Thanks for another great video! I don't think Elizabeth ever believed that marriage was an option for her. She was probably badly scarred by how Henry treated her mother, and how Thomas Seymour treated her. She also saw how the people turned against Mary when she insisted on marrying Phillip. She may have harbored deep feelings for Dudley, but her interaction with various suitors was all diplomacy. She thought the only way to keep her throne was to remain unmarried, and she was later confirmed in her belief by watching the train wreck which was Mary Queen of Scots. 💒 👰
Agreed. Smart woman. Do you think she made James vi her heir because she had his mother executed? Or were there no other options this side of the channel?
I agree. The marriage examples that surrounded her weren't exactly the most positive, so I can understand her choosing to steer clear. Also that this was the first time there had been a proper Queen in power, and it would have been incredibly easy for everyone to look to her husband instead of her if she were to marry, so that could have played a role as well in her decision.
Not only did she see Henry's treatment of her mother, but that of all his wives. Although she never knew Catherine of Aragon, of course, I'm sure she was aware of her treatment at Henry's hands, and either witnessed or was aware of the way he treated all her stepmothers.
@@Roz-y2d Don't think she named him as heir, but she knew he would most likely be king. Maybe she felt some guilt late in life for executing an "anointed" queen, but it also seems a bit out of character for Elizabeth. I think she probably favored James VI because the other three claimants had baggage. Edward Seymour had legitimacy rumors, and he was a Seymour. Anne Stanley never really made a claim. Arbella Stuart was rumored to have been plotting with the Seymours (imagine that!), and I think she was nominally a Catholic.
Holy cow she had a lot of suitors. I honestly feel like she didn't choose one because there wasn't one she was willing to share power with at a time when women were considered less than.
Ive always thought, that most, if not all, of her suitors had no real interest in her as a person, but only in her position. They were ambitious men, who wanted to be King of England and had no intention of sharing power with her. That might be unfair to a few of them, but it would be perfectly natural for the time. And I think, she knew that. She knew, if she married, she would end up sidelined and at the mercy of her husband. Just consider the observations, she wouldve made, of the marriages of her father, her sister, her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, and the nobility in general. Even unmarried she had to carefully and cleverly navigate all the intrigue around her to avoid men usurping some or all of her power.
I think she was lucky to have bypassed them all. None of them really impressed me, but if I was going to pick one, it would be Robert D. Just because she seemed to love him. I think he did care for her, but..... I think he had other motives, too.
Thoroughly enjoyed this episode! I think William Pickering would've made a great husband for Elizabeth - I could just imagine him pottering about in the background doing the gardening and the washing up and letting Elizabeth get on with being Queen 😆
This topic has always fascinated me; I think Elizabeth might have wanted to marry someone, she obviously envied her ladies and favorites who were "free" to do so. But in the end, her past experiences and the experiences of others gave her reasonable caution, and she opted out. Probably the wisest thing she could have done back in those days, unfortunately, to protect herself and her throne. In a sense, I feel like she sacrificed being married for the protection of her kingdom, since marriage to any of these suitors came with a small possibility of political strife and civil unrest.
The whole Vasa family, makes the young and the restless look like a kindergarten show. Fun fact, he sent his brother John (later John the third) and his sister Cecilia, Elizabeth even became the godmother of Cecilia's first born son Edvard fortunatus. And Cecilia's life would be a huge epic box office adventure drama if ever got filmed, she even became a pirate for a few years
My mind boggles with the Ivan the Terrible idea, not because of his reputation but the idea that they'd add another denomination (Russian orthodox Christianity) into the mix
This was excellent. I honestly think there was no option she could have taken. A woman in that role needs a partner who understands the concept of partnership. She was clearly a means to an end for most. The few that may have genuinely cared for would have come with issues in her government making her vulnerable. I always thought this was solely her choice but I'm not so sure now.
Maybe she always knew she’d name James vi her heir, especially after she had his mother executed. I think she deliberately brought the Tudor line to an end because of the actions of her father. I’m only sorry he could never know that the mayhem and murder had all been for nought. Apart from Elizabeth l I can’t stand the Tudors. They should never have been on the throne in the first place.
An enjoyable talk about a complicated story - far more fun for us than for Elizabeth and the men who actually experienced it - the men being not just the prospective bridegrooms but her civil servants and politicians wringing their hands over their monarch's failure to marry. 💘
She should have picked Pickering to marry and have children with in order to leave an heir, but was also scared of marriage from all that she had witnessed. He wasnt who she wanted though as her heart belonged to Dudley. ❤ Love your videos!
Dudley was the man that she was in love with, their relationship was passionate and stormy. I think he loved her too, but he was a wrong un through and through, he was a possible murderer, not just the suspicious death of his wife Amy, but rumours that he was a poisoner. Elizabeth had a true affection for Duc d'Alencon and agreed to marry him, she was angry that Dudley had married Lettuce in secret, it was Simier (French Ambassador that Liz called monkey) that told her the news. Dudley was jealous of Francois and Elizabeth was fuming that Dudley had married in secret. On the night she announced her engagement to Francois her ladies in waiting wept so loudly that in the morning she changed her mind, in the words of Edward de Vere Earl of Oxford, The moon methinks looks with a watery eye; And when she weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforced chastity ( A Midsummer Night's Dream III.i.198-201)
Robert Dudley was her great love, but she was too well aware of the pitfalls of marriage and the danger of childbirth. She was also unwilling to share the throne with anyone. By remaining unmarried, she chose wisely.
The frog, of course. He seemed to make her laugh and feel like a woman desired. She needed it badly. Her own very sad death would ,may be, have been less bitter.
I find it interesting that royal brides were expected to convert to their husband's religion, but royal grooms were not (even if they were marrying a queen regent!) as far as matches, I so find the Anjou match pretty interesting, especially considering all the political drama going on in France at the time. we could have a queen regent of England married to the king of France! 🏴➕🇫🇷🟰💋⁉️
I'm old enough to remember Elizabeth R on telly, about 1970 I think, I still picture Robert Hardy and Robin Ellis as Dudley and Essex, I'd have married either of them....Seriously, I think she felt safer unmarried after her scarred childhood, and may have feared dying in or around childbirth like so many of her contemporaries.
Her options were few on everything we mortals take for granted - trusted friends, potential mates - and what foreign leader will betray me next ... really a tough position. She chose what she evidently thought was best for her country, considering herself more than a few times in speeches the Mother of her beloved England.
Hello Dr. Kat! California here! It's not a sunny day and yes, all the leaves are brown. 😊 I'd pick France. He died early. No to Ivan. H8, a tyrant. Ivan a tyrant. I know some ladies seek or are placed by situations not of their choosing, multigenerational chaos. Elizabeth I, was not one. Elizabeth I made the best possible choice by remaining unmarried to a man, but married to her country and it's people. Thank you for the history you research, present to us. It is a lot of work. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Loving this channel.
On a very cynical note😏, with hindsight I think the best political marriage would have been to François, Duke of Alençon, since : 1. it would have tightened England's links with France; 2. She perhaps would have produced an heir (if still able to conceive at 49) ; 3. Then losing her husband to sickness, therefore being able to solely rule England afterwards. 🤫
I’d say Dudley if she was going to marry. It’s interesting she’d want to marry the frog as she was most likely past childbearing age. I can see why her advisors might not be keen for that match as it wouldn’t produce an heir & might give the French too much power in the English court. Of course, no one knew he would die in just a few years.
Excellent information. Elizabeth truly didn't have a total package in any of her choices of a life's partner. They all came with baggage. Poor Elizabeth.🎎💔💔💔
Dudley. I know Elizabeth was gravely concerned about optics, but I think she could have survived it. There would have been a storm of response, but it would have eventually blown over, and Elizabeth still would have been queen -- and a much happier, more contented woman, since she could be with the one person she really loved. I'm not sure Robert really felt the same, though, since he had to know that marrying Lettice Knollys was going to stoke Elizabeth's ire. Unless he decided if he couldn't marry her, he'd rather just not be at court, and marrying Lettice did just that. For a while, anyway. 💍
I honestly believe she knew she couldn’t afford to marry and give birth. With apologies to Woody Hayes addressing the forward pass in American 🏈football, “Getting pregnant has three possible outcomes, and two of them are bad.”
Dudley, because, for once, she would have been able to follow her heart. It would likely have been disastrous, though. And I really don’t think she ever intended to marry, or she would have, being as strong as she was.❤
Elizabeth I was bound by conventions of the times and a union with any of her suitors was not possible due to the fact that women were subjugated to their husbands. Had her brother survived to a ripe old age she may have found happiness by marrying for love instead of as a pawn in the great chess game that was European monarchy at that time. I would have chosen Dudley since she seemed most likely to have loved him. Both Mary and Elizabeth suffered greatly from Henry VIII's obsession with a male heir. 😢👸💒👑👰♀️
..Robert Dudley..!✨🥰..I know love wasn’t a fashionable reason, but I think she loved being with him.. Question Please: is there a name for the style of beard all of the suitors had during that time..? Thank you for this wonderful channel..🤸🏼♂️🤸🏼♂️❤️
We see in the present day, and slightly further back to Prince Albert, how frustrated and unhappy male consorts of monarchs can be playing second fiddle. It is reasonable to think that a male consort not only could have but would wielded substantial power and undermined Elizabeth. Philip did that to Mary I when he was in England.🏴
My vote would go her “Frog”, because they seemed so truly fond of one another. I know that it would then have been doubtful that she would have had issue, so perhaps her Council was against the match because it could have led to undue French influence on England’s future, but he seems to have been a genuine suitor, with Elizabeth’s best interests T heart🐸💕
Why was Edward Courtenay such a big deal? A lot of people seemed to want to put him on the throne via marriage to Elizabeth I. I hadn’t even heard of him before, so it seemed a bit random.
He was a great great grandson of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville through a younger daughter. So he had royal blood and, thus, a claim but it came through a younger child and a female line which made it less pressing.
Thank you Dr Kat. If Elizabeth had married Dudley,do you think it would have set a precedent for future monarchs (ie marrying " lower placed"nobles .)?? The Kings and Queens of England might have been saved a lot of heartache (as in the case of our current monarch and perhaps Queen Victoria and Lord Melbourne?).❤️💙❤️🩹👩❤️💋👨
I think Robert Dudley was her “love-match” although I do not think it would have been a good choice. I feel Dudley would not have been able to let her rule and would have caused issues amongst the other nobles. I like the idea of Pickering. As another commenter suggested, I think he might have been content to support Elizabeth in her rule.
I know she has a video on Wyatt the elder. I could have sworn she did a presentation on Wyatt's Rebellion. I was trying to find the video and link it to you but I was unsuccessful in locating it.
Thanks for the video. I think the trauma of her childhood set the bells ringing when she got serious about a fellow. Dudley was her youth but the Anjou was her mature love. And probably the one she could have had more fun with 😎
I wasn't there, of course, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't in love with anyone except Robin Dudley. I'll keep it at that, although I could lay out all my reasons after studying Elizabeth's life for nearly 60 years, but this isn't the place to do that.
All evidence seems to indicate that Elizabeth was extraordinarily shrewd----certainly as related to the implications of marriage for a female monarch. Many thanks for another intriguing and wonderfully presented video. Cheers, Ardith
🐸🩵 Duke of Anjou all the way, it may not have been the best political match, but it would definitely have been a love match, he might have even lived longer but sadly we'll never know :(
Hello! Greetings from Australia! I’m a long time fan of your content. Would love you to do an in depth video on the life of Sir Nicholas Carew. He is a figure in Tudor court that flies under the radar but he had a real significant impact on the King and court. Would love to hear your thoughts on him in a video. 😀
Again, Dr. Kat presented a thoughtful and excellent video! I never realized that there were that many men and monarchies after poor Elizabeth. I think she had witnessed too much tragedy and trauma to fall into the marriage trap herself. Considering the marriage record of her father and sister, I think she decided that was not going to in her life.👸🤴🏼💍🐸🐩🔕💔🥰😵💫🤫🤔🥺🏰
Did not Erik XIV send his sister, Princess Cecilia Vasa to England as a messanger? Cecilias friend and lady in waiting, Helena Snakenborg married William Parr the markis of Northampton
Vadstenabullret, when Princess Cecilia got caught with her brother-in-laws brother in her bedroom and her unstable half-brother Erik made a great spectable of everything
Fascinating as always! I would have chosen Robert Dudley, as I suspect that he was Elizabeth’s one true love, though, of course, the suspicions surrounding the death of his first wife made that impossible. On the other hand, I doubt that she ever intended to marry: I honestly don’t think she wanted to let someone else rule in her place. 👰♀️
Hello Dr Kat, please do an episode on the Marshalsea prison, in existence well before Q. Elizabeth I and holding Ben Johnson, George Wither, & etc. The second most important prison next to Tower of London, and of course continued on till Dickens' time with "Little Dorrit" fame, which put an end to the terrible abuses. Thanks from California
I don't think Elizabeth was willing to give up her throne (while her husband became king). I think she liked being fawned over, but not interested in going further. 💍🚫
A great video, thanks Dr Kat. A marriage with Robert Dudley would have been less abrasive than one with a Roman Catholic, however his marital status precluded him from marriage. Elizabeth was uncommonly wise and prudent to not marry at all, however the Stuarts that replaced her were quite disastrous!! A shame that she left no heirs 😢
👰 i really dont thinķ Elizabeth I wanred a husband nor a co ruler. I do think she had a lover, probably Dudley, but she loved the game of flirtation most of all
Such an interesting video. Honestly, I think if Elizabeth were to marry any of these men, it would have to be Robert Dudley. She truly loved him, and I believe he loved her to.
I hadn't really noticed before but it is a long time between Edward the 6th and Edward the 7th. It's also a long time between Charles II and Charles the third. Guess I'm not really making a point but just an observation.😊
I wonder what the marriage between Elizbeth and Ivan would be like. He was cruel and she wasn't exactly the most pleasant of people either. Would he torment her, if so, how would she respond to it, would she make him less cruel, would they bring out the worst in each other?
My favorite portrayal of Queen I is Helem Mirren in the HBO mini series Elizabeth I with Jeremy Irons and Hugh Dancy. Does anyone have a favorite portrayal of good Queen, Bess?
Anita Dobson played an interesting Elizabeth at the time of the Armada and portrayed her as being extremely anxious about the Armada - which was a version I’d not considered
I'd like to imagine Elizabeth married to Ivan as a kind of royal power couple. If they could have found some way to value each other and work together, even if neither truly of the other as an equal, they would have been hell on wheels. Both had a strong streak of (often petty) cruelty and neither one was stupid. They could have made Eurasia a very interesting place to be during their lifetimes. In the fashion of the old curse, 'May you live in interesting times' sort of way.
Hmm. Imagine how history would have been different if she’d made an alliance with France or Russia? Although Mary’s marriage to Spain didn’t produce a merging of kingdoms, so maybe not as much as I’d assume at first glance. I wonder if Mary Queen of Scots’ life would have turned out differently if Elizabeth had married and produced heirs.
I suspect that ER was gun shy about marriage in general. Unlike a male king, she couldn't marry for legitimate offspring and keep a more favored side interest - which would have been SOP for a male ruler. I think also that the many instances in her teenage years of ill health/jaundice may also have played a part. She may have genuinely and properly feared childbirth as a result of these episodes. Though some of these may have been 'improved' a bit to avoid Mary I's ire. An interesting and complex character. I have no hesitation in believing that ER's court would have been desperate for a husband for her, any husband, so that they could feel reassured that she was properly under control. Knox's pamphlet The Monstrous Regiment of Women did not come out of nowhere.
Very interesting. Thank you Dr Kat 💒 💍 So many choices for Elizabeth but maybe not all suitable. Elizabeth 1 and Ivan the Terrible. Could you imagine such a match 😳
William Pickering or Froggie would have made good consorts. Ivan the Terrible maybe less so. But I do wonder what happened to Thomas Seymour's daughter by Catherine Parr.
The real problem was the assumption that any husband would effectively become King, as happened with Philip of Spain. Despite the concerns of the council (about Elizabeth's heirs or lack thereof), her own temperament would not have relished ever being second.
Elizabeth I might've met her match with William Pickering. He certainly knew his Queen's mind either because she told him or he was just smarter than her court & council. She certainly led them a merry chase. I always liked her frog, François, not as a husband for her but because he was a character. I think Elizabeth had decided by the time her stepmother Catherine Parr died from childbirth complications that if she became Queen that she was not doing that.🚫👶
Wow yes she certainly had a lot of potential husband options throughout her life! Though I really don't think that she ever seriously considered marriage in general.. and just enjoyed the game!
Marriage was a raw deal for women throughout much of the past. Elizabeth was smart to steer clear of it under the circumstances.
Yes. She did the right thing by bringing the Tudors to an end.
@@Roz-y2dthe Stuarts were a piss poor alternative, they had Tudor blood anyway, from Margret Henry VIIIs sister.
@@Roz-y2dThere is still a monarch with Tudor blood on the throne….
Robert Dudley simply because he seemed to be who she would have chosen - but I truly think she felt that marriage was not a great option for her. 👑
I’m with you on that.
Smart woman. I’m glad she ended the Tudor line. They were awful and not worthy.
@@Roz-y2dJames was even worse!
Dudley wanted to be king more than he wanted to be Elizabeth's husband I think
Thanks for another great video! I don't think Elizabeth ever believed that marriage was an option for her. She was probably badly scarred by how Henry treated her mother, and how Thomas Seymour treated her. She also saw how the people turned against Mary when she insisted on marrying Phillip. She may have harbored deep feelings for Dudley, but her interaction with various suitors was all diplomacy. She thought the only way to keep her throne was to remain unmarried, and she was later confirmed in her belief by watching the train wreck which was Mary Queen of Scots. 💒 👰
Agreed. Smart woman. Do you think she made James vi her heir because she had his mother executed? Or were there no other options this side of the channel?
I agree. The marriage examples that surrounded her weren't exactly the most positive, so I can understand her choosing to steer clear. Also that this was the first time there had been a proper Queen in power, and it would have been incredibly easy for everyone to look to her husband instead of her if she were to marry, so that could have played a role as well in her decision.
Not only did she see Henry's treatment of her mother, but that of all his wives. Although she never knew Catherine of Aragon, of course, I'm sure she was aware of her treatment at Henry's hands, and either witnessed or was aware of the way he treated all her stepmothers.
@@Roz-y2d Don't think she named him as heir, but she knew he would most likely be king. Maybe she felt some guilt late in life for executing an "anointed" queen, but it also seems a bit out of character for Elizabeth. I think she probably favored James VI because the other three claimants had baggage. Edward Seymour had legitimacy rumors, and he was a Seymour. Anne Stanley never really made a claim. Arbella Stuart was rumored to have been plotting with the Seymours (imagine that!), and I think she was nominally a Catholic.
Holy cow she had a lot of suitors. I honestly feel like she didn't choose one because there wasn't one she was willing to share power with at a time when women were considered less than.
Ive always thought, that most, if not all, of her suitors had no real interest in her as a person, but only in her position. They were ambitious men, who wanted to be King of England and had no intention of sharing power with her.
That might be unfair to a few of them, but it would be perfectly natural for the time. And I think, she knew that. She knew, if she married, she would end up sidelined and at the mercy of her husband. Just consider the observations, she wouldve made, of the marriages of her father, her sister, her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, and the nobility in general. Even unmarried she had to carefully and cleverly navigate all the intrigue around her to avoid men usurping some or all of her power.
I think she was lucky to have bypassed them all. None of them really impressed me, but if I was going to pick one, it would be Robert D. Just because she seemed to love him. I think he did care for her, but..... I think he had other motives, too.
Thoroughly enjoyed this episode! I think William Pickering would've made a great husband for Elizabeth - I could just imagine him pottering about in the background doing the gardening and the washing up and letting Elizabeth get on with being Queen 😆
Totally Dennis Thatcher vibes!
Exactly! Poor Dennis - I remember him as a kid seeing press photos of him looking pretty hapless and that Spiitting Image puppet of him - oof!
Definitely a man who would have towed the line. Not sexy though.🤣
Thanks for the laugh - love the idea of an Elizabeth-Spouse doing the washing up while she ruled the country.
😁😁👑
This topic has always fascinated me; I think Elizabeth might have wanted to marry someone, she obviously envied her ladies and favorites who were "free" to do so. But in the end, her past experiences and the experiences of others gave her reasonable caution, and she opted out. Probably the wisest thing she could have done back in those days, unfortunately, to protect herself and her throne. In a sense, I feel like she sacrificed being married for the protection of her kingdom, since marriage to any of these suitors came with a small possibility of political strife and civil unrest.
Yes, and possible death in childbirth. Then what? Glad she brought the sorry mess that the Tudors were to an end.
Marriage would have resulted in her demotion. As long as she stayed single, she had control of herself and her realm.
Erik XIV of Sweden probably is the one most deserving of his own video.
The whole Vasa family, makes the young and the restless look like a kindergarten show. Fun fact, he sent his brother John (later John the third) and his sister Cecilia, Elizabeth even became the godmother of Cecilia's first born son Edvard fortunatus. And Cecilia's life would be a huge epic box office adventure drama if ever got filmed, she even became a pirate for a few years
My mind boggles with the Ivan the Terrible idea, not because of his reputation but the idea that they'd add another denomination (Russian orthodox Christianity) into the mix
This was excellent. I honestly think there was no option she could have taken. A woman in that role needs a partner who understands the concept of partnership. She was clearly a means to an end for most. The few that may have genuinely cared for would have come with issues in her government making her vulnerable. I always thought this was solely her choice but I'm not so sure now.
Maybe she always knew she’d name James vi her heir, especially after she had his mother executed. I think she deliberately brought the Tudor line to an end because of the actions of her father. I’m only sorry he could never know that the mayhem and murder had all been for nought. Apart from Elizabeth l I can’t stand the Tudors. They should never have been on the throne in the first place.
I think she made the right choice...none of the above 👸👑👑
An enjoyable talk about a complicated story - far more fun for us than for Elizabeth and the men who actually experienced it - the men being not just the prospective bridegrooms but her civil servants and politicians wringing their hands over their monarch's failure to marry. 💘
She should have picked Pickering to marry and have children with in order to leave an heir, but was also scared of marriage from all that she had witnessed. He wasnt who she wanted though as her heart belonged to Dudley. ❤ Love your videos!
Dudley was the man that she was in love with, their relationship was passionate and stormy. I think he loved her too, but he was a wrong un through and through, he was a possible murderer, not just the suspicious death of his wife Amy, but rumours that he was a poisoner. Elizabeth had a true affection for Duc d'Alencon and agreed to marry him, she was angry that Dudley had married Lettuce in secret, it was Simier (French Ambassador that Liz called monkey) that told her the news. Dudley was jealous of Francois and Elizabeth was fuming that Dudley had married in secret. On the night she announced her engagement to Francois her ladies in waiting wept so loudly that in the morning she changed her mind, in the words of Edward de Vere Earl of Oxford,
The moon methinks looks with a watery eye;
And when she weeps, weeps every little flower,
Lamenting some enforced chastity ( A Midsummer Night's Dream III.i.198-201)
Another program about the Duke of Anjou might be fun.
This was very interesting, I always wondered why Elizabeth chose to give her “favorite” to Mary Queen of Scots.❤👸🏼🌼
Robert Dudley was her great love, but she was too well aware of the pitfalls of marriage and the danger of childbirth. She was also unwilling to share the throne with anyone. By remaining unmarried, she chose wisely.
I hadn’t realised Dudley had had an affair with a child before his second marriage - I wonder how Elizabeth reacted to this
I can't help but laugh at that portrait of Mary and Phillip and his toothpick legs. I know I'm bad! 😂😂
The frog, of course. He seemed to make her laugh and feel like a woman desired. She needed it badly. Her own very sad death would ,may be, have been less bitter.
I find it interesting that royal brides were expected to convert to their husband's religion, but royal grooms were not (even if they were marrying a queen regent!) as far as matches, I so find the Anjou match pretty interesting, especially considering all the political drama going on in France at the time. we could have a queen regent of England married to the king of France! 🏴➕🇫🇷🟰💋⁉️
I'm old enough to remember Elizabeth R on telly, about 1970 I think, I still picture Robert Hardy and Robin Ellis as Dudley and Essex, I'd have married either of them....Seriously, I think she felt safer unmarried after her scarred childhood, and may have feared dying in or around childbirth like so many of her contemporaries.
I remember that series, it did help me develop an interest in history.
Her options were few on everything we mortals take for granted - trusted friends, potential mates - and what foreign leader will betray me next ... really a tough position. She chose what she evidently thought was best for her country, considering herself more than a few times in speeches the Mother of her beloved England.
Wow! So many of them either died young or turned out to be train wrecks! She may have had a lucky escape from most of them!
Ive always thought the Duke of Anjou would be a good choice, they seemed friendly despite everything.
I think she definitely had an affection for him. Perhaps not in a romantic way,but an affection nonetheless
Hello Dr. Kat!
California here! It's not a sunny day and yes, all the leaves are brown. 😊
I'd pick France. He died early.
No to Ivan. H8, a tyrant. Ivan a tyrant.
I know some ladies seek or are placed by situations not of their choosing, multigenerational chaos. Elizabeth I, was not one.
Elizabeth I made the best possible choice by remaining unmarried to a man, but married to her country and it's people.
Thank you for the history you research, present to us.
It is a lot of work.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Loving this channel.
On a very cynical note😏, with hindsight I think the best political marriage would have been to François, Duke of Alençon, since :
1. it would have tightened England's links with France;
2. She perhaps would have produced an heir (if still able to conceive at 49) ;
3. Then losing her husband to sickness, therefore being able to solely rule England afterwards. 🤫
I’d say Dudley if she was going to marry. It’s interesting she’d want to marry the frog as she was most likely past childbearing age. I can see why her advisors might not be keen for that match as it wouldn’t produce an heir & might give the French too much power in the English court. Of course, no one knew he would die in just a few years.
Excellent information. Elizabeth truly didn't have a total package in any of her choices of a life's partner. They all came with baggage. Poor Elizabeth.🎎💔💔💔
Dudley. I know Elizabeth was gravely concerned about optics, but I think she could have survived it. There would have been a storm of response, but it would have eventually blown over, and Elizabeth still would have been queen -- and a much happier, more contented woman, since she could be with the one person she really loved. I'm not sure Robert really felt the same, though, since he had to know that marrying Lettice Knollys was going to stoke Elizabeth's ire. Unless he decided if he couldn't marry her, he'd rather just not be at court, and marrying Lettice did just that. For a while, anyway. 💍
I honestly believe she knew she couldn’t afford to marry and give birth. With apologies to Woody Hayes addressing the forward pass in American 🏈football, “Getting pregnant has three possible outcomes, and two of them are bad.”
Dudley, because, for once, she would have been able to follow her heart. It would likely have been disastrous, though. And I really don’t think she ever intended to marry, or she would have, being as strong as she was.❤
Elizabeth I was bound by conventions of the times and a union with any of her suitors was not possible due to the fact that women were subjugated to their husbands. Had her brother survived to a ripe old age she may have found happiness by marrying for love instead of as a pawn in the great chess game that was European monarchy at that time. I would have chosen Dudley since she seemed most likely to have loved him. Both Mary and Elizabeth suffered greatly from Henry VIII's obsession with a male heir. 😢👸💒👑👰♀️
And his wives. I only wish he could have known that all his murderous actions came to nothing. Loathsome man.
..Robert Dudley..!✨🥰..I know love wasn’t a fashionable reason, but I think she loved being with him.. Question Please: is there a name for the style of beard all of the suitors had during that time..? Thank you for this wonderful channel..🤸🏼♂️🤸🏼♂️❤️
Oooh sounds scrummy with lashings of intrigue!! I’m so here for it.
Thank you Dr. Kat, for your channel. You feed a hungry mind.
👑👑 Dudley would have made sense but he doesn’t seem like he would have respected her authority.
💍👑💐 Not much to choose from in the husband pool. QE 1st needed a helpmate not an opportunist.
Love your content 😊😊😊❤❤❤
Nothing brightens a gray rainy day more than a new program from Dr. Kat. Many thanks from Magnolia, Kentucky.
Same. It is a gloomy, rainy day here in Richmond, IN, which means I am cuddled up watching Dr. Kat. 🌧
Starting a 6deg day in the PacNorthwest snuggled with Dr. Kat too. Thanks for reminding what a treat these are.
Interesting that Elizabeth out lived most of her suitors, even ones considerably younger than her.
We see in the present day, and slightly further back to Prince Albert, how frustrated and unhappy male consorts of monarchs can be playing second fiddle. It is reasonable to think that a male consort not only could have but would wielded substantial power and undermined Elizabeth. Philip did that to Mary I when he was in England.🏴
I can’t believe she actually called him a frog! 🐸 (What do you think of the emoji…?)
It was possibly a pet name or a term of affection for him .
Dudley may have been the favorite but he was a scoundrel.
If only Elizabeth was as young as Anjou - they might have been happy. 🎉🎉
I honestly didn't realize she had so many potential matches. This was very interesting. ❤❤
She was also fond of my tenth great uncle Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond. I throughly enjoyed your video 🙋♀️☘️
My vote would go her “Frog”, because they seemed so truly fond of one another. I know that it would then have been doubtful that she would have had issue, so perhaps her Council was against the match because it could have led to undue French influence on England’s future, but he seems to have been a genuine suitor, with Elizabeth’s best interests T heart🐸💕
Why was Edward Courtenay such a big deal? A lot of people seemed to want to put him on the throne via marriage to Elizabeth I. I hadn’t even heard of him before, so it seemed a bit random.
He was a great great grandson of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville through a younger daughter. So he had royal blood and, thus, a claim but it came through a younger child and a female line which made it less pressing.
I never knew there were SO MANY possible suitors for QE !! Very interesting, indeed.
Thank you Dr Kat. If Elizabeth had married Dudley,do you think it would have set a precedent for future monarchs (ie marrying " lower placed"nobles .)?? The Kings and Queens of England might have been saved a lot of heartache (as in the case of our current monarch and perhaps Queen Victoria and Lord Melbourne?).❤️💙❤️🩹👩❤️💋👨
I think Robert Dudley was her “love-match” although I do not think it would have been a good choice. I feel Dudley would not have been able to let her rule and would have caused issues amongst the other nobles. I like the idea of Pickering. As another commenter suggested, I think he might have been content to support Elizabeth in her rule.
How about a program on Wyatt's rebellion?
I know she has a video on Wyatt the elder. I could have sworn she did a presentation on Wyatt's Rebellion. I was trying to find the video and link it to you but I was unsuccessful in locating it.
Thank you for your help.
Fascinating, as always, thank you. I would love a show on the boyfriends of James I, all the salacious rumours and scandals
Thanks for the video. I think the trauma of her childhood set the bells ringing when she got serious about a fellow. Dudley was her youth but the Anjou was her mature love. And probably the one she could have had more fun with 😎
I wasn't there, of course, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't in love with anyone except Robin Dudley. I'll keep it at that, although I could lay out all my reasons after studying Elizabeth's life for nearly 60 years, but this isn't the place to do that.
14:10 As a Karin, I have to say that your pronounciation of my name was the best one I've heard from a primarily English speaking person! Bravo! 👏 🎉
If John Knox thought he was mad, he must have been
Thank you for providing these most interesting videos of the Tudor Era! I love hearing and reading about life in this historical period!
All evidence seems to indicate that Elizabeth was extraordinarily shrewd----certainly as related to the implications of marriage for a female monarch. Many thanks for another intriguing and wonderfully presented video. Cheers, Ardith
🐸🩵 Duke of Anjou all the way, it may not have been the best political match, but it would definitely have been a love match, he might have even lived longer but sadly we'll never know :(
Hello! Greetings from Australia!
I’m a long time fan of your content. Would love you to do an in depth video on the life of Sir Nicholas Carew. He is a figure in Tudor court that flies under the radar but he had a real significant impact on the King and court. Would love to hear your thoughts on him in a video. 😀
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
It’s hard to think of her being married at all. She obviously was determined to stay single as many of the matches seemed good.
Again, Dr. Kat presented a thoughtful and excellent video! I never realized that there were that many men and monarchies after poor Elizabeth. I think she had witnessed too much tragedy and trauma to fall into the marriage trap herself. Considering the marriage record of her father and sister, I think she decided that was not going to in her life.👸🤴🏼💍🐸🐩🔕💔🥰😵💫🤫🤔🥺🏰
Did not Erik XIV send his sister, Princess Cecilia Vasa to England as a messanger? Cecilias friend and lady in waiting, Helena Snakenborg married William Parr the markis of Northampton
That was certainly part of the reason for her visit. She’s really interesting and really deserves a video of her own!
Vadstena bullret!
He even sent his brother the future king John the third, and during his time in England be became a very competent tennis player
@mianilsson710 what noise????
Vadstenabullret, when Princess Cecilia got caught with her brother-in-laws brother in her bedroom and her unstable half-brother Erik made a great spectable of everything
Fascinating as always! I would have chosen Robert Dudley, as I suspect that he was Elizabeth’s one true love, though, of course, the suspicions surrounding the death of his first wife made that impossible. On the other hand, I doubt that she ever intended to marry: I honestly don’t think she wanted to let someone else rule in her place. 👰♀️
What was the difference in age between Elizabeth and Lettice?
They definitely have a resemblance to each other.
I didn't realize they were so many! thank you great video!
This is so much fun!! ❤❤❤👰🏼♀️💍💐
Hello Dr Kat, please do an episode on the Marshalsea prison, in existence well before Q. Elizabeth I and holding Ben Johnson, George Wither, & etc. The second most important prison next to Tower of London, and of course continued on till Dickens' time with "Little Dorrit" fame, which put an end to the terrible abuses. Thanks from California
I don't think Elizabeth was willing to give up her throne (while her husband became king). I think she liked being fawned over, but not interested in going further. 💍🚫
A great video, thanks Dr Kat. A marriage with Robert Dudley would have been less abrasive than one with a Roman Catholic, however his marital status precluded him from marriage. Elizabeth was uncommonly wise and prudent to not marry at all, however the Stuarts that replaced her were quite disastrous!! A shame that she left no heirs 😢
Dudley, Elizabeth seemed to like his company the most. I would love to speculate about what history would have been like 💕🍾🥂
👰 i really dont thinķ Elizabeth I wanred a husband nor a co ruler. I do think she had a lover, probably Dudley, but she loved the game of flirtation most of all
Great look at all E's hopefulls! ❤️💑💍👰♀️🤵♀️💒
Can you blame them, after all she was a ginger.
Such an interesting video. Honestly, I think if Elizabeth were to marry any of these men, it would have to be Robert Dudley. She truly loved him, and I believe he loved her to.
I hadn't really noticed before but it is a long time between Edward the 6th and Edward the 7th. It's also a long time between Charles II and Charles the third. Guess I'm not really making a point but just an observation.😊
Hi Dr Kat. Good video stay well❤😊
I wonder what the marriage between Elizbeth and Ivan would be like. He was cruel and she wasn't exactly the most pleasant of people either. Would he torment her, if so, how would she respond to it, would she make him less cruel, would they bring out the worst in each other?
my friend got me your goth af shirt for christmas!! been watching for years, thanks dr kat 🫶
Probably Robert Dudley, but I don't think the people or her council would have supported that.
My favorite portrayal of Queen I is Helem Mirren in the HBO mini series Elizabeth I with Jeremy Irons and Hugh Dancy.
Does anyone have a favorite portrayal of good Queen, Bess?
Glenda Jackson in the BBC series from the 70's. Superb performance.
Anita Dobson played an interesting Elizabeth at the time of the Armada and portrayed her as being extremely anxious about the Armada - which was a version I’d not considered
❤Hello from USA. Recently discovered your channel/videos and am enthralled!
I'd like to imagine Elizabeth married to Ivan as a kind of royal power couple. If they could have found some way to value each other and work together, even if neither truly of the other as an equal, they would have been hell on wheels. Both had a strong streak of (often petty) cruelty and neither one was stupid. They could have made Eurasia a very interesting place to be during their lifetimes. In the fashion of the old curse, 'May you live in interesting times' sort of way.
Hmm. Imagine how history would have been different if she’d made an alliance with France or Russia? Although Mary’s marriage to Spain didn’t produce a merging of kingdoms, so maybe not as much as I’d assume at first glance. I wonder if Mary Queen of Scots’ life would have turned out differently if Elizabeth had married and produced heirs.
A wonderful episode for 2024! Thank you! 💍
I learnt so much more about her suitors.
I suspect that ER was gun shy about marriage in general. Unlike a male king, she couldn't marry for legitimate offspring and keep a more favored side interest - which would have been SOP for a male ruler. I think also that the many instances in her teenage years of ill health/jaundice may also have played a part. She may have genuinely and properly feared childbirth as a result of these episodes. Though some of these may have been 'improved' a bit to avoid Mary I's ire. An interesting and complex character. I have no hesitation in believing that ER's court would have been desperate for a husband for her, any husband, so that they could feel reassured that she was properly under control. Knox's pamphlet The Monstrous Regiment of Women did not come out of nowhere.
Very interesting. Thank you Dr Kat 💒 💍
So many choices for Elizabeth but maybe not all suitable.
Elizabeth 1 and Ivan the Terrible. Could you imagine such a match 😳
What would have happened you think?
Another great video. Comment to feed the algorithm!
William Pickering or Froggie would have made good consorts. Ivan the Terrible maybe less so. But I do wonder what happened to Thomas Seymour's daughter by Catherine Parr.
So very complete and informative. Many thanks!
Very interesting Dr Kat.
Wonderful video! Thank you!!! 🍾🎉🎂
❤ another interesting and informative video, about love and marriage thank you so much
💍 thanks for another brilliant video!
The real problem was the assumption that any husband would effectively become King, as happened with Philip of Spain. Despite the concerns of the council (about Elizabeth's heirs or lack thereof), her own temperament would not have relished ever being second.
Elizabeth I might've met her match with William Pickering. He certainly knew his Queen's mind either because she told him or he was just smarter than her court & council. She certainly led them a merry chase. I always liked her frog, François, not as a husband for her but because he was a character. I think Elizabeth had decided by the time her stepmother Catherine Parr died from childbirth complications that if she became Queen that she was not doing that.🚫👶
Great show! 🙌
Thank you.
I can't help but think that Elizabeth I dodged so many bullets. Thank God!
Another banger!❤
Thanks!
Wow yes she certainly had a lot of potential husband options throughout her life! Though I really don't think that she ever seriously considered marriage in general.. and just enjoyed the game!