Today in 1588 Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, died. After being part of the defeat of the Spanish Armada, he had been sick for a while. Elizabeth gave him permission to go to Buxton to enjoy the waters. He had left on the 26th of August, and wrote his final letter to Elizabeth on 28th August. Elizabeth was distraught by the news of his death - he was her favorite, her childhood friend, and likely the love of her life, and when she found out he had died, she shut herself up in her chamber for days, and refused to come out. Her ministers actually had to break down her door eventually.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com where there is an episode on Robert Dudley.
Links:
Episode 095: Tudor Times on Robert Dudley
Christine Hartweg at the September 2018 Tudor Summit on Robert Dudley