Secret revealed about Dudley's romance?

The romance between Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I is one of the most famous love stories in English history, but a new docu-drama, filmed partly at Kenilworth Castle, may reveal new information that casts the story in a different – and rather more sinister – light.

In “Revealed: The Virgin Queen’s Fatal Affair”, which airs on Channel Five this Thursday, 18 November at 8.00pm, the story of Robert Dudley’s wife, Amy Robsart, is explored by historian, Chris Skidmore.

“Robert Dudley’s marriage was almost certainly the one thing that stopped Elizabeth I from pursuing the relationship with her childhood friend, Robert Dudley,” explains Kenilworth Castle’s visitor operations manager, Holly Woodward. “Dudley had married Amy Robsart at the age of 17, and although it is believed that they lived largely separate lives, the fact that he was married meant that the relationship with Elizabeth could never move on as long as Dudley was married, and although Henry VIII had torn apart the church to justify his divorces, marrying a divorcee would have been very unseemly for the monarch.”

The problem seemingly resolved itself in 1560, when Amy’s body was discovered at the bottom of a staircase in her home in Oxford– the apparent victim of a terrible accident. In the documentary, Chris Skidmore reveals a document which appears to have been lost for hundreds of years – the inquest report into Amy’s death. The document describes injuries inconsistent with a fall – possibly stab wounds inflicted by a weapon.

“Amy’s death has long been regarded with a degree of suspicion – it was a very convenient end to Dudley’s marriage, which did not bear the stigma of divorce, and would open up the way for Elizabeth I to marry him. However, any suggestion at the time that her death may not have been entirely accidental would no doubt have weighed heavily on Elizabeth’s mind as Dudley courted her,” adds Holly.

This shadow over the relationship probably remained for the rest of Dudley’s life; historical records show that Dudley was still doing his utmost to win the hand of the queen even 15 years after Amy’s death, when he fundamentally remodelled Kenilworth Castle for her visit in 1575. Visitors to the castle today can see a re-creation of the garden that Dudley commissioned especially for her visit, and indeed, wander around the Gatehouse, which was built to create a new entrance to the castle closer to the nearby hunting grounds, where Elizabeth could hunt to her heart’s content.

Viewers will be able to see the evidence for themselves on Channel Five, on 18 November at 8.00pm, and afterwards the show should be available using the ‘on demand’ service on the Five website, www.five.tv

If you would like to explore the buildings and garden that Dudley built to woo Elizabeth I, Kenilworth Castle is open daily from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Admission prices are £7.60 for adults, £6.50 for concessions and £3.80 for children, or £19.00 for a family ticket.

For more information, please call 01926 852078 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth, where you can also find more information about the relationship between Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I.

ENDS

Picture shows: Elizabeth & Dudley (Hannah Summers and Canice Bannon) as depicted in “Revealed: The Virgin Queen’s Fatal Affair. Please credit photo: © Quickfire Media for Five

For further media information, please contact: Jay Commins PRO – English Heritage Tel: 0113 251 5698 Mob: 07810 546567 Email: jay@fim.org.uk