Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (see here and images),
He
mar 1stly to Amy Robsart.
She died of a fall downstairs
in 1560,
possibly murdered by him.
She was
bur University church of St.Mary the Virgin,
Oxford.
His
seat (restored to him 1563) was
Kenilworth Castle,
Warwickshire
(formerly held by John of Gaunt).
He was
cr 1st Earl of Leicester 1564.
He
mar 2ndly, 1573 (secretly) to
Douglas Howard
and had issue.
He
entertained Elizabeth I in 1575 at Kenilworth Castle.
He built a grand town house,
Leicester House, Strand, London
(later called Essex House)
around 1575.
He
mar 3rdly, 1578 (secretly and bigamously) to
Lettice Knollys
[widow of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex
and mother of Penelope Devereux].
He thus became stepfather of
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
He
built up one of the first large collections of portraits.
His nephew Sir Philip Sidney wrote
The Lady of May prob. 1578
to promote his and Leicester's causes to the Queen.
He was appointed 1588 to command the forces against the
Spanish Armada,
but died before it came.
He
died 1588, age 56 yrs,
bur
Collegiate Church of St.Mary,
Warwick.
Title extinct, later revived in Sidney family.
See Portraits of 1st Earl of Leicester.
Lettice Knollys.
Attributed to
George Gower.
From Wikipedia.
The Strand,
London, on Norden's map of Westminster, 1593.
Note
Leicester House
on the river at the E end.
See full size.
From London Maps and Panoramas.
The fairy-tale
Lord Leycester Hospital
in Warwick.
This was a hospital for aged or injured soldiers,
founded by 1st Earl of Leicester.
Photo 2007.
See full size.
From here.
See more images.
See street view.
The movie
Elizabeth (1998).
Dudley
features as Elizabeth I's unfulfilled love,
played by Joseph Fiennes.
In one scene Dudley
uses the poem My true-love hath my heart
by his nephew Sir Philip Sidney
to woo Elizabeth.
Tomb of 1st Earl of Leicester and his wife Lettice Knollys.
Church of St Mary in Warwick.
See full size.
Photo by Tony Grist, 2008.
From here.
Plaque from above.
Photo 2012.
See full size.
From here.
See translation.
Also here.
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