8. Seymour and Princess Elizabeth
He wold com many mornyngs into the said Lady Elizabeths
chamber … And if she were up, he wold bid her good Morrow,
and ax how she did, and strike hir upon the bak, or on the
buttocks familiarly … And if she were in hir bed he wold put
open the curteyns, and bid hir good morrow, and make as
though he wold come at hir: And she wold go further in the
bed, so that he could not com at hir; And one mornyng he
strove to have kissed hir in hir Bed
One tyme the [dowager] Quene, suspecting the often accesse
of the Admirall to the Lady Elizabeth's Grace, cam sodenly
upon them, wher they were all alone, (he having her in his
Armes)
Kate Astley, governess
9. Seymour after Katherine
• Plans to marry Elizabeth
• 1549 Arrested
– Conspired to marry Elizabeth
– Kidnap the King
– Depose the Protector
• Found guilty and executed
21. Blanche Parry (ferch Harry) (1507-90) Servant through Life
“With maiden Queen a maid did end my life”
Notas do Editor
Right trustie and welbiloved, we grete you well. And where as it hath pleased the goodnes of Almightie God, of his infynite marcie and grace, to sende unto us, at this tyme, good spede, in the delyveraunce and bringing furthe of a Princes,2 to the great joye, rejoyce, and inward comforte of my Lorde, us, and all his good and loving subjectes of this his realme;
By 1548 he had become her cofferer, and as such her principal business manager. Early in Edward's reign Elizabeth came into informal possession of most of the lands that formed her endowment under Henry VIII's will, despite the hostility of Protector Somerset. Parry helped to improve and add to her properties, for example by acquiring Ewelme in Oxfordshire. Until 1549 Elizabeth had been living off relatives and friends with no independent household, and she and Parry were able to build up a substantial cash surplus. In the years 1551–2 Parry handled sums totalling £4600, and after paying for the previous and current years' expenditure he was still able to hand back to the princess £1500 for her own use.
Parry's intimate knowledge of Elizabeth's household affairs extended beyond finance. In autumn 1548 Kate Ashley, the princess's principal gentlewoman, expressed to Parry her concerns about the sexual attentions to which the princess was being subjected by her guardian and stepfather, Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley, the younger brother of Protector Somerset, and now husband of Queen Katherine Parr. Kate had seen Seymour embracing Elizabeth, and despite her complaining to Katherine, the abusive relationship continued; on one occasion the husband and wife together visited the princess in her bed and tickled her, on another they cut her dress into pieces. Parry swore himself to secrecy: ‘He would rather be pulled with horses than he would disclose it’ (Starkey, 73). The dowager queen died on 5 September 1548, and Seymour's thoughts turned to marrying the princess. After Christmas he talked to Parry about the state of her finances, and asked whether the property due to her under Henry VIII's will had been finally conveyed to her by letters patent. Parry replied that they had not. Nevertheless the two men discussed the savings that could be made by pooling and rationalizing the resources disposed of by Seymour and the princess. These transactions, combined with Seymour's political ambitions, placed Parry's mistress in a potentially very dangerous position. Parry even questioned Elizabeth about her attitude towards marriage with Seymour, asking her ‘whether she would marry with him’ and assuming that the legal conditions for marriage established by her father's will were fulfilled. In one of the most important conversations of her life she replied: ‘when that comes to pass, I will do as God shall put in my mind’ (Starkey, 72). Elizabeth's cool head and vague replies saved her life and Parry's.
Later copy after 1600
The cloth-of-gold mantle and kirtle depicted in both portrait and miniature are entered in an Inventory of the Wardrobe of Robes, prepared in I6oo,6 as 'The Coronation Robes: one Mantle of Clothe of golde tissued with golde and silver furred with powdered Armyons [i.e., ermines] with a Mantle lace of silke and golde with buttons and Tassels to the same' and 'one kirtle of the same tissue, the traine and skirts furred with powdered Armyons the rest lined with Sarceonet, with a paire of bodies and sleeves to the same'. These robes had been kept from Queen Mary's coronation in I553. I
When Elizabeth came to the throne the same robes were used again,9 the Mantle of Estate furred with miniver.
Hiar worn loose as with Queen consort as a bride.Does not wear the customary robe of purple.
Appointment of Cecil
`I give you this charge,' she said, `that you shall be of my Privy Council and content yourself to take pains for me and my realm. This judgement I have of you, that you will not be corrupted with any manner of gift and that you will be faithful to the State, and that without respect of my private will, you will give me that counsel that you think best: and, if you shall know anything necessary to be declared to me of secrecy, you shall show it to myself only and assure yourself I will not fail to keep taciturnity therein. And therefore herewith I charge you.'
