THE HISTORY ESSAYthe chivalric discourse of the late 16th century. Elizabeth would
exchange personal gifts and share private jokes with
favoured courtiers; she addressed them affectionately, often by
particular nicknames; she allowed them, or their representatives,
easy access into her privy apartments, and would visit their homes
or offer them her physician during periods of sickness.
Such displays of intimacy signified to the political world that
these courtiers were especially close to the queen, and raised
their status as men of influence and patronage. On their side,
Elizabeth’s courtiers expressed a love and adulation for the
queen in letters and poems that to today’s readers appear genu-
inely romantic or erotic but were, at the time, understood to be
written in the highly stylised language of courtly love. Elizabeth
did not demand such declarations to satisfy her personal vanity;
their purpose was to create and strengthen the bonds of loyalty
and service of elite men to a female monarch without eroding
their masculinity.hen angered, Elizabeth also performed
within the conventions of courtly love
by distancing herself from those who
had caused offence, expressing her ire
and withdrawing her affection. This
often happened when her intimates
wed, especially when they did so with-
out her consent. Perhaps it was to avoid the queen’s displeasure
that Hatton chose not to marry. In the case of Essex, the queen’s
annoyance did not last long, even though she considered his bride- the widow of Sir Philip Sidney and daughter of Sir Francis
Walsingham – a socially unsuitable match for a nobleman. But
Leicester never fully regained the queen’s trust after his secret
marriage to Lettice Knollys. This, however, was a special circum-
stance – the earl had long pursued Elizabeth’s hand in marriage,
the last time just a few years prior to his secret wedding. He had
also kept his marriage to Lettice quiet for as long as he could.
(See the following feature for more on this episode).
Ralegh had gone even further in deceiving the queen.
When Sir Robert Cecil, the acting principal secretary,
questioned Ralegh about their relationship, he had denied
that he and Bess were married, while his wife had lived in
close proximity to the queen, pretending to be still single,
hiding her pregnancy, and slipping away to deliver the
child. For Elizabeth, their dishonesty came close to sedi-
tion, and their punishment was intended as a warning to
maids of honour who might follow Bess’s example.
Other maids did follow suit – and they were,
likewise, severely punished. Two years after the
Ralegh scandal, Bridget Manners (daughter of
the 4th Earl and Countess of Rutland) also mar-
ried without royal permission. Elizabeth had
Despite rumours to the contrary, it is highly unlikely that Elizabeth
had a sexual relationship with any of her favourites. She was far
too shrewd and cautious to risk discovery or pregnancy
Dudley and Essex came from families that the queen wished to
promote for political reasons, while Hatton and Ralegh had influ-
ential patrons who brought them to the queen’s notice. All four
men later became close to the queen because they were excellent
courtiers, entertaining her with their dancing, card playing, joust-
ing, witty exchanges and cultured conversation. They also brought
glamour to the court, not only in their own persons but also by
hosting magnificent feasts for foreign visitors and arranging excit-
ing entertainments and tournaments that impressed foreigners
and English guests alike.
In this way they were instrumental in helping Elizabeth’s court
gain international prestige and recognition. In other ways, too,
they used their positions and money in the service of the crown,
financing and managing spies, privateering expeditions and
military campaigns. All four men were intelligent and able. By
the time Dudley, Hatton and Essex were promoted to the
privy council, they had already carried out successful
political apprenticeships as administrators or sol-
diers, and as unofficial advisers.
It is highly unlikely that Elizabeth had a sexual
relationship with any of her favourites; she was too
shrewd and cautious to risk discovery or pregnancy. Be-
sides, to safeguard her sexual reputation, Elizabeth always
had at least one of her privy chamber women present in her
company and sleeping in her bedchamber, and no gossip
slandering the queen came from their quarter.
Nonetheless, there was a semi-erotic and flirta-
tious quality that marked the queen’s relation-
ships with many of her male courtiers: she and
they exploited the language and coded be-
haviour associated with courtly love and TOPFOTO/GETTY^ IMAGESBess Throckmorton felt Elizabeth I’s full fury after secretly
marrying Walter Ralegh. The queen’s maid of honour was
thrown into prison and permanently excluded from courtA c1560 portrait of Robert Dudley
who, it seems, was the only man
to capture the queen’s heartThe queen and her court / Personal politics