She Was A Dark Sensation
For a brief time in her short life, it looked like Amy Robsart had it all. Beautiful and young, she was also married to one of the most powerful men in the land, Queen Elizabeth I’s favorite, Robert Dudley.
But one infamous September day turned Amy into the Tudor period’s greatest true crime story.
2. She Had A Charmed Life
Amy Robsart grew up in comfortable surroundings in 16th century Norfolk, England, with a gentleman farmer for a father. She knew her letters, was trained in the Protestant faith, and received an education better than most of her contemporaries.
But it wasn’t these accomplishments that shot her into the upper echelons of society—it was a man.
Thomas Francis Dicksee (1819-1895) on Wikimedia
3. She Met A Handsome Stranger
When she was 17 years old, Amy Robsart met Robert Dudley, a “handsome, vigorous man” the same age as her, with connections to royalty. Dudley’s father was an Earl who led the government of the young, current king Edward VI, while his grandfather had been an advisor to King Henry VII.
That’s when something very unusual happened.
National Portrait Gallery, Wikimedia Commons
4. She Fell In Love
At the time, marriage was seen as a vehicle for political alliance, not for romantic feelings, but Robsart and Dudley were the exception. The good-looking, young pair quickly fell in love, and were soon engaged. It was like something out of a story book—but even from the beginning, their fairy tale was dark around the edges.
Steven van der Meulen, Wikimedia Commons
5. She Was Dependent On Others
Robsart’s gentleman father had amassed many lands and money in his time, but she saw nothing of this comfort or wealth in her dowry: Her marriage contract stated that she would only inherit after both her parents passed.
As a result, Robsart would be entirely financially dependent on the gifts and kindness of other people, especially her new father-in-law, John Dudley the Earl of Warwick. This worrying dynamic only deepened.
6. Her In-Laws Were A Big Deal
The Dudleys were markedly more influential than the Robsarts, and many thought Amy was getting the better end of the deal…including her in-laws. Dudley’s family merely tolerated the match and didn’t view Amy as any kind of prize—which might explain the miserly marriage contract.
Yet for all this, the wedding was the definition of splendor.
7. The King Attended Her Wedding
Thanks to the Dudley connections, Amy and Robert’s June 1550 wedding was something of an event—and Amy completed the picture as a “beautiful wife”. It took place at the royal palace of Sheen, and the 13-year-old King Edward VI even attended to show his support. But the day was also marked by scandal.
Attributed to William Scrots, Wikimedia Commons
8. She Had A “Carnal” Marriage
Poor Amy Robsart just couldn’t catch a break, even while walking down the aisle. “Love matches” weren’t just uncommon at the time, they were also looked down on as unseemly, and one of the wedding guests, Baron William Cecil, would later sneer that it was a “carnal marriage”.
Soon enough, however, it was the Dudleys who would meet scandal, and of a far more dangerous kind.
William Frederick Yeames on Wikimedia
9. She Had A Fairy Tale
For the first three years of Robsart’s married life, all went as happily as the fairy tale she was promised. Amy was known to enjoy finery, and kept up sumptuous lodgings with a full complement of servants. The newlyweds also attended Edward VI’s court regularly, and when they weren’t there they took up residence at one of the Dudley estates.
Then in 1553, trouble began brewing.
10. She Got A Powerful Sister-In-Law
In May of 1553, Amy got a new sister-in-law, Lady Jane Grey, who married Robert’s younger brother Guildford Dudley. As a cousin to King Edward and a great-granddaughter of King Henry VII, Jane was very much a prize for the Dudley family…unlike Amy.
In fact, the Dudley clan had one enormous ulterior motive for bringing Amy’s new sister in.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
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11. Her Family Made Big Moves
By the spring of 1553, one brutal truth became clear. The young King Edward VI—never a healthy boy—would not survive much longer, and, more worryingly, had no solid heirs. Amy’s canny father-in-law John Dudley (who, after all, ran Edward’s government) had brokered the marriage to Lady Jane because he knew she might very well be the next monarch.
Then he made sure this would happen, and by any means necessary.
12. She Got Closer To The Throne
With Edward on his deathbed, John Dudley pushed the king to name a successor he preferred. Namely, the Protestant Dudley wanted Edward to bypass his Catholic sister Mary Tudor—and as a result, also bypass his other, Protestant sister Elizabeth—and give the crown to Jane’s line. The fact that Jane was now in the Dudley family? Totally coincidental.
By that July, when Edward finally perished, Amy’s father-in-law had succeeded. Nothing was ever the same again.
13. She Was The Queen’s Sister
On July 10, 1553, Amy Robsart woke up as the sister-in-law to the new Queen of England, and the Dudley clan had clinched their continued power in the realm. Given her previous history with the family, Amy might have assumed it would soon be back to her fairy tale. But if so, she was very, very wrong.
14. Her Side Lost
Poor Lady Jane Grey was nothing but a pawn for Amy’s father-in-law, but that didn’t stop the vicious backlash. Knowing she had been cheated of her rightful claim to the throne, Edward’s elder sister Mary Tudor immediately raised an army, and within nine days, Lady Jane was deposed and imprisoned.
Just like that, the dream was gone. But the Dudley family’s fortunes more than reversed—they plummeted.
Antonis Mor, Wikimedia Commons
15. They Threw Her Husband Behind Bars
In the wake of the Lady Jane scandal, Amy Robsart was at the center of the punishment. Her husband Robert Dudley had led a force to stop Mary’s army, and he was arrested and thrown into the tower for his part along with most of the men in his family. Then the Crown sentenced him to death.
Amy was facing grim prospects, but this was when she showed her mettle.
16. She Played The Dutiful Wife
While Robert was in the tower, his fate hanging in the balance, Amy made sure to visit her husband regularly. Records show the Tower Lieutenant permitted her entrance into Robert’s cell "and there to tarry with" her husband.
Yet while Amy was showing herself as a devoted wife, Robert may have been doing another kind of tarrying entirely.
Jamilya Khalilulina, Shutterstock
17. He Met An Old Friend
While in the tower, Amy’s husband just so happened to meet a beloved childhood friend: Princess Elizabeth, the half-sister to the new Queen Mary I, who was there thanks to more collateral damage from the Lady Jane Grey debacle.
It was the beginning of a relationship that would plague Amy all the way up to her suspicious death—but right now, she had bigger things to worry about.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_I_when_a_Princess.jpg
18. Her Father-In-Law Met A Brutal End
Amy Robsart sat through weeks without her husband, then the real nightmare began. In August 1553, a month after the coup, Amy’s ambitious father-in-law John Dudley went to the scaffold. Queen Mary had now proven she was more than willing to execute her enemies…and the younger Dudley generation was next.
19. Her Family Fell Like Flies
As 1553 turned to 1554, Amy Robsart continued to put on a brave face and support Robert, but when Queen Mary sent Amy’s brother-in-law Guildford to his death shortly before Lady Jane herself, she must have worried that her own husband was next.
It would be six long months before she had her answer.
20. She Finally Got Him Free
In October of 1554, Amy finally got heart-stopping news. After much finagling from the Dudley family to befriend Queen Mary’s new husband King Philip II of Spain, they managed to free Robert and his surviving siblings.
Amy’s husband was at long last beside her, but that didn’t mean her troubles were over.
Garnier, Hippolyte-Louis (Paris, en 1802 - Paris, en 1855), dessinateur-lithographe on Wikimedia
21. They Were Pariahs
Dudley’s return was by no means a happy ending. For one, Amy Robsart and her husband were now only welcome in Queen Mary’s court if King Philip was present—even though Philip liked them well enough, the Queen was still incensed at the family. There were other problems, too.
22. They Lost Their Lands
Most of Dudley’s ancestral lands had been seized by the Crown while he was in the Tower, and they were short on money. The couple lived almost hand to mouth for years, depending more than ever on the generosity of family.
It was a humiliating prospect for a bride and groom who once thought they had everything. Then Amy’s personal woes deepened.
23. She Became An Orphan
Around the time that Robert was finally released, Amy got the news that her father had passed. A few short years later, the tidings worsened. In 1557, just as Amy and Robert were getting back on their feet, her mother also died, leaving her with a scarce amount of people she could depend on. But there was a silver lining.
Charles Robert Leslie, born 1794 - died 1859 (painter (artist)) on Wikimedia
24. She Got Her Inheritance At Last
Now that Amy’s parents had passed, she could finally inherit the estate that had been dangled in front of her ever since her marriage to Dudley. Plus, though they had to seek Queen Mary’s permission to claim the lands, the fact that the monarch granted it pointed to a lessening of her hatred for Amy’s in-laws.
It was too bad, then, that Amy and Robert’s marriage was beginning to crumble.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wikimedia Commons
25. Her Husband Was A Handsome Fool
Amy had now been married to Robert going on seven years, and one thing was becoming increasingly clear. She had not married Prince Charming. In fact, the same man who had once described Dudley as a “handsome, vigorous man” had also added that he had “very little sense”.
Somewhat capricious and unthinking, Dudley was carrying around a heavy open secret.
Elizabeth (1998), Working Title Films
26. They Descended Into Debt
When Dudley returned from the Tower, he was deeply in debt. As the months went on, this only got worse, and Amy often had to bear the brunt of the shame. At one point, Dudley was off fighting for the crown in France—another sign of his return to favor—and Amy had to settle his debts in his absence.
Yet when the tide did fully turn in favor of Robert Dudley, it didn’t bring Amy with it.
Elizabeth (1998), Working Title Films
27. Her Husband Became A Royal Favorite
By 1558, Robert Dudley was firmly a “favorite” with Princess Elizabeth, and her influence was obvious. That year, Queen Mary officially reinstated Robert and the rest of the Dudley children in blood at parliament, marking their surefire comeback.
But shortly after this, disaster struck the throne.
Walker Art Gallery, Wikimedia Commons
28. A Princess Claimed Her Husband
Like her half-brother Edward VI, Queen Mary had always been sickly, and in the fall of 1558 she was near her end. In response, her husband King Philip called Amy’s husband to court—as one of Elizabeth’s “special friends”.
Still, it’s possible Amy Robsart had only a few suspicions then. That would surely change.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
29. Her Husband Became Powerful Overnight
After Mary passed in November of 1558, Elizabeth who succeeded her on the throne as Queen Elizabeth I. She made sure to thank her new favorite Robert profusely, giving him the title “Master of the Horse”.
The post suited Amy’s athletic husband, but it also came with big strings attached.
Elizabeth (1998), Working Title Films
30. The Queen Stole Her Husband
Now that Dudley had an official royal post and his childhood friend was Queen of England, he felt—and he was—obligated to spend weeks and months away from Amy. If he had any qualms, the Queen very much let him know that his place was at court in London, beside her and not his wife.
As it happened, Amy needed her husband now more than ever.
Elizabeth (1998), Working Title Films
31. She Fell Gravely Ill
While Robert was often away at court, Amy was far away, usually staying with friends since her ancestral house was uninhabitable. That’s when she began getting worrying symptoms. Amy reportedly began suffering from a "malady in one of her breasts", likely breast cancer.
But Queen Elizabeth’s reaction to this news was jaw-dropping.
Henri Jean-Baptiste Victoire Fradelle on Wikimedia
32. The Queen Wanted Her Dead
By now, it was clear to everyone in court that Elizabeth was wholly in love with her favorite Robert Dudley. So when she received the news that Amy was ill, word got out that Elizabeth began to hope for Robsart’s death so that she could marry Dudley. But the Queen did more than just hope for Amy’s end.
Elizabeth (1998), Working Title Films
33. Her Husband Could Be King
At the time, Queen Elizabeth was deep in negotiations for her own marriage, but she kept frustrating suitor after suitor, seemingly holding out for Dudley and enraging her courtiers in the process. As one court figure sneered, "There is not a man who does not cry out on him and her with indignation...she will marry none but the favored Robert”.
Still, Robert’s behavior was more scandalous.
Elizabeth (1998), Working Title Films
34. He Snuck Around On Her
While Amy was ailing in sundry places around the English countryside, her husband was engaging in suspect activities. According to the court rumor mill, he not only did “whatever he likes with affairs” thanks to his influence, but word even got out that “her majesty visits him in his chamber day and night” .
People also began to notice not just the Queen’s treatment of Dudley, but Dudley’s treatment of his wife.
Reign (2013–2017), CBS Television Studios
35. The Queen Excluded Her
While Queen Elizabeth was lavishing Amy’s husband, courtiers very much noticed and pitied how the monarch iced Amy out, seemingly never inviting her along to court and keeping her in the countryside. It was a far cry from the halcyon days when Amy and Robert would attend Edward VI’s court together.
But when Amy got sick, Robert Dudley really showed his true colors.
Elizabeth (1998), Working Title Films
36. Her Husband All But Abandoned Her
The illness Amy had was surely serious. Yet her husband’s response was cold. He didn’t seem to make her a priority in the slightest, and the time she did get with him now was meager. He visited her for just four days during Easter in 1559.
Whatever “love match” Amy had with Robert, the bloom seemed off the rose. Instead, Amy had to take matters into her own hands.
Elizabeth (1998), Working Title Films
37. She Dropped In On Him
The longest stretch of time the sickly Amy did see her husband for around this period was in May of 1559. Unsurprisingly, she dragged herself to him, staying in London for about a month in order to see him. When she did arrive, her appearance must have surprised half the Tudor court.
Attributed to Levina Teerlinc on Wikimedia
38. She Clawed Her Way Back To Health
Word had gotten round about Amy’s dire illness, but at the end of her trip to London, she seemed to be making some improvements. The Spanish ambassador noticed she had little appetite, but was showing better health than he’d thought.
Yet that same ambassador had a dark theory about all this.
Internet Archive Book Images on Wikimedia
39. Courtiers Believed She Was Poisoned
Upon seeing Amy as well as the state of Queen Elizabeth’s marriage negotiations, the ambassador suggested a diabolical plot. He believed Robert and the Queen were poisoning Amy, and that Elizabeth was stalling her negotiations “until this wicked deed of killing his wife is consummated".
Though it may be far-fetched, Robert Dudley was making scandalous claims himself.
Tony Robert-Fleury on Wikimedia
40. Dark Rumors Got Around
Reportedly, around this time Robert Dudley had exclaimed to a confidant that if “he live another year he will be in a very different position from now”. Some assumed this meant he would divorce Amy, especially now that the Grim Reaper wasn’t about to lend a hand, and marry the Queen in her place.
No divorce materialized, however, because tragedy—and infamy—struck first.
Unknown artistUnknown artist on Wikimedia
41. She Found A New Place To Stay
By the end of summer 1559, Amy had taken leave of Robert Dudley in London, and by that December she had yet again relied on the kindness of friends to lodge in Cumnor Hall. While there, she had luxurious upper apartments with her own private staircase, and access to a terrace garden and a deer park.
Yet her husband would never see these things. After leaving him in London, Amy never saw him again.
42. Her Husband Still Didn’t Visit
All the way through 1560, Robert Dudley stayed firmly away from his wife despite her recent health scare. After all, he was too busy attending to Queen Elizabeth I in Windsor Castle, and though there were murmurings of him visiting her, the plans never materialized.
That September, Dudley received a message now blackened with suspicion.
Nicholas Hilliard on Wikimedia
43. She Died In Infamy
On September 9, the messenger informed Dudley that Amy Robsart was dead, having fallen down stairs at Cumnor Hall where she was staying just hours before. She was only 28 years old, and she and Dudley had no children.
For once acting the good husband, Dudley leapt into action.
William Frederick Yeames on Wikimedia
44. They Opened An Inquisition
Amy’s entire household was in utter confusion about the tragedy, and a shocked Dudley sent his steward Thomas Blount to try to understand more. From the very first, everyone had two gruesome questions in mind: Was this a tragic accident? Or had something more sinister happened?
The answers he got were no comfort.
Nicholas Hilliard on Wikimedia
45. She Broke Her Neck
The coroner’s report shed light on the tragedy: Amy had sustained two head injuries, one "of the depth of a quarter of a thumb", the other "of the depth of two thumbs". It also noted she had broken her neck. Still, Dudley’s man Blount pressed further, and got much more than he likely bargained for.
Attributed to William Segar on Wikimedia
46. She Was Breaking Down
When the servants and residents of Cumnor Hall described Amy’s demeanor that fateful day, they revealed just how horrific these past months had been. Amy, as any wife in her position might be, was anxious and antsy. That morning, she had insisted on going to the fair in town, and then flew into a rage when her retinue suggested this wasn’t proper.
But it got more alarming the more they spoke.
Edward Charles Barnes (1830–1890), Wikimedia Commons
47. She Was A “Strange Woman”
Amy’s erratic behavior that day was apparently not a one off. Blount wrote back to Dudley to say of Amy Robsart: “I have heard divers tales of her that maketh me judge her to be a strange woman of mind”. When he spoke to Amy’s maid, this strangeness turned sinister.
48. Some Of Her Servants Thought The Worst
Blount then asked Amy’s maid whether her fatal fall down the stairs was “chance or villainy”. The answer she gave was neither, and perhaps worse. The maid indicated that she thought, with all Amy’s emotional turmoil, that she had an “evil toy” in mind, and may have thrown herself down the stairs in despair.
Whatever the truth, the inquest produced one infamous answer.
49. She Had A Terrible Accident
After a trial to determine foul play, the court ruled Amy Robsart’s death as a true accident, stating that "being alone in a certain chamber” she “accidentally fell precipitously down” from the best they could tell from the evidence.
For many, this provided some closure to a tragic story. But there was still one shockwave to come.
Devéria, Achille (Paris, 06–02–1800 - Paris, 23–12–1857), dessinateur on Wikimedia
50. Her Husband Went Into Hiding
In the next few days, Dudley planned his wife’s funeral, went into mourning for six months, and stayed well away from court for a long while. Although he did not attend the funeral—which was common for the time—he did empty his pockets to the tune of 1 million pounds in today’s currency to give her the send-off.
Perhaps he felt guilty for neglecting poor Amy…but some say he was guilty for a much darker reason entirely.
51. They Accused Him Of Killing Her
Amy Robsart had a short life and brutal end, but the legacy of her death reverberated for centuries. In the wake of her passing, many in Queen Elizabeth’s court believed Robert Dudley had something to do with it, especially as it would clear the path for him to marry Elizabeth. In fact, however, it had quite the opposite effect.
Formerly attributed to Steven van der Meulen / Attributed to George Gower on Wikimedia
52. She Was An Instant Scandal
As news got around of the details of Amy’s fatal fall, the scandal grew to intense proportions. Even those who didn’t believe Dudley was guilty of her death but didn’t want him as Elizabeth’s consort got in on the rumors, pushing Dudley to become persona non grata in the Tudor court. Whether he deserved it is another story.
After Levina Teerlinc on Wikimedia
53. The Truth About Her Death Is Tragic
As penny-dreadful as it might be to think Robert Dudley offed his wife to become King of England, modern historians almost entirely dismiss the idea that he had anything to do with it.
For one, he was far too bewildered by the news, and for another, he had very little to gain by attracting that kind of scandal. He wasn’t a good husband, no, but he wasn’t a murderer. Even so, he paid the price.
54. She Haunted Her husband
In October, Dudley came out of hiding and returned to Elizabeth’s court, apparently "in great hope to marry the Queen". Fate dealt him a crueler hand. By then, Elizabeth understood she could never marry him, blackened as his name was, and Dudley’s prospects shuttered.
Thus, Amy Robsart’s end may have changed the future of the English monarchy. The truth of her final moments, however, is still in the wind.
55. Her End Lives On
While most experts agree on Dudley’s innocence, we still will never know exactly what happened to young, beautiful, discarded Amy Robsart that day. The majority believe it was just an accident, but there is still perhaps the saddest option of all: That, desperate, ailing, and alone, she really did take her own life.
Detlef Dauer, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
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