Elizabeth, Lady Raleigh (''née'' Throckmorton; 16 April 1565 – c. 1647) was an English courtier, a Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber to Queen Elizabeth I of England. Her secret marriage to Sir Walter Raleigh precipitated a long period of royal disfavour for both her and her husband.

History

Elizabeth, known also as "Bess", was the daughter of the diplomat

Sir Nicholas Throckmorton Sir Nicholas Throckmorton (or Throgmorton) (c. 1515/151612 February 1571) was an English diplomat and politician, who was an ambassador to France and later Scotland, and played a key role in the relationship between Elizabeth I of Englan ...

and Anne Throckmorton (''née'' Carew). Bess and her brother Arthur were courtiers to Elizabeth I. In her book, ''The Life of Elizabeth I'' (1998), British author and historian Alison Weir states Throckmorton and Raleigh's first child was conceived by July 1591, the couple were married "in great secrecy" in the autumn of 1591, and their son was born in March 1592. The boy was christened Damerei, after Sir Walter's claimed ancestors, the D'Ameries. Damerei is believed to have died during infancy. Weir states that Queen Elizabeth first became aware in May 1592 of the secret marriage and of Damerei's birth, despite Bess and Sir Walter's denials. The couple had married without royal permission, but, significantly, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, was in on the secret and acting as godfather to the Raleighs' son. Once the queen found out, she first placed Bess and Raleigh under house arrest, then sent them to the Tower of London, in June 1592. Raleigh was released from the Tower in August 1592 and Bess in December 1592, at which time she joined her husband at Sherborne Castle, his Dorset estate. The couple remained devoted to each other, although, according to Weir, Bess proved to be a domineering wife.

Anna Beer Anna Beer is a British author and lecturer, primarily known for her work as a biographer. Her particular interests as a biographer are "the relationship between literature, politics and history," /sup> (which was the basis for her life of John ...

, Lady Raleigh's biographer, offers a different perspective, pointing out that due to Raleigh's frequent absences, whether on expeditions, diplomatic duties, or in prison, Bess had to shoulder an unusual level of responsibility for a woman of her time. The Raleighs' second son, Walter, was born in 1593 at Sherborne. After the Union of Crowns in 1603, many courtiers travelled to Northamptonshire to greet the new queen Anne of Denmark and her children, and seek royal favour. Lord Buckhurst wrote on 21 June 1603 that he and the Lord Keeper Thomas Egerton were travelling "to do our duties to the Queen, the Prince, and Princess, all the world flying beforehand to see her". Bess made the same trip, but was disappointed. Sir Robert Crosse wrote that she had persuaded him to make an "idle journey" to meet the queen and she had received "but idle graces". The couple's third son was born in January 1605, by which time Raleigh was again a prisoner in the Tower of London. Named Carew, which was both Bess' mother's maiden name and the name of one of Raleigh's brothers, he was christened within the walls of the Tower in the church of St Peter ad Vincula. After Raleigh's execution in 1618, Bess worked tirelessly to re-establish her late husband's reputation and, in 1628, saw a Bill of Restitution restore the Raleigh name 'in blood', which allowed her one surviving son to inherit. Bess is said to have had her husband's head embalmed and to have carried it around with her for the rest of her life, although the only documented reference to Raleigh's head is from the day of his execution, when it was noted that Lady Raleigh and her ladies left the scene carrying Sir Walter's head in a red bag. An account from 1740 claims that, after Bess' death, Raleigh's head was returned to his tomb in St Margaret's, Westminster. Through both her parents, Bess had connections to

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

. Her father, Nicholas Throckmorton, was the cousin of Henry's sixth wife, Queen

Catherine Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...

. Anne Carew, Elizabeth's mother, was the daughter of Nicholas Carew and Elizabeth Carew née Bryan. Nicholas had been a close friend of Henry, from childhood until his execution in 1539.

Fictional depictions

Bessie Throckmorton is a major character in Edward German's operetta ''Merrie England'' (1902). Norah Lofts in her 1936 fictionalized biography of Walter Raleigh, ''Here Was a Man'', depicted a full-fledged

love triangle A love triangle or eternal triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with so ...

, with the two Elizabeths - the Queen and the much younger Lady in Waiting - fiercely vying for Walter Raleigh's love and deeply hating each other. There is no clear historical evidence that things went that far. In later parts of the book, Elizabeth Raleigh is depicted as trying to get Walter to leave the court and live quietly with her at Sherborne, and feeling neglected and abandoned when he returned to the Queen's favor, and as loyally standing by him during his disgrace under King James and voluntarily sharing his twelve years of imprisonment in the Tower. In the film '' The Virgin Queen'' (1955), Elizabeth Throckmorton (referred to as Beth Throgmorton in the film) is portrayed by Joan Collins, Queen Elizabeth by Bette Davis. Elizabeth Throckmorton is the subject of Rosemary Sutcliff's novel ''Lady in Waiting'' (1956). Sutcliff usually refers to her as "Bess". She is mentioned in Elizabeth Goudge's "Towers in the mist" (1936), set in Oxford in 1566, also as Bess. This is anachronistic as she would have been only an infant at the time. She appears briefly in ''

A Dead Man in Deptford ''A Dead Man in Deptford'' is a 1993 novel by Anthony Burgess, the last to be published during his lifetime. It depicts the life and character of Christopher Marlowe, a renowned playwright of the Elizabethan era. Plot Reckless but brilliant C ...

'' (1993), Anthony Burgess' speculative fictional account of the life of playwright

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon the ...

. Elizabeth "Bess" Throckmorton, portrayed by Abbie Cornish, was a featured character in the film '' Elizabeth: The Golden Age'' (2007) as a blonde. This sequel to ''Elizabeth'' (1998) focuses on the relationships of Elizabeth I (

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received nu ...

) and Bess with Walter Raleigh (

Clive Owen Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series '' Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...

), and shows Bess and Raleigh marrying prior to the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...

(1588), though in fact the couple married in 1591. She appears briefly in Deborah Harkness' novel '' Shadow of Night'' (2012) as Queen Elizabeth's lady-in-waiting and Walter Raleigh's lover. Elizabeth Throckmorton, played by actress Phoebe Thomas, appears in the

BBC 2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

three-part drama documentary series ''Armada: 12 Days to Save England'' (2015) as lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth ( Anita Dobson), whom the Queen calls "Bes"'. One scene shows the Queen's jealousy of Bess when she realises, from seeing her wearing a brooch, that Bess has a male admirer unknown to the Queen. Another scene shows the Queen's paranoia about the great danger she feels she is in while the Armada is attacking England, with the Queen forcing Bess to taste her food to check for poison.

History

Fictional depictions

References

Further reading and external links