July Meeting

Our Guest Speaker Dr Gillian White

            

                                            

                                 

Robert Dudley, Elizabeth I and the Kenilworth entertainment of 1575

 

Dr Gillian White talked about the entertainment provided by Robert Dudley at Kenilworth Castle.

Almost 450 years to the day that Queen Elizabeth I arrived at Kenilworth Castle, Dr Gillian White arrived at the Crawford Hall in Bidford to describe the goings-on to the ladies of the WI.

On a very hot evening, to the background of whirring and wafting fans, Gillian kept us enthralled with her tale of the love story of Elizabeth and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. It was illustrated with pictures of contemporary paintings and excerpts of documents of the time. The telling included all the twists and turns of a good novel, including the mysterious death of Dudley's first wife and the will-they-won't-they ( or did-they-didn't-they!) romance between Robert and Elizabeth. Gillian's story telling, with references to the original sources, kept us so entertained that we forgot the heat.

In the summer of 1575 Elizabeth, with her court, left London and progressed around the country -  at the expense of her subjects. She was at Kenilworth Castle for nineteen days, the longest stay at any courtier's during her reign.

Dudley spent a fortune, firstly renovating the buildings and gardens, then on the entertainment itself. The festivities were designed to impress the Queen, including hunting, more hunting , pageants, fireworks, performances and yet more hunting. While she may have been impressed, she was also, at times, irritated by being kept waiting and some of the more obvious attempts to persuade her to marry Dudley.

Although they remained close, they never married. Indeed Dudley went on to marry one of the Queen's cousins who looked much like her, but failed to produce an heir who lived beyond childhood. Queen Elizabeth, famously died remaining a virgin...........probably.