he wanted above all things was not a woman but a crown.
He went to Kenilworth, which he was turning into one of the most magnificent castles in the country. He said that he wished I could go with him and that if I had had no husband we could have married. But I wondered whether he would have talked of marriage if it had not been safe to do so, for I knew that he had not given up hope of marrying the Queen.
At Court his enemies were starting to plot against him. They clearly thought he was in decline. The Duke of Norfolk man I found excessively dullas a particular enemy. Norfolk was a man of little ability. He had strong principles and was weighed down by his admiration for his own ancestry, which he believedand I suppose he was right in thisas more noble than the Queen, for the Tudors had sneaked to the throne in a very backdoor manner. Vitally brilliantly clever people they might be, but some of the ancient nobility were deeply conscious of their own familiessuperiority and none more than Norfolk. Elizabeth was well aware of this and, like her father, ready to nip it in the bud when it appeared, but she could not stop the blossoms flowering in secret. Poor Norfolk, he was a man with a sense of duty and tried always to do the right thing, but it invariably seemed the wrong thing for Norfolk.
For such a man it was galling to see the rise of Robert to the premier position in the country, which he felt because of his birth belonged to him, and there had been one occasion not very long before this when a quarrel had flared up between Norfolk and Leicester.
There was nothing Elizabeth liked better than to see her favorite men jousting or playing games, which called attention not only to their skill but to their physical perfections. She would sit for hours watching and admiring their handsome bodies; and there was none she had liked to see in action more than Robert.
On this occasion there had been an indoor tennis match and Robert had drawn Norfolk as a partner. Robert was winning, for he had exceptional skill in all sports. I was sitting with the Queen in that lower gallery which Henry VIII had had built for spectators, for he too had excelled at the game and enjoyed being watched.
The Queen had leaned forward. Her eyes had never left Robert, and when he scored a point she had called out ravowhile during Norfolk less frequent successes she was silent, which must have been very depressing for England premier duke.
The game was so fast that the contestants had become very hot. The Queen seemed to suffer with them, so immersed was she in the play, and she lifted a mockinderr handkerchiefo wipe her brow. As there was a slight pause in the game and Robert was sweating profusely, he snatched the mockinder from the Queen and mopped his brow with it. It was a natural gesture between people who were very familiar with each other. It was actions like this which gave rise to the stories of their being lovers.
Norfolk, incensed by this act of lese-majestynd perhaps because he was losing the game and was aware of the royal pleasure in his defeatost his temper and shouted: ou impudent dog, sir. How dare you insult the Queen!
Robert had looked surprised when Norfolk had suddenly lifted his racket as though he would strike him. Robert had caught his arm and twisted it so that Norfolk had called out in pain and dropped the racket.
The Queen had been furious. ow dare you brawl before me?she had demanded. y Lord Norfolk must look to it or it may not be only his temper which is lost. How dare you, Sir Norfolk, conduct yourself in such a manner before me?
Norfolk had bowed and asked leave to retire.
etire,the Queen had shouted. ray do, and don come back until I send for you. Methinks you give yourself airs above your station.
It is a dig at his overweening family pride, which she resented as a slur on the Tudors.
ome, sit beside me, Rob,she had said, or my Lord Norfolk, knowing himself the loser, has no longer stomach for the
He went to Kenilworth, which he was turning into one of the most magnificent castles in the country. He said that he wished I could go with him and that if I had had no husband we could have married. But I wondered whether he would have talked of marriage if it had not been safe to do so, for I knew that he had not given up hope of marrying the Queen.
At Court his enemies were starting to plot against him. They clearly thought he was in decline. The Duke of Norfolk man I found excessively dullas a particular enemy. Norfolk was a man of little ability. He had strong principles and was weighed down by his admiration for his own ancestry, which he believedand I suppose he was right in thisas more noble than the Queen, for the Tudors had sneaked to the throne in a very backdoor manner. Vitally brilliantly clever people they might be, but some of the ancient nobility were deeply conscious of their own familiessuperiority and none more than Norfolk. Elizabeth was well aware of this and, like her father, ready to nip it in the bud when it appeared, but she could not stop the blossoms flowering in secret. Poor Norfolk, he was a man with a sense of duty and tried always to do the right thing, but it invariably seemed the wrong thing for Norfolk.
For such a man it was galling to see the rise of Robert to the premier position in the country, which he felt because of his birth belonged to him, and there had been one occasion not very long before this when a quarrel had flared up between Norfolk and Leicester.
There was nothing Elizabeth liked better than to see her favorite men jousting or playing games, which called attention not only to their skill but to their physical perfections. She would sit for hours watching and admiring their handsome bodies; and there was none she had liked to see in action more than Robert.
On this occasion there had been an indoor tennis match and Robert had drawn Norfolk as a partner. Robert was winning, for he had exceptional skill in all sports. I was sitting with the Queen in that lower gallery which Henry VIII had had built for spectators, for he too had excelled at the game and enjoyed being watched.
The Queen had leaned forward. Her eyes had never left Robert, and when he scored a point she had called out ravowhile during Norfolk less frequent successes she was silent, which must have been very depressing for England premier duke.
The game was so fast that the contestants had become very hot. The Queen seemed to suffer with them, so immersed was she in the play, and she lifted a mockinderr handkerchiefo wipe her brow. As there was a slight pause in the game and Robert was sweating profusely, he snatched the mockinder from the Queen and mopped his brow with it. It was a natural gesture between people who were very familiar with each other. It was actions like this which gave rise to the stories of their being lovers.
Norfolk, incensed by this act of lese-majestynd perhaps because he was losing the game and was aware of the royal pleasure in his defeatost his temper and shouted: ou impudent dog, sir. How dare you insult the Queen!
Robert had looked surprised when Norfolk had suddenly lifted his racket as though he would strike him. Robert had caught his arm and twisted it so that Norfolk had called out in pain and dropped the racket.
The Queen had been furious. ow dare you brawl before me?she had demanded. y Lord Norfolk must look to it or it may not be only his temper which is lost. How dare you, Sir Norfolk, conduct yourself in such a manner before me?
Norfolk had bowed and asked leave to retire.
etire,the Queen had shouted. ray do, and don come back until I send for you. Methinks you give yourself airs above your station.
It is a dig at his overweening family pride, which she resented as a slur on the Tudors.
ome, sit beside me, Rob,she had said, or my Lord Norfolk, knowing himself the loser, has no longer stomach for the
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