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The Liz Quiz |
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Elizabeth had plenty of suitors both abroad and at home to choose from, and she played them off against each other brilliantly, using the possibility of marriage to form political alliances and keep potential adversaries from turning into real enemies. But one Englishman seemed to catch her fancy early in her reign, and she might have married him were it not for a scandal concerning the death of his wife. Who was he?
- Edward Courtenay
- Robert Dudley
- William Pickering
- The Earl of Arundel
The answer is b. Robert Dudley.
There's no doubt that Elizabeth cared for Dudley, but there is some doubt over whether or not she would ever have married him if the way had been clear. It's reasonable to assume that fairly early on she understood the power she would give up by marrying; whether she was willing to give it up for her Robin is something we shall probably never know.
Dudley had been married fairly young to Amy Robsart, and while he was decent to her, love soon fled the marriage. Amy was desperately unhappy stuck out in their country estate while Robert was at court with Elizabeth, where he was no doubt having a great time. Gossip over Dudley and the queen ran rampant, and everyone assumed that the only bar to their marriage was Amy. Then one day she was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. While it was probably suicide, rumor of murder raced throughout London. It would not do for the queen to marry someone whose wife had died under a cloud of suspicion, and any chance of a respectable liaison was shattered.
Although marriage was now out of the question, Elizabeth remained close to Dudley. He eventually became a Privy Councillor and acquried the title of the Earl of Leicester. Over the years their relationship altered to a warm friendship, and when Dudley died in 1588 it was a harsh blow. The queen wrote on his last correspondence with her "HIS LAST LETTER," and kept it always.
