Elizabeth I, considered one of the most glorious reigns in history, also happened to be the only queen of England who never married.
After spending her 45-year reign leading her country to victory, establishing the Church of England, and immersing the country in the arts, Elizabeth had little time left to pursue romance.
But according to one historian, Elizabeth may have found love after all, having developed a special connection with a statesman while she was imprisoned in the Tower of London alongside him in her youth.
Before becoming queen, Elizabeth had struggled with a turbulent relationship with her older half-sister, the former Queen Mary, who was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
When Elizabeth was only 20 years old, her sister, 17 years her senior, condemned her to the infamous Tower of London, a particularly terrifying feat for the young princess whose mother, Anne Boleyn, had been murdered there 18 years ago. years before.
Fortunately, the future queen escaped, but not before meeting someone special, and historian Tracy Borman speculated whether Robert Dudley was the real reason she never married.
Channel 5’s Inside The Tower of London, which airs on Thursday night, reflects on how Elizabeth narrowly escaped death at the famous tower – and how a person she met there may have stopped her getting married.
In 1554, Princess Elizabeth “had fallen out with her sister” and had been instructed to be sent to the Tower of London.
Elizabeth I, considered one of the most glorious reigns in history, also happened to be the only queen of England to never marry (pictured)
But according to one historian, Tracy Borman (pictured) Elizabeth may have found love after all, as she developed a special connection with a statesman while imprisoned in the Tower of London alongside him in her youth.
The couple had notoriously had a strained relationship. Mary, believing that Elizabeth was involved in a plot against her, ordered her to be sent to the tower.
In the documentary, historian Tracy Borman said: “For 20-year-old Elizabeth, the prospect of being taken to the tower must have been devastating.
“Her mother Anne Boleyn had been executed here 18 years earlier and Elizabeth must surely have felt she was going to suffer the same fate.”
Elizabeth was taken to the tower on a barge, fearing that she had spent her entire life locked up or, worse still, faced execution.
He arrived at the tower on March 18, 1554 and was to remain in the queen’s apartments. As a small offering of respite, Isabel was allowed to leave her chambers to stroll through the halls of the tower.
It was on one of those occasions that Elizabeth would meet someone who would “change the course of her life forever.”
At the chance meeting, Elizabeth met Robert Dudley, an English statesman who was the first Earl of Leicester (pictured).
At the chance meeting, Elizabeth met Robert Dudley, an English statesman who was the first Earl of Leicester.
His father, John Dudley, had been executed by Elizabeth’s archrival, Queen Mary.
But Robert, along with three of his brothers, were being held in Beecham Tower, awaiting their fate.
As Tracy explained: ‘It was a real meeting of minds. They were both tremendously intelligent, well educated, and united by their Protestant religion.
‘And I think this created a real intimacy between them. I can’t imagine their relationship would have developed the way it did if they hadn’t had this bonding experience here in the tower.’
Over the next few months, the pair became increasingly close, but their time was cut short when Elizabeth was released due to “lack of evidence.”
“She would have felt relieved, she had been fearing for her life for several weeks. But on the other hand, he was leaving Dudley behind with an uncertain fate and he was someone he had become very close to during his time in the tower. So it must have been a bittersweet experience.”
Four years later, after battling a lifetime of ill health, Mary died, leaving Elizabeth as queen.
Elizabeth’s decision to remain single remains a mystery to historians and royal fans alike.
‘Now that Elizabeth has become queen, you might think she is free to marry, but it is not that simple. There are all kinds of limitations for a queen when it comes to choosing a husband.
‘Should I look for someone from abroad or choose one of your English nobles? But her advisors have their own ideas and she received pressure from all directions.
And what he does surprises everyone. Isabel decides not to marry at all.
Elizabeth’s decision to remain single remains a mystery to historians and royal fans alike.
But Tracy has her own theory. “There are all kinds of reasons why Elizabeth decided not to get married,” Tracy said. ‘His family history was not great publicity for the marriage, his mother had been executed on his father’s orders.
“But I wonder if there was another reason at play here that had more to do with Elizabeth’s heart than her head and possibly Robert Dudley.”
Although the couple had been imprisoned in what probably would not have been a romantic setting, it was there that they developed a friendship that would last half a century.
Dudley was released from the Tower of London five months after Elizabeth. Once back in society, Elizabeth did everything in her power to keep Dudley, her beloved assistant, in her life.
He even went so far as to move his bedroom next to his own private room.
And in open court, it seems she couldn’t keep her hands off him. When he gave her an honor, he tickled her neck at the same time.
‘You can imagine a court full of gossip. “This is all absolutely scandalous,” lamented Tracy.
Even though the two never made their relationship official through marriage, it’s clear that their affection was strong.
As the documentary explains, after Dudley’s death, Elizabeth kept the last letter he sent her in a box next to her bed for the rest of her life.
Tracy commented: ‘Was Elizabeth really the virgin queen? Did they or not? Although I don’t think Elizabeth should be defined by her love life.
‘Perhaps we should focus on her enormous achievements as queen. Her relationship with Dudley is undeniably fascinating.
“There were so many things that could have gone wrong. He came from a family of convicted traitors.
‘However, their relationship lasted 50 years and, despite all the trials and tribulations, Elizabeth stood by him.
“The relationship that was forged right here in the tower would endure,” he said.
Inside The Tower of London airs on Channel 5 on Thursday at 8pm