enough of tiptoeingaround other people. In 1604,the 60-year-old woman filed a complaint againstthe young Dudleyfor defamation,inciteda court case,and successfully defended her inheritance.
In the end,Lettice Knollys outlived her greatest enemyand her greatest grudges. Queen Elizabeth died in March of 1603and Lettice’s family reputationwas partly reinstatedunder her successor,King James I of England. Lettice even had time to enjoy it. She lived for three more decades after thatand was still walkinga mile every day when she neared90.
She passed peacefullyin her chairon Christmas morning,1634,at the age of91. By that time,few could have imaginedthe lifeand tragedy she’d lived
