On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of William Cecil, Lord Burghley

The tomb of William Cecil, Lord Burghley at St. Martin's, Stamford. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons, courtesy John Sutton. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history, 1598 Queen Elizabeth I's Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer William Cecil, Lord Burghley, died. In his final days, Queen Elizabeth visited with the dying man who had not only unfailingly served her, advised her, and protected her, but who had become a trusted friend. It was recorded that the Queen herself even hand-fed Lord Burghley soup in his final days.

A portrait of William Cecil, Lord Burghley in his Order of the Garter robes. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

William Cecil was born around 1520 to a Northamptonshire gentry family; his parents were Richard Cecil and his wife Jane. As their only son, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil took great care to educate William to the highest standard possible. William was schooled in a variety of reputable institutions, most notably Gray's Inn and Cambridge University (Wagner, 59). He also received lessons from renowned humanist educators Roger Ascham and John Cheke. Against their families wishes, Cecil and Cheke's daughter, Mary, wed. To have defied convention and familial expectations so boldly tells us that this union was probably a love match. Cecil's romantic marriage gives us some insight into Cecil the man outside of his stately persona. Sadly, Mary Cheke-Cecil died a year after giving birth to a son, Thomas, who would later become Earl of Exeter.

A detail from a portrait of Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter. Thomas was the son of William Cecil and his first wife, Mary Cheke, who died young. Thomas was also the half-brother of Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

The upwardly mobile William Cecil first rose to prominence as a member of King Henry VIII's household. In 1546 a young, highly educated woman, Mildred Cooke, accompanied her father, Sir Anthony Cooke to court when he was appointed tutor to Prince Edward VI. Mildred, who had already translated from Greek the writings of St. Basil the Great, captured the heart and mind of the scholarly, driven Cecil. In addition to Greek, Mildred was also fluent in French and Latin. Besides being passionate about education, Mildred and Cecil also shared a strong conviction in the Protestant faith (Wagner, 58). Cecil's romance with Mildred again demonstrates his ability to love passionately. The pair were wed on either December 21st or 25th, 1546.

A detail from a portrait of a pregnant lady, most likely Mildred Cooke, William Cecil's wife. Painted between 1562-63. Picture acquired through The Elizabeth Files, courtesy Claire Ridgway. Image public domain.

For many years, the Cecil's struggled to have children. And sadly, those children that were born to the couple did not live for very long. After many years, the couple had three surviving children.

In addition to Cecil's son Thomas, the Cecil's had Anne, (who would later become the long-suffering wife of Cecil's ward, the tempestuous Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford) Elizabeth, and Robert. Robert would later succeed his father as Queen Elizabeth I's Secretary of State in 1590. He would also go on to serve James I.

Mildred would take great care to not only personally supervise the education of her own children, but also the various wards and charges her husband brought into the Cecil household (Wagner, 58).

A detail of a portrait of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford attributed to Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. Edward de Vere was first the ward of William Cecil, and later his son-in-law upon marrying his daughter, Anne. Edward and Anne had a very unhappy marriage. Oxford has been put forth as a convincing candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare's works. (As my readers know, while I do believe that the Stratford Bard may not have been the true author of the Shakespearean catalog, I do not personally subscribe to anything put forth in that dastardly movie, Anonymous.) Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

It may have been Cecil's father-in-law that introduced him to the uncle of Edward VI and Lord Protector of England, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset. Cecil entered Somerset's service in 1547, quickly earning his master's trust and accompanying him on campaign and assisting him with diplomacy. In 1549 he became secretary to the Duke of Somerset (Wagner, 59). The Duke's wife, Duchess Anne Stanhope, was a patron of Mildred Cooke-Cecil. Cecil's star continued to rise until the fall of his master, who was executed for treason on January 22nd, 1522 due to the machinations of John Dudley, Earl of Warwick.

A portrait of William Cecil's master Edward Seymour, Lord Protector and Duke of Somerset. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Guilty by association, Cecil was imprisoned in the Tower for a time, but he was pardoned by Warwick, and named Secretary of State and privy councilor in 1550 (Wagner, 59). Despite owing a great deal to Warwick, now the 1st Duke of Northumberland, Cecil's scruples would not allow him to support the Duke's coup to put Lady Jane Grey and his son Guildford on the throne of England; Cecil knew that there was only one rightful heir, Mary Tudor (Wagner, 59). This was a brave move for a man who was very close to the epicenter of a dangerous plot, and it speaks to Cecil's integrity that he did not allow fear, greed, or the promise of power to sway his moral compass.

A portrait from the 1590's of Lady Jane Grey-Dudley, after a lost original from 1550-55. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Cecil instead gave his support to Mary Tudor, becoming one of her first councilors when she came to the throne. Despite his loyalty to his sovereign, Mary declined to re-install Cecil as Secretary of State due to his Protestantism (Wagner, 59). However, he still maintained his seat in Parliament. Many capable men who were willing to serve the new Queen were denied the opportunity due to their personal religious convictions. This was a mistake for Mary, and it lessened her initial popularity considerably; it was a mistake that Queen Elizabeth would not repeat, instead choosing to employ Protestants, Catholics, and Puritans in her government.

A portrait of Queen Mary I, by Hans Eworth. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

When Queen Mary I was dying, Cecil pledged his support to Elizabeth Tudor. He had been keeping up correspondence with the Tudor princess, and assisting her in minor ways in the previous years. In 1588, Cecil gathered, along with other ministers, privy councilor's, and members of the peerage, at Hatfield to hear Elizabeth's first public speech and to learn of her appointments for her new government, now that she was Queen. Elizabeth trusted Cecil implicitly, and she made him her Secretary of State. The familiarity that the Queen and Cecil already had with one another was crucial for developing the productive government Elizabeth was striving for.

The Clopton Portrait of the young Queen Elizabeth I, c. 1560-65. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Elizabeth publicly addressed Cecil in front of the other prominent witnesses, making an example of him and his new position, saying,

"I give you this charge, that you shall be of my Privy Council and content to take pains for me and my realm. This judgement I have made of you, that you will not be corrupted with any manner of gifts, and that you will be faithful to the state; and that without respect of my private will, you will give me that council which you think best; and, if you shall  know anything necessary to be declared to me of secrecy, you shall show it to myself only; and assure yourself I will not fail to keep taciturnity therein." (quoted in Plowden)

Elizabeth had learned from the mistakes of her father, brother, and sister. She would suffer no sycophancy in her government, and she wanted to hear the truth always, even if the truth would be disagreeable to hear. Cecil would uphold these instructions better than most who served her.

Cecil worked tirelessly for Queen and country, managing Parliament, supervising the exchequer, facilitating the deliberations of the Privy Council, and advising on foreign policy and keeping up foreign correspondence (Wagner, 59). Cecil was an incredible record keeper of all things personal and political, and his Burghley Papers and state records are rich, detailed primary source for historians to study.

A portrait of William Cecil riding a mule. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Cecil earned the nickname "spirit" from his Queen, who appreciated his moderate stance in matters of state and foreign policy. Cecil, like Elizabeth, was not hasty in his decision making, but occasionally he did goad the Queen into acting quicker than she would have liked, such as in the case of what to do with Mary Stuart, the deposed Queen of Scots. He also thought it necessary for Queen Elizabeth to marry and produce an heir, a matter of which they often clashed heads.

A 17th century depiction of Queen Elizabeth I and her leading advisors, William Cecil, Lord Burghley and Sir Francis Walsingham. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

In addition to serving in Queen Elizabeth's government, William Cecil was a patron of the arts, a commissioner of many building projects (and one need only look at the magnificent Burghley house, built for Cecil between 1555-87, to understand the magnitude of his architectural ambition) and a genealogist. He was also a faithful husband and devoted father.

The front view of the breathtaking Burghley House, inspired in part by Richmond Palace, is one of the best examples of Elizabethan architecture still in existence.

In 1572, Queen Elizabeth I raised Cecil to the Peerage as Lord Burghley, and named him Lord High Treasurer. In 1589, Cecil's beloved wife Mildred Cooke-Cecil died. She and Cecil had enjoyed 43 years of marriage together, and Cecil was devastated. Cecil poured his heart out in a eulogy he composed in her memory, calling her his "dearest above all". 

She was laid to rest beside her daughter Anne, Countess of Oxford, in a tomb in Westminster Abbey. Cecil spared no expense, seeing the gesture as,

 “a testimony of my harty love which I did beare hir, with whom I lyved in the state of matrimony forty and tow yers contynually without any unkyndnes” (original spelling retained).

The tomb effigy's of Anne Cecil, Countess of Oxford (top) and her mother, Cecil's wife Mildred Cooke, Lady Burghley in Westminster Abbey. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Ever loyal, Cecil served the Queen until his death in 1598. He was succeeded by his son, Robert Cecil, who had been previously sworn in as a privy councilor in May of 1591.

A portrait of William Cecil's son, Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, from 1608. Queen Elizabeth called Robert Cecil her "pygmy" due to his small stature and slightly deformed back. As Earl of Salisbury, Robert Cecil served James I. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

William Cecil, Lord Burghley, should be remembered as an integral part of Queen Elizabeth's government; their administrative partnership was strong and effective, and Cecil's council to the queen on delicate matters was invaluable.

A recreation of William Cecil, Lord Burghley by artist George S. Stuart. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons, courtesy of Peter d'Aprix. Image public domain.

Sources:

Plowden, Alison. The Young Elizabeth. The History Press, 2011. Print

"Cecil, Mildred, Lady Burghley." The Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World. Print. (By John A. Wagner)

"Cecil, William, Lord Burghley." The Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World. Print. (By John A. Wagner)

Caroline M. K. Bowden, ‘Cecil [Cooke], Mildred, Lady Burghley (1526–1589)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

Theatre Thursday: The Closing of the Playhouses

The city of London from Southwark in Elizabethan times. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Between 1592-93, plague carried by fleas caused the deaths of about 12,000 Londoners. The playhouses closed down to prevent the spread of disease. Thespians had to tour the countryside, looking for work. To the excitement of the theatre-going English people, the theatre's re-opened in 1594.

The modern reconstruction of the famous Globe Theatre in London. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Battle of the Gravelines

A detail of a portrait of Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia. The Duke was a key player in the Armada conflict of 1588, as he was the commander-in-chief of the Spanish fleet.

On this day in Elizabethan history 1588, the English attacked the invading Spanish Armada in the Battle of the Gravelines. Gravelines was a port in Flanders, and thus part of the Spanish Netherlands. The battle lasted 8 hours, and Queen Elizabeth I's navy sank 3 ships before driving the rest away. The engagement resulted in an important English victory. 

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon

A portrait of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon, by Steven van Herwijk. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history, Queen Elizabeth I's maternal first cousin Henry Carey, 1st  Baron Hunsdon and Lord Chamberlain of England, died in 1596 at the royal residence of Somerset House. His death came a mere week after the passing of his sister's husband, Sir Francis Knollys, and the Queen was devastated (Weir, 266).

A closeup of the tomb effigy of Henry Carey's brother-in-law, Sir Francis Knollys. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Queen Elizabeth I was close to very few people in her life; her Carey cousins (the children of Mary Boleyn) were some of the few people to enjoy a personal rather than merely professional relationship with their Queen. Henry Carey, like his sister Katherine Carey, Lady Knollys, was unfailingly loyal to the Queen, serving her selflessly and asking for next to nothing in return. Elizabeth treated  her cousins more informally than the rest of her courtiers, and allowed them to speak to her frankly, and in Henry Carey's case, sometimes crassly, without much reprimand. It certainly helped that the Carey siblings were also no dynastic threat, unlike Mary Stuart, the Grey sisters, and Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (Weir, 259).

A detail of a portrait of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox c.1560-65. Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Margaret Tudor by her second husband, Archibald Douglas, the 6th Earl of Angus. Margaret's marriage to Matthew Stewart, the 4th Earl of Lennox produced Henry, Lord Darnley, the tempestuous second husband of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Thus, Margaret Douglas was the grandmother of James VI of Scotland, later James I of England. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Rumors continually circulated that Henry Carey and his sister Katherine were actually the illegitimate children of King Henry VIII. There is a much stronger case that it was Katherine, not Henry, who had royal blood flowing through her veins.

Portrait of a Pregnant Lady by Steven van der Muelen, most likely Katherine Carey-Knollys, c. 1562. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Born in 1524, Henry Carey grew up first under the care of his aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn, who secured his wardship from her husband. His tutor was Nicholas Bourbon, a Protestant reformer Anne Boleyn had rescued.

A sketch by Holbein of the humanist and reformer Nicholas Bourbon. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

After Queen Anne's execution, young Henry continued to enjoy royal favor in the household of King Henry VIII. We know that Henry Carey, like his sister, was in the young Elizabeth's circle very early on; Elizabeth Tudor's Hatfield accounts from 1551-1552 show that Elizabeth was giving gifts to her cousin (Weir, 257). Additional evidence supporting their already close relationship is that Henry Carey would spend much of his patrimony to aid Elizabeth during her imprisonment in the Tower during the reign of her sister, Mary I (Weir, 262).

A miniature of Queen Anne Boleyn by Hoskins. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

In 1545, Henry Carey married the 16-year-old Anne Morgan, the daughter of an obscure Welshman, Sir Thomas Morgan of Arkstone, Herefordshire (Weir, 257). One of the many bits of contemporary evidence Weir uses to build her case that Henry Carey was not King Henry VIII's illegitimate son is that his marriage, arranged by the King, was to a woman of no great importance. This is in marked contrast to Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond's important marriage to Mary Howard.

A portrait of Anne Morgan, Baroness Hunsdon by a follower of George Gower. This portrait is on display at Hatfield House. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Henry and his wife had a prolific marriage, spanning over 50 years and producing a dozen children. The marriage was marred by more than a few infidelities on Henry's part, one of which was with Aemilia Bassano Lanier (or Lanyer), the first female professional poet in England and a possible candidate for Shakespeare's "Dark Lady" (Weir, 266). Many of Henry Carey's extramarital relationships appear to have been long-term, involved affairs, rather that brief indiscretions, and a few produced illegitimate children. Still, Anne and her son's had included in Henry Carey's epitaph, on his impressive monument at Westminster Abbey, that they considered him to be, "the best of fathers and the dearest of husbands" (Weir, 257-58).

A miniature portrait of a woman c. 1593 by Nicholas Hilliard, possibly Aemilia Bassano Lanier. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Upon Elizabeth's accession in 1558, the new Queen immediately gathered her loyal supporters and maternal relatives around her, promoting them to offices in which they could best serve her and the realm. Henry Carey was knighted, and elevated to the peerage, being created the first Baron Hunsdon (Wagner, 52). A few years later, in 1561, Lord Hunsdon was made a Knight of the Garter and a member of the Privy Council, two of the highest honors in the land.

A portrait of Henry Carey, Lord Hunsdon by Marcus Gheeraerts. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Henry, Lord Hunsdon excelled at every post given to him by the Queen. His administrative ability earned him the post of Governor of Berwick in 1568; through this post Hunsdon could assist with the always tense Anglo-Scottish relations (Wagner, 52). Part of Hunsdon's duties as Governor of Berwick was to go on diplomatic missions to the Scottish court, and to be in charge of border defenses (Wagner, 52). Still, despite being a kinsman Elizabeth and one of her best men, Hunsdon was himself subject to the parsimonious nature of the Queen, constantly asking for his wages so that he could do his job properly.

One of Hunsdon's finest (and arguably, one of the most savage) episodes in his career was when he brought down one of the most dangerous threats of Queen Elizabeth's reign, the Rebellion of the Northern Earls. His defeat of the earls in battle in 1569 earned him high praise from the Queen. While an official form letter was composed and sent out from the crown in gratitude to those who had quelled the Northern Rebellion, Queen Elizabeth added a personalized, rather heart-felt, post-script to Lord Hunsdon's letter (Weir, 263).

In 1583 Baron Hunsdon was elevated to become Lord Chamberlain of England, a profound distinction. In the mid-1590's, Hunsdon became a patron of a company of actors that became known as the Lord Chamberlain's Men. The Lord Chamberlain's Men included the celebrated Elizabethan thespian Richard Burbage. Hunsdon was immortalized through theatrical characters in several notable works; one of the more recognizable examples is his incarnation as Philostrate in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Weir, 266).

A detail of a portrait of Richard Burbage by an unknown artist. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Hunsdon was generous patron not only in the theatre world, but in the art world as well; Hunsdon was a patron of the court painter Nicholas Hilliard, commissioning the famous miniature of Queen Elizabeth playing her lute.

A miniature portrait of Queen Elizabeth I playing her lute c. 1580, by Nicholas Hilliard. This work was commissioned by her cousin, Henry Carey, Baron Hunsdon. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Weir also puts forth a theory that Hunsdon possibly commissioned portraits of his parent's, Mary Boleyn and William Carey, to hang in the gallery at Brooke House or Hunsdon House (Weir, 280).

A portrait of Henry Carey's father, William Carey. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

In 1586 Hunsdon was made a commissioner at the trial of Mary Stuart, the deposed Queen of Scots (Wagner, 53). Other commissioners found this a heavy, unsettling appointment, but as Hunsdon had proven during the Northern Rebellion, he was not averse to stomaching situations others found unbearable. Hunsdon's position as a commissioner demonstrated yet again the great trust Queen Elizabeth had in her cousin. As someone who by now had an extensive background in dealing with the Scots diplomatically and on the battlefield, Hunsdon was also given the task of explaining to Mary Stuart's son, James VI of Scotland (later James I of England), why the court had found it necessary to behead his mother (Wagner, 53).

A rendering of the execution of Mary Stuart, the former Queen of Scots, at Fotheringay Castle on February 8th, 1587. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Shortly thereafter, Queen Elizabeth made "our cousin of Hunsdon" one of the main commanders at the English army's main camp at Tilbury, during the attempted Spanish invasion of England in 1588.

A portrait of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon in old age. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon served his cousin the Queen well, up until his death in 1596. Hunsdon's children, like his sister's children, would continue to serve Queen Elizabeth I. Hunsdon's youngest son Robert Carey, later the Earl of Monmouth, and his second-youngest daughter Philadelphia Carey, Lady Scrope, took care of Elizabeth in her last illness; by Robert Carey's own account in his memoirs, he was the one to take the ring from Queen Elizabeth's hand, (while she was still barely alive, mind you) bringing it to her successor, James VI, in Scotland (Weir, 268).

A portrait c. 1617 of Henry Carey's son Robert Carey, the Earl of Monmouth (center) with his family. From left to right: Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth, Elizabeth, Countess of Monmouth, Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth, Philadelphia, Lady Wharton, and Thomas Carey. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Sources:

Weir, Alison. Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings. New York: Balantine Books, 2011. Print.

"Carey, Henry, Lord Hunsdon." The Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World. Print. (By John A. Wagner)

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of Sir Francis Knollys

On this day in Elizabethan history, 1596, Sir Francis Knollys, a Privy Councillor, Knight of the Garter, and Vice-Chamberlain of the household of Queen Elizabeth I, died.

Francis Knollys was born c.1514 to Robert Knollys, a court official of Henry VIII, and his wife, Lettice. After receiving some schooling at Oxford University, Francis began to earn favor at King Henry's court, becoming one of Henry VIII's esteemed gentleman-pensioners. In 1540, Francis' future wife Katherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn, arrived at court. She was secured a place in Queen Anne of Cleves household by Henry VIII. (Historian Alison makes a convincing case based on ample primary and secondary sources that Katherine Carey was the illegitimate daughter of King Henry VIII, though her brother Henry Carey, later 1st Baron Hunsdon, was almost certainly Mary's child by her husband, William Carey.) Francis was now in almost daily contact with his future wife, and if their eventual happy marriage is any indication, they perhaps fell in love before they were even wed.

This Portrait of a Pregnant Lady, 1562, by Steven van der Muelen  is most likely of Katherine Carey-Knollys. For further information on this portrait, and the controversy surrounding Katherine's paternity, please see Alison Weir's biography, Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

In 1542 Francis was admitted to The House of Commons (Dictionary of National Biography), and in 1546 he married Katherine Carey. By an act of Parliament, the couple would be joint owners of the estate of Rotherfield Greys.

By all accounts, Francis Knollys was always an outspoken champion for the reform movement in the Church of England. His opinions resonated with the young King Edward VI, and  Francis became an important member of his government (Wagner, 174). His dedication to King and country paid off, as he was knighted in 1547.

A detail of a portrait of King Edward VI. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Things changed for Sir Francis and his family upon Mary Tudor's accession in 1553. The Knollys's fled to the Protestant state of Germany with their children rather than face persecution for their faith (Wagner, 174). This was especially wise in their case, as Sir Francis had long been ardently defending and promoting his beliefs. 

Upon the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558, the Knollys's could breathe a sigh of relief. Sir Francis had been a loyal servant of Queen Elizabeth's father and brother, and longing to serve the new Queen, he had returned to England before his wife and children, in the hopes of securing an appointment and setting up a household. Katherine Carey-Knollys was the Queen's first cousin, if not her half sister; the two had become acquainted in their in youth and had developed an unbreakable bond. Katherine Carey-Knollys and the children followed Sir Francis home to England.

As he had hoped, Sir Francis did earn one of the first appointments of Queen Elizabeth's reign, becoming a member of the Privy Council in 1558. Shortly thereafter he was made Vice-Chamberlain of her household, a post that would later on be held by his son (Wagner, 175).

A detail of the Clopton Portrait of Elizabeth I c.1560-65, shortly after she became Queen of England. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

By the 1560's, Sir Francis's Protestant beliefs had developed into Puritan ones, and he often spoke in favor of Puritan causes in the Elizabethan Parliament's (Wagner, 175). This was problematic, as anything perceived as religious extremism during Elizabeth's reign, be it on the conservative Catholic side or the reformist Protestant side of the spectrum, was monitored closely. Nothing could threaten the moderate, largely tolerant Anglican Church Queen Elizabeth and her administration had worked so hard to establish (please see Religious Policy under Elizabeth I). Still, Sir Francis' personal beliefs were never a threat to the realm, and true to Elizabeth's declaration of wishing "not to open windows into men's souls", and perhaps due in part to her great love for both Francis and Katherine, the Knollys's were left in peace. 

In 1568, Sir Francis was entrusted with keeping Mary Stuart, the so-called Queen of Scot's under house arrest, after she had provocatively crossed over into England without permission. Francis would guard Mary Stuart on and off, along with George Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury.

A detail of a portrait of George Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury, one of the men who guarded Mary, the so-called Queen of Scots in England. He was also Bess of Hardwick's last husband. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

This duty kept him away from court, and thus away from his wife and children, of whom his personal letters and life choices proved he loved very much.  Sir Francis would frequently ask permission from Queen Elizabeth to give his wife leave so that she could come and visit him, but usually his requests were denied (Weir, 271). Katherine Carey-Knollys was one of about five women that Elizabeth ever developed a close friendship with, and she preferred to keep her close. According to Ambassador Fenelon, the Queen "loved Lady Knollys above all other women in the world." Thus, Sir Francis was often at odds with his sovereign concerning quality time with his wife.

A miniature of Mary, Queen of Scots, painted by Nicholas Hilliard while she was under house arrest in England. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Sadly, Katherine Carey-Knollys died on January 15th, 1569 at Hampton Court Palace with Queen Elizabeth, while Sir Francis was away guarding Mary Stuart at Bolton Castle (Weir, 271-72). Katherine was given a lavish, nearly royal burial at Westminster Abbey, paid for in part by Queen Elizabeth herself. Francis wrote of his grief over the loss of his wife while they were separated, and the Queen was equally devastated. Sir Francis never remarried.

The Western facade of Westminster Abbey. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

In 1572, just three years after his wife's death, Sir Francis received another honor, being appointed Treasurer of the Royal Household , a position he would hold until his death (Dictionary of National Biography).

The eldest of Sir Francis and Katherine Carey-Knollys's thirteen children, Lettice (likely named for Francis' mother) secretly married Queen Elizabeth's closest friend and favorite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester in 1578. When Sir Francis found out about the nuptials, he demanded to be a witness at a second ceremony. This is understandable, given Leicester's controversial marital history, but also somewhat dangerous, seeing as it was inevitable the Queen would find out about it.

A portrait of Lettice Knollys as Countess of Leicester, c. 1585 by George Gower. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

And find out about it, she did. The Queen's wrath was two-fold, having been betrayed by the only man she ever loved as well as of the Knollys children, who had been like surrogate children to her (Weir). Sir Francis's new son-in-law was briefly imprisoned, and Lettice was banned forever from the royal court. Luckily, Sir Francis was not held responsible for the the poor judgement exercised by his daughter and Leicester, although his grandson, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, was to become a thorn in his side.

A miniature by Hilliard of Francis Knollys and Katherine Knollys's grandson, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

From the 1580's through the 1590's. Knollys's Puritan beliefs put him at particular odds with Queen Elizabeth I's Archbishop of Canterbury, (1583-1603) John Whitgift (Palmer, 32). The Archbishop was entrusted with suppressing Puritan and Presbyterian non-conformity in England (Wagner, 175).

In 1593 Sir Francis Knollys entered into a prestigious brotherhood, being made a Knight of the Garter. Just three years later Sir Francis Knollys died, bringing his long and illustrious career to a close. Sir Francis and his brother-in-law, Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon died within a week of each other. The loss of two of the people Elizabeth was closest to in such a short amount of time truly devastated her (Weir, 266). Sir Francis was laid to rest at Rotherfield Greys; a memorial to his wife was erected there as well, though her body still resides in St. Edmund's chapel, Westminster Abbey.

Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon in his old age, wearing his chain of office. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Sir Francis Knollys certainly enjoyed the distinction of being a part of Queen Elizabeth's family, having married one of her maternal relations, but he also earned every honor bestowed upon him. Unlike her father, Queen Elizabeth was not one for sycophancy, and "was never prone to handing out offices and favors to the undeserving, however close they were to her in blood." (Weir, 234). When Sir Francis disagreed with Queen Elizabeth on matters of state, which happened on more than one notable occasion, he did not mince words, always giving her his honest opinion. Since her accession, Elizabeth I had demanded that her Councillors always tell her the truth, even if it was not something that she necessarily wanted to hear; Sir Francis consistently lived up to that expectation, and he was rewarded because of it.

Sources:

"Knollys, Francis." Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885-1900.

"Francis, Knollys." The Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World. Print. (By John A. Wagner)

Weir, Alison. Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings. New York: Balantine Books, 2011. Print.

Palmer, Michael. Reputations: Elizabeth I. London: The Bath Press, 1988. Print.