Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (10 November 1566 – 25 February 1601), a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I of England,
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (10 November 1566 – 25 February 1601), a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I of England, is the best-known of the many holders of the title "Earl of Essex." He was a military hero and royal favourite, but following a poor campaign against Irish rebels during the Nine Years War in 1599, he defied the Queen and was executed for treason. Essex was born on 10th November 1567 at Netherwood near Bromyard, in Herefordshire, the son of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex and Lettice Knollys. His lineage has been called into doubt by unreliable and over-imaginative "evidence" that he might not have been Walter's son, but the son of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.[1] He was brought up on his father's estates at Chartley Castle, Staffordshire and at Lamphey, Carmarthenshire in Wales and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. His father died in 1576, and on 21 September 1578 at Wanstead House, Essex, his mother married Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Elizabeth I's long-standing favourite. His great-grandmother Mary Boleyn was a sister of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Frances Walsingham, countess of Essex, and her son Robert by Robert Peake the elder, 1594Essex performed military service under his stepfather before making an impact at court and winning the Queen's favour. In 1590 he married Frances Walsingham, daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham and widow of Sir Philip Sidney. Sidney, Leicester's nephew, died at the Battle of Zutphen in which Essex also distinguished himself. Court and military career Essex first came to court in 1584, and by 1587 had become a favourite of the Queen, who relished his lively mind and eloquence, as well as his skills as a showman and in courtly love. She rewarded Essex with a royal monopoly on sweet wines, for which Essex received taxes. He underestimated the Queen, however, and his later behaviour towards her lacked due respect and showed disdain
Size: 3738px × 4508px
Photo credit: © 19th era / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, -fashioned, 1800, 19th, 2d, 2nd, academic, age, ancient, antique, antiquity, black, book, bw, bygone, century, classical, copy, cut, cutout, devereux, drawing, duplicate, earl, elizabeth, embossed, empire, england, engrave, engraved, engraver, engraving, essex, essex., etching, expression, favourite, figure, formal, front, frontispiece, graphic, hand, heritage, hero, historic, history, holders, illustration, image, imperial, late, lifelike, majesty, margin, master, military, monotone, national, nineteenth, notable, obscure, obsolete, olden, original, paper, period, pictorial, picture, portrait, pre, press, print, printed, printing, prior, proof, publication, publicity, queen, rare, real, realism, realistic, reference, relief, replica, represent, representation, repro, reproduce, reproduction, retro, review, robert, romantic, royal, social, standard, steel, studio, style, subject, teach, time, title, tool, topic, topical, tract, true, unusual, victoria, victorian, visual, white
