Many men wanted to marry Queen Elizabeth I.
The Virgin Queen had many different suitors, and a number of them were obsessed with gaining
power and wealth because of a possible marriage to the Queen.
But Elizabeth died as the last Tudor Monarch as she never had a husband and an heir, and
many believed that she was close to Robert Dudley, with the Earl of Leicester being her
favourite.
But there was one young man who captured the Queen’s eye despite an age difference, and
she deemed Robert Devereux the Earl of Essex as a very handsome and dashing man.
However he would fly too close to the son and incite a rebellion in London which resulted
in his brutal execution.
Join us today as we look at the execution of Robert Devereux and remember to support
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Born in November 1565, Robert Devereux belonged to a noble family.
His great grandmother was the sister of Anne Boleyn, Mary Boleyn and because of this he
was a cousin of Elizabeth I. He was given a good upbringing, and he attended Cambridge
University.
His mother Lettice Knollys was a prominent member of Elizabeth I’s court until she
married the Earl of Leicester Robert Dudley, the Queen’s favourite and she was then banned
from the royal court and she never returned.
But Robert had a career in the military and he was taken under his wing by his stepfather
the Earl of Leicester and went with him to the Netherlands, before he too came to court
in 1584.
He quickly became one of the Queen’s favourites and he demonstrated his immense wit and intelligence,
and was seen as a thriving young man.
But within a few weeks of his arrival at court, the Queen was besotted with Devereux and in
the evening the pair would long into the night play cards, and it was said that ‘he would
not go to his own lodging until the birds sing in the morning.’
The pair enjoyed each others company long into the night and were close, despite the
over 30 year age gap.
But Elizabeth liked his dark eyes and youthful countenance, and their close friendship was
a source of scrutiny at court.
In 1587, Deveruex became the Master of the Horse and then the Queen passed on Robert
Dudley’s royal monopoly on sweet wines to Deveruex meaning he could make a huge amount
of wealth importing wine through the taxes raised by it.
He then following this was part of the English Armada which sailed to Spain to try and hammer
home the English naval superiority.
However Elizabeth was a jealous woman, and she initially did not approve of Devereux’s
marriage to Frances Walsingham, the daughter of her spymaster Walsingham.
He did have children with her, and the marriage initially was kept as a closely guarded secret.
Devereux had everything that a courtier would want, including massive wealth, the Queen’s
eye and a solid wealthy family cemented at the royal court.
He accepted a position as the Lord Leftenenat of Ireland, as at the time the country and
Ireland had been at war for around 10 years, and no English commander had managed to bring
the Irish to heed.
Deveruex lead the largest invasion force sent to the country around 16,000 soldiers and
he tried to end the rebellions but this did not work.
He told the privy council that he would go face to face with the rebel leader Hugh O’Neill
the Earl of Tyrone.
He travelled with his army south and fought a number of small skirmishes, but he could
not establish control and spent large amounts of money.
His failure to defeat the Irish caused him great shame int he Queen’s eyes, especially
as he made concessions to the rebels, and he then swore a truce with the rebels.
He tried to come back to England but Elizabeth barred his return and court, however Devereux
would not have any of this.
He came to Nonsuch Palace and then burst into the Queen’s bedchamber when she wasn’t
properly dressed and this outraged the Queen.
His antics in Ireland were seen as desertion and treason, and he was then held inside York
House under arrest, and many people did begin to support him.
He was a controversial figure and a commission of 18 nobles tried him and confronted him
with charges that led to further house arrest.
He was not allowed any visitors and friends to see him, but he was deemed as a traitor
in the eyes of the Queen, and as time went on Essex House where he was kept became a
place of outspoken dissent against the government and monarchy.
Many people would give Deveruex their support, and this resulted in a rebellion.
But on the 3rd February 1601, a meeting took place at Drury House in the presence of the
Earl of Soutmapton.
Deveruex was not present, but the rebels spoke about seizing control of the royal court,
the Tower of London and the city of London in a rebellion against the Queen.
The revolt which became known as Essex’s rebellion decided to try and storm the city,
and to them take control of the city of London, and they would burn down houses and also murder
a number of Londoner’s.
The key to the rebellion was to send a clear message to the government that they were not
happy.
Devereux was then involved in the planning of this, and on the 8th February 1601 he rode
out of Essex house with the rebels.
They were joined by man gentlemen and nobles and they then forced their way into the City
of London.
They tried to get a meeting with the Queen, but this was not possible.
Devereux then seized four of the Queen’s messengers and held them hostage, and they
tried to then get to the Lord Mayor who was reading a sermon at St Paul’s cathedral.
But warnings had already reached the mayor about Devereux’s actions, and he managed
to escape.
But then Devereux’s followers seemingly abandoned him and they worried that for supporting
a traitor they would be executed and hanged, drawn and quartered.
But because of this the rebellion fell apart, and Deverux went back to Essex House and he
released his hostages.
But the Queen’s guards then captured his house, and arrested Robert Devereux who was
actually burning incriminating evidence once he was seized.
But he was then brought on trial for treason, and his trial lasted one day with a guilty
verdict being passed.
It was obvious that he had raised a rebellion and uprising against the Queen, and for this
he would be execute.
The Queen turned her back on her former favourite, and the jury found him guilty quickly.
He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered but the Queen did allow him a number of concessions.
He was allowed to be beheaded instead, and because of his noble family, he was allowed
a private execution inside the walls of the Tower of London.
This spared Deveruex a humiliating experience on Tower Hill in front of the public baying
for his blood.
He was held a prisoner inside the Tower of London, but on the morning of the 25th February
1601 he was taken to his execution and the scaffold by 16 guards and the Leftenant of
the Tower.
His execution was to take place on Tower Green near to the White Tower, and he was beheaded
within the same walls that Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were.
His execution did not go too cleanly, and it was botched.
A clean execution by axe comprised of an executioner doing his job with one swift blow.
But the scaffold had been created inside of Ceasars tower in one of the Tower’s turrets.
Executioner Thomas Derrick was the axeman that day, and Devereux whilst on the scaffold
made a short speech to the witnesses and he admitted his treason and said he never wanted
to hurt the Queen, and he wished her a long reign.
But when Devereux went to the block his head was placed on it, and Derrick stood with his
sharp axe in his hand.
But the first swing of the axe did not take his head off the body, and it required a second
swing.
This did a better job, but still his head could not be separated from his body, and
because of this it took a final third swing to take his head off.
Robert Deveruex was a slimy member of Queen Elizabeth I’s court who would do anything
to try and further himself in the eyes of the Queen.
But his failings in the military caused him to be looked down upon by the monarchy and
government, and then he lost his way and became a rebellious young man who plotted against
Elizabeth.
He tried to force a meeting with her, but he was ultimately a man who was a favourite
of the virgin queen at some time, despite a large age gap.
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