Wednesday, November 18, 2015

1558: Queen Elizabeth I Confronts Her Former Jailer

Portrait of Sir Henry Bedingfield. Picture via Tudorplace.com. Image public domain.

After Elizabeth Tudor's accession in 1558, Sir Henry Bedingfield, the man whom Mary I had appointed as Elizabeth's jailer at the Tower of London and at Woodstock from 1554-55, hurried to present himself to the new queen to ask for her forgiveness, and hopefully secure himself a place in the new government. Bedingfield had been a particularly cruel and calculating keeper, and Elizabeth had come to believe that Bedingfield was under orders from her half-sister Mary to find a quiet way to murder her. Bedingfield was not the only potential threat, however; it was suspected that both Stephen Gardiner, Mary's Lord Chancellor (and an unsavory character if there ever was one) and Simon Renard, the Spanish Ambassador, had sent assassins to kill Elizabeth, but had only been thwarted because Bedingfield had strict orders that no one was allowed to visit the Princess without him present. It was Bedingfield who transported Elizabeth to Woodstock and then to court in June of 1555.

A portrait of Simon Renard de Bermont (1513-1573), Spanish Ambassador. By Antonis Mor. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Upon coming face-to-face with Bedingfield once again in 1558, this time with the tables turned and Elizabeth being in the position of power, the new queen dismissed the groveling Bedingfield by saying, "If we have any prisoner whom we would have sharply and straightly kept, we will send for you!" This delivery is a prime example of Queen Elizabeth's wit and her temper, but it also shows her mercy. Queen Elizabeth could have exacted revenge on the men who wronged her during the reign of her sister (in contrast, Mary I was more than vengeful of those who had served Anne Boleyn faithfully when she came to the throne), but instead, the records show that she instead gave some of them sound tongue lashings, cut them out of positions of influence, and chose more moderate people for important government and church positions. This made her exceptional among the Tudor monarchs.

A portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, aged about 26 (a variant of The Clopton Portrait, of which there are several). This portrait was found in a home attic - if only we were all lucky enough to find such a treasure under our roof! Picture via The Telegraph. Image public domain.

Bedingfield, for his part, seems to have gotten the message that he was no longer welcome at court, and chose to live out of the way in Norfolk, although he occasionally resurfaces in the records as a recusant, refusing to attend Church services due to his Catholic beliefs.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

On This Day in Elizabethan History: What Happened to the Original Queen Elizabeth I Oak Tree at Hatfield House?

 
The tree planted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1985 in the exact spot where the original oak tree was under which Queen Elizabeth I learned she was Queen of England in 1558 at Hatfield House. Picture by A.Jensen/BeingBess.

On November 17th, 1558, the fervently Catholic Queen Mary I died after a tumultuous and bloody reign. Her half-sister Elizabeth, though a Protestant, was named her successor, and learned of this news at her childhood home of Hatfield House. Elizabeth, who was fond of long walks and horse rides, was out under one of the large oak trees on the expansive Hatfield property when Mary's men from London came riding in to find her, and it was there that they notified her that she was now Queen of England. Under the oak tree, Elizabeth is recorded as saying, "this is the doing of the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes."

Unfortunately, this specific oak tree, like many of the other heritage trees at Hatfield House, has since fallen down. After all, it has been hundreds of years! But a new oak tree was planted in its exact place to commemorate the historic spot by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1985, and a plaque erected, as well. When I finally visited Hatfield this year, on my third trip to England, I sought out the oak tree, and, after getting lost once or twice looking for it, I asked for help from a friendly staff person (as it turns out, I was far off course). The oak is quite a ways from the palace, and you can see how Elizabeth would have found peace sitting out under it with her ladies. Standing in the spot where Elizabeth learned she was queen, after so many years of struggling through adversity, and surviving extreme danger at the hands of her own family members, was very emotional for me. And, of course, I repeated those famous words under the oak tree, "this is the doing of the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes."

The author standing in the spot where Elizabeth Tudor learned she was Queen of England in 1558. Picture by L.Jensen/©BeingBess.

Upon reaching the palace again, I asked a staff person if he thought Elizabeth rode out to the forest or walked, given the distance. He was of the opinion that it was part of her regular walk. That made me feel quite unaccomplished in my personal exercise routine! I also asked if he knew what had happened to the original tree that had fallen; it had always seemed strange to me that know one had bothered to save it, especially since care had been taken to mark the place where it had stood for hundreds of years. And here is one of the most wonderful things I learned at Hatfield: he actually told me that Hatfield House possesses the preserved trunk of the original oak, and that they are in the process of figuring out how to best display it for posterity! I was overjoyed to learn that it had not been lost to history, and excited at the thought that upon a future visit, I could view the original oak in person! And of course, I couldn't wait to share the good news with all of my BeingBess readers!

The plaque erected with the replacement oak tree planted in 1985 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Hatfield House. Picture by A.Jensen/BeingBess.


The anniversary of November 17th, 1558, was marked every year of Elizabeth I's reign with Accession Day celebrations, which included pageants and tournaments. You can learn more about Elizabeth I becoming queen, and read a first-hand account of one of the Accession Day jousts by German spectator Lupold von Wedel in our original BeingBess article.

Happy Accession Day, Queen Elizabeth I!

 

Saturday, October 10, 2015

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Queen Elizabeth Succumbs to Smallpox

The Gatehouse at Hampton Court Palace. Shared for public use on Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in 1562, Queen Elizabeth I fell ill at Hampton Court Palace with smallpox, just a mere four years after succeeding to the throne of England. You can read about Elizabeth I's battle with smallpox, which nearly killed her, the ramifications of her near-death experience for her realm, and her fortunate recovery, in our original BeingBess article.

Monday, September 7, 2015

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Birth of the Future Queen Elizabeth I


The birth announcement of the Princess Elizabeth, 1533. Photo from Let Them Grumble on Tumblr.
On this day in 1533, Princess Elizabeth Tudor was born at Greenwich Palace to her mother, Queen Anne Boleyn, and her father, King Henry VIII. The King had been assured that a prince's birth had been fortold by the stars, so the birth announcements had been prepared welcoming a prince. When Elizabeth arrived, much to Henry's surprise, two "ss" were hastily tacked onto the word 'prince' before they could be sent out. 

To learn about:

- The time and circumstances under which Queen Elizabeth was likely conceived

- Anne Boleyn's preparation for the birth of her child

- Henry VIII's reaction to Elizabeth's gender

- Elizabeth's christening

and more, please read our feature-length BeingBess article on the birth of the future Queen Elizabeth I.


 

Happy 482nd Birthday, Queen Elizabeth I!

Elizabeth Tudor found her way into my life long ago as a child, something which I believe was no accident. 
She continues to inspire me on a daily basis, for which I am eternally grateful.

It is my mission in life to teach others about the remarkable Queen Elizabeth I, and to get others excited about history. 

Thank you for sharing in this journey with me. 

-Bess

Friday, September 4, 2015

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of Elizabeth's Love, The Earl of Leicester

"His last letter", in the National Archives in England. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in 1588, Queen Elizabeth I's longtime love and confidante, the man she called a "personage so dear unto us" in a letter to the Earl of Shrewsbury, Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, died. Leicester had been ill for quite some time, and probably had been suffering from stomach cancer. Elizabeth was, by all accounts, devastated by his death, and kept the final letter he sent to her by her bed until her own death, where it was discovered in 1603. On it she had written, "His Last Letter". To learn more about how Elizabeth dealt with the passing of her favorite, please read our feature-length BeingBess article on the topic of Leicester's death. Also, for further reading on the complex relationship of Elizabeth and Leicester, we recommend the definitive dual biography 'Elizabeth & Leicester: Power, Passion, Politics', by historian Sarah Gristwood.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

"Tales of the Royal Wardrobe": A Review

     
Dr. Lucy Worsley dressed in a replica of the Armada Portrait Dress for the documentary "Tales of the Royal Wardrobe". Picture Historic Royal Palaces/PBS.

     Yesterday I finally got to see the Historic Royal Palaces documentary "Tales of the Royal Wardrobe". It aired much earlier in the U.K., and I wasn't sure if it would ever make its way to the United States (some of these wonderful British documentaries I read about do, and some don't), but thankfully this one did! I tuned in, of course for three reasons: first and foremost, because I read that a portion of the program focused on the wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth I, a master of image control as a political asset. Second, because Historic Royal Palaces was behind the project, a non-profit I trust and admire, and third, because Dr. Lucy Worsley was hosting, a historian and curator whose career I respect and not-so-secretly covet! 

     The portion on Queen Elizabeth I did not disappoint. Dr. Worsley highlighted Elizabeth I's aptitude for crafting and utilizing her clothing to create her powerful image as Gloriana, the Virgin Queen, adored, beloved, and worshiped by her subjects. Indeed, as Worsley said, her image very much contributed to the longevity of her 44-year reign.While Queen Elizabeth I was no doubt the best of the Tudors at marketing a personal political brand, it was an art form practiced by the dynasty as a whole. As Worsley pointed out, their successors, the Stuarts, failed by comparison in that respect. Where the Tudors had kept their court artists on a tight reign, the satirical pamphlets mass-produced by the printing press in the 17th century opened the royal court (and their lavish, outlandish fashion choices) up to unprecedented criticism. While this mockery did not cause the English Civil War itself, of course, it contributed to the dissent that ended in rebellion.


     Here are some interesting facts from the Queen Elizabeth I portion of the program:


-Queen Elizabeth I had many staff responsible for her elaborate wardrobe. She had one man who looked after just her muffs!

-Contrary to the many myths perpetuated on Pinterest, not a single dress of Queen Elizabeth I's survives.


Worsley "queened up" as Elizabeth I in Armada Portrait attire in "Tales of the Royal Wardrobe". Picture by A.Jensen. Documentary Historic Royal Palaces/PBS.

-It took Queen Elizabeth I probably about 2 hours to get dressed on a typical day (with the assistance of her ladies, of course). Dr. Worsley wore a reproduction of the Armada gown and its accurate underpinnings when she got "queened up" (as she put it). The original Armada gown had 800 hand-sewn freshwater pearls on the dress alone, not to mention all the additional ropes of pearls and other jewels and trinkets worn by the queen on top of that!

-Queen Elizabeth was very concerned with Sumptuary Laws, and in order to ensure that everyone dressed according to their station, she passed no less than 10 Statutes of Apparel.

I highly recommend "Tales of the Royal Wardrobe". I am posting a few small video clips over on the BeingBess Facebook page about the effigy bodies/stays of Queen Elizabeth I. You can also read all about them in our BeingBess article here

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

May 19th, 1536 - Anne Boleyn's Execution

Depiction of the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn, from Anne of the Thousand Days.
 
"She who has been the Queen of England on Earth will today become a Queen in heaven."-Thomas Cranmer on Queen Anne Boleyn and her execution, 5/19/1536

At 8 o'clock in the morning on May 18th, 1536, three years after she had become Queen of England, Anne Boleyn mounted the scaffold within the walls of the Tower of London for her execution. She was to be beheaded at the King's pleasure, having been found guilty of adultery and treason. It doesn't take even a careful examination of the evidence to determine that the charges against Anne were fanciful at best. For example, she was not even in the same location as half of her alleged lovers on the nights their alleged trysts were supposed to have taken place. But, it didn't matter if there were holes in the "evidence", because everyone knew that King Henry VIII wanted his wife to die, so that he would be free to marry another, specifically Jane Seymour, and if anyone sitting in judgement on Anne's trial were to stand in the way of that, they would likely loose their head, as well. Still, just to make sure everything looked official, Anne and her alleged lovers, which included her own brother, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, were given trials that had the appearance of due process.

The majority of historians and legal experts today have arrived at the conclusion that Anne and the men accused as her accomplices were innocent of their alleged crimes. The downfall of Anne Boleyn and her faction was one of the swiftest and most shocking coups in history. While the idea was undoubtedly Henry VIII's, Thomas Cromwell helped him achieve his desired result as quickly as possible.

Anne was graceful and poised in the hour of her death; the Tudor chronicler Edward Hall records her execution speech as follows:

"Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the King and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never; and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. Oh Lord, have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul!"

Anne was then blindfolded, as was customary, and upon kneeling she was reported to have said several times, "To Jesus Christ I commend my soul, Lord Jesu receive my soul."

Often people wonder why Anne did not speak ill of Henry in her execution speech - they ask me, if she was going to die anyway, why didn't she just say all the things she must have really been feeling? There are a few reasons. Firstly, and simply put, it was not customary to do so. While each execution speech from the Tudor period is unique to the individual, they all follow the same basic format. Decorum and tradition were very important, even at one's death. Secondly, and most importantly, was Anne's daughter Elizabeth. Anne knew that her daughter Elizabeth was being left behind with the unforgiving Henry VIII, and knowing Henry's character intimately as she did, she would not have wanted to say anything to upset him and jeopardize the saftey of her daughter. And lastly, saying anything against Henry or his regime might mean a more traumatic execution for Anne -Anne no doubt wanted as quick a decapitation by the swordsman with as little heckling from those in attendance as possible.

An artistic representation of the beheading of Queen Anne Boleyn. Image via Google image search/reformation.org


While we remember Anne on this day for her untimely death, she should always be celebrated as a strong, capable, intelligent and alluring woman of the 16th century who was a political as well as an emotional being. She also gave birth to the most remarkable monarch England has ever known; Henry VIII may have done away with Anne Boleyn in his search for a son, but Queen Elizabeth I was her last laugh.

Natalie Dormer as Queen Anne Boleyn holding her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, on the Showtime series, The Tudors. Image via Elizabethanhistory.tumblr

Monday, April 20, 2015

Wolf Hall Tie-in: Hampton Court Palace's "A Protestant Allegory"

A Protestant Allegory, by Girolamo da Treviso, circa 1538-44. Hampton Court Palace, The Royal Collection. Photo by A.Jensen.  


In 1534, King Henry VIII had himself officially declared Supreme Head of the newly formed Church of England. He had become convinced through those around him involved in the evangelical movement, such as his new wife, Queen Anne Boleyn, that he knew the will of God. Therefore, the Pope's guidance was no longer needed in spiritual matters. King Henry and other evangelicals read translations of the Bible in English. Henry commissioned this unique and rather savage painting demonstrating his beliefs, in which the four authors of the Gospels stone the Pope with rocks.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of Queen Elizabeth I

The Funeral Procession of Queen Elizabeth I, 1603. Picture Acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

412 years ago today, in 1603, Queen Elizabeth I passed away at the age of 69 after 44 years on the throne of England. Her reign had been unlike any other, and know one would come close to replicating it in the years to come. Discover the achievements of her remarkable reign, and what made Good Queen Bess so special in our BeingBess article, "The Death of Queen Elizabeth I, and the End of the Elizabethan Era".

Monday, March 16, 2015

16th century Irish Rebel: Eleanor FitzGerald, Countess of Desmond

When discussing bold Irish women of the 16th century on the BeingBess blog, I've previously written about my personal favorite, Grania O'Malley (Anglicized as Grace O'Malley), Irish Pirate Queen of Connaught, whose life so spectacularly collided with Queen Elizabeth I when she demanded an audience with the Tudor Queen at Greenwich. Her request was, remarkably granted, and she gained the respect of (and relative autonomy from) Elizabeth in the end. You can read more about Grace, and the many ways in which her and Queen Elizabeth I's life intersected in my article 'Bean Ris': She-Kings Grace O'Malley and Elizabeth I. For my first-person historical-interpretations, I've developed programming around both of these fascinating woman, and I feel honored that I get to portray both!

In honor of the St. Patrick's Day holiday 2015, I'd like to share with my readers the biography of a less well known 16th century Irish woman who, along with her husband, defied Elizabethan rule in her country. She, too, gained audiences with Queen Elizabeth I, and her life story is filled with drama and heartache, but ultimately, perseverance. I hope you enjoy reading about her as much as I enjoyed researching her!


Eleanor FitzGerald, Countess of Desmond
(1545-1635)


This is NOT a portrait of Eleanor FitzGerald, Countess of Desmond, but with a lack of an authentic portrait of her, I had to supply a substitute. This is how I had been picturing her when I had been researching her. This portrait is Albrecht Durer's Portrait of a Young Venetian Woman, 1505.

     Eleanor FitzGerald was born Eleanor Butler, into the Kilkenny County Butler clan. She was of Norman-Irish (French-Irish) noble descent. Her father was Edmund Butler, Lord Dunboyne, and her mother Cecily MacCarthy. When Eleanor was just thirteen, two events happened in the same year that were to determine the course of her future. Firstly, over in the neighboring isle of England, Elizabeth Tudor ascended the English throne in 1558, becoming Queen Elizabeth I of England. Secondly, Garrett FitzGerald, of the FitzGerald clan, was made 15th Earl of Desmond - this powerful man was to become her husband.

Dutch water-color painting of Irish clothing, circa 1575. By Lucas de Heere. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.
     Even before Eleanor was born, the royal English Tudor family had forced nearly every noble Irish family to agree and cooperate with the English crown and their cultural and economic dominance. England wanted Ireland as part of their kingdom for resources, such as timber for ships, and for farmland. The changes England instituted for the Irish people were numerous. For example, the Irish were forbidden from speaking their native language, and instead ordered to speak English. Also, ancient Irish Brehon laws were replaced with Latin law, which had begun in Roman times and were used by the English, and inheritance laws were changed to favor English landowners in Ireland. 

     While the rules imposed by the Tudors on the Irish may sound harsh to us today, they were not by any means unique to the Anglo-Irish dynamic. Any relationship that existed between colonized countries and their occupiers in the 16th century, and later during the age of Imperialism had similar, if not more brutal restrictions.

     In 1565, at the age of nineteen, Eleanor married the thirty-two year-old Garrett FitzGerald. Garrett had begun courting Eleanor just three weeks after he had buried his first wife, in January of that year. By marriage, Eleanor had become a countess, and now possessed a very large piece of land. It seems that Garrett has some problematic step-sons from his first marriage that caused him and his new bride a bit of difficulty after their wedding. Garrett was a traditional Irish warrior-leader, and he and Eleanor now happened to have the largest estate in all of Ireland or England! Historical evidence suggests that Eleanor and Garrett married for love, and not for the more common reason of forming a dynastic alliance. Garrett was likely attracted to Eleanor not only because she was considered beautiful by many, but also because she was known to be smart, reasonable, and even-tempered. She would also prove herself to be brave and resourceful in difficult situations in the years to come. 

A map of Ireland, circa 1450, showing the southwest Earldom of Desmond. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.
     Within just two years of Eleanor's wedding to Garrett, she gave birth to a baby girl. Very soon after, her husband was captured by the English because he was openly challenging their rule and their laws, and would not do what he was asked by Queen Elizabeth I. Eleanor's husband was gone for the next 6 years, but a strong and capable Eleanor managed the FitzGerald estate in his absence, and raised their daughter without him. She also imprisoned any of Garrett's enemies who attempted to steal their property.

Coat of Arms of the FitzGerald Earls of Desmond at Buttevant Friary, in the south wall of the south transept. Photo shared for public use by Andreas F. Borchert.

     Eleanor got her affairs in order and made the trip to England so that she could speak to Queen Elizabeth I on her husband's behalf. She knew that Garrett, languishing in the custody of Sir Warham St. Leger (until 1573), was unlikely to be released anytime soon unless she did something about it. Queen Elizabeth I granted Eleanor permission to stay by her husband's side while in England. What a bittersweet reunion that must have been! On the one hand, having not seen one another in so many years, Eleanor and Garrett must have both been overjoyed and comforted at the sight of one another. On the other hand, Eleanor must have been heartbroken to see her once-fearsome warrior of a husband reduced to a helpless prisoner. 

     In 1571, while in England, Eleanor gave birth to a son, named James. He may have been born at St. Leger House, Southwark, although there is an alternate story suggested in The Life of Sir Martin Frobisher, by William McFee, dated contemporary to the birth between 1571-2. According to McFee, the FitzGeralds were living on parole in London at the time of Eleanor's pregnancy, and Garrett asked Frobisher, one of Queen Elizabeth I's "sea dogs", to smuggle them out of the country so that their child would not be born in England, and thus be in danger. Frobisher, who was staying at Lambeth, met Garrett at St. Leger House. McFee said that Garrett has applied at court for permission for Eleanor to go home to Ireland, and that permission had been granted, but McFee did not say for when. 

     Although James was the heir of the FitzGerald estate and also to his father's title, this was not to be the case if the English had anything to say about it (remember that the FitzGeralds owned the most substantial piece of property in both England and Ireland). Eleanor was forced to do the unthinkable for a loving mother: she was made to give up her son to the English. The English wanted to keep James as a bargaining tool. They knew that the FitzGeralds were unlikely to disobey Queen Elizabeth I if they had James in captivity.

     Four years later, in 1575, Garrett was released from the the Tower, where he had been transferred after his time with St. Leger. However, he refused to pay English taxes, putting him at risk for re-capture. Eleanor, ever-patient with her husband, was to continue spending most of her life rescuing him from harsh punishment because of his brazen patriotism. This wasn't just wifely loyalty- this was love.

     Back in Ireland in 1579, Garrett was captured by his own brothers; Irish clan warfare often made strange bedfellows, and enemies. Garrett's brothers had captured him in order to force him, the best leader they knew, to lead a rebel army against English oppression in Ireland. This would make Garrett, a known irritant to the English who was already under surveillance, the leader of a treasonous militant group. One can only imagine the anxiety Eleanor felt at the idea, especially considering the fact that their son was still in English custody. 

     The uprising led by Garrett FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond became known as the "Second Desmond Rebellion". It lasted from 1579-1583. As a result of the rebellion, Eleanor and Garrett's property was ransacked and destroyed. Eleanor quickly left the rubble behind and traveled across dangerous territory to where Garrett was planning a battle. She had come to advise him on his military campaigns.

 
A photo of Carrigafoyle Castle in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, a stronghold of the Earl of Desmond's forces during the Second Desmond Rebellion. It was captured by the English in 1580. Photo shared for public use by Arcaist on Wikimedia Commons.

     Eleanor managed to protect her husband from re-capture by having them hide out and sleep in ditches, bushes and caves. Eleanor personally delivered battle plans from her husband to his soldiers who were ready and waiting for his orders. Unfortunately for the FitzGeralds and their supporters, the rebellion was not to succeed. In 1583, Garrett was found and arrested. It was inevitable, really. Despite Eleanor's dedication to protecting her husband, they just couldn't outrun the English forces forever. 

     Garrett sent a last-minute plea to Eleanor to surrender to the English, rather than take the risk that she and their children would be captured and perhaps killed (in addition to James, they had Thomas, Katherine, Jane, Ellen, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Ellice). Eleanor agreed. To the English, Garrett was a traitor, and a symbol of Irish obstinance that had to be made an example of. He was beheaded in 1583 at age 51. His head was sent back to England and displayed on Tower Bridge to warn those who even considered rebelling against the crown.

     So what became of Eleanor FitzGerald? Her surrender at her husband's request protected her from being held equally accountable for his treasonous activity. However, she lived in poverty for the next four years, as traitors and their families forfeited their property to the crown. In 1588, that monumental year of  England's defeat of the invading Spanish Armada, Eleanor met with Queen Elizabeth I once again. She was able to garner enough sympathy from the queen that, Elizabeth I granted Eleanor, the wife of a traitor, a widow's pension, so that she and her children would no longer have to struggle. Compared to the other Tudor monarchs, Queen Elizabeth was not a cruel person or an unreasonable ruler, and there are many examples of her benevolence. However, she was still to be obeyed, absolutely.

     In a stunning turn of events, Eleanor FitzGerald relocated to England with her family. Perhaps she wanted to demonstrate her gratitude to Queen Elizabeth I, the woman who had restored her to self sufficiency. Perhaps it was because there was nothing left for her to fight for in Ireland anymore, ever since the rebellion. All that lay behind her were tragic memories. Perhaps it was a combination of both. And besides, her son, James, now a young man of seventeen years, was still imprisoned on English soil. 

     In 1597, the Countess of Desmond got remarried to Donogh O'Conner of County Sligo. Eleanor, still a great negotiator, was able to campaign for her son's release. When he was freed, Eleanor brought him back to Ireland, to see the country he was from but had never been to. Sadly, James was not anything like Eleanor's other children. Because he had not been raised in a normal and loving environment, but had instead been kept in prison with minimal care since birth, he was constantly paranoid of being imprisoned again. He died eccentric and mad at the young age of 30 in 1601. The English armies, under Queen Elizabeth's orders, finally and officially conquered Ireland that same year.

     Eleanor had spent her whole life in the thick of political turmoil and heartbreak. It was only fitting that this courageous woman who was constantly helping rescue her first husband and plan his battles have some peace in her old age. Eleanor FitzGerald lived quietly after her second husband's death, managing their lands from their Sligo Castle. She lived there until the ancient age of 93, passing in 1635. Alone with her thoughts, we can only wonder how much she reminisced about the adventures of her early years.

Sources

Broderick, Marian. Wild Irish Women: Extraordinary Lives From History. Dublin: O'Brien Press, 2002. 

     Print.

Emerson, Kathy Lynn. "A Who's Who of Tudor Women"

Friday, January 30, 2015

BeingBess Memes: Henry VIII c.1537

"Modesty...is not in my vocabulary" - Henry VIII, circa 1537.

Portrait of Henry VIII, circa 1537. Image public domain through Creative Commons licensing. Modified for meme by BeingBess.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

The Secret Wedding of Elizabeth I's Parents

A screen-still of "Anne of the Thousand Days", starring Genevieve Bujold and Richard Burton. Image via fanpop. 

On this day in 1533, Elizabeth I's parents, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, were married in a secret ceremony at Whitehall Palace. You can learn more about their marriage in our BeingBess article here.

Monday, January 19, 2015

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of the 2nd Earl of Pembroke


A portrait of Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, circa 1590. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.
On this day in Elizabethan history in 1601, Henry Herbert, the 2nd Earl of Pembroke died at his family's Wilton House. He was laid to rest in Salisbury Cathedral. You can read about his life and accomplishments (and those of his equally extraordinary wife, Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke) in our article, "Elizabethan Power Couple: The 2nd Earl and Countess of Pembroke".

3-quarter length armor, most likely belonging to Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. Photo by A.Jensen.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Elizabeth Tudor is Crowned Queen of England

A detail of The Coronation Portrait of Elizabeth I, showing her free-flowing hair. Image public domain through Creative Commons licensing. NPG, London.
On this day in 1559, Elizabeth Tudor was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey. To learn about her coronation, and the festivities that took place both before and after, please read our feature-length BeingBess article here.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Bess to Impress: Elizabeth I (1565-70) by Hans Eworth

I recently visited the Portland Art Museum to view their temporary exhibit Treasures of British Art 1400-2000, from the Berger Collection at the Denver Art Museum. The exhibit featured paintings of Tudor monarchs and their courtiers and other subjects, including, of course, Queen Elizabeth I. In fact, her visage was clearly considered the one most likely to garner attention for the exhibit, as it advertised it and greeted patrons at the front entrance of the museum.

At the Portland Art Museum, being greeted by Queen Elizabeth I at the front door! Photo by L.Jensen.

It is one of my personal goals in life to see every portrait of Queen Elizabeth I that was painted during her lifetime, meaning the ones that are in public collections, or that are regularly put out on loan from private collections into exhibits. I call it my "Queen Elizabeth I Portrait Bucket List"! At the Portland Art Museum, I was able to check yet another one off my list: A portrait of Queen Elizabeth I from early in her reign, painted between 1565-1570 by Belgian-born Elizabethan court artist Hans Eworth (circa 1520-after 1578). The portrait was painted shortly after the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I, Head of the Church of England, was excommunicated by the pope in Rome from the Catholic faith (I'll just let the futility of the pope's gesture sink in for a second). 

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I of England. By Hans Eworth, circa 1565-70. Photography by A.Jensen permitted by the Portland Art Museum. In the Berger Collection at the Denver Art Museum.

The pose of Queen Elizabeth I's face in this Eworth painting has been copied in a series of other similar portraits from around the same time; typically, portraits approved by the queen were copied by other artists for the mass market, as images of the queen were in high demand from her loyal subjects.

The Eworth painting is oil on panel. Paintings done on wood were often subject to rot and water damage over time, and the original image may have been cut down. Likely, Queen Elizabeth was originally depicted with her hands shown, like the following portraits of her father and her brother, also on display in the exhibit.

Portrait of Henry VIII, circa 1513. Photography by A.Jensen permitted by the Portland Art Museum. In the Berger Collection at the Denver Art Museum.
Portrait of Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VI). By Hans Holbein the Younger and his studio, circa 1538. Photography by A.Jensen permitted by the Portland Art Museum. In the Berger Collection at the Denver Art Museum.

 The young Queen Elizabeth I, as painted by Eworth, is not dressed in the elaborate, overwhelming costumes of the 1580's and 90's, when she fashioned herself as "Gloriana". Rather, she wears more understated cothing and accesories. To view other Queen Elizabeth portraits from around the same time period, click on the links below:

Bess to Impress: The Clopton Portrait 

Bess to Impress: The Hampden Portrait