What If Elizabeth I Had Married Robert Dudley? (The Decision That Nearly Broke Her)

A woman is found at the bottom of a staircase in 1560. And the one person who benefits most from it is the Queen of England.

This week I'm digging into one of the wildest what-ifs in Tudor history. Amy Robsart, wife of Robert Dudley, dies suddenly at Cumnor Place, right when the rumors were already swirling that Dudley meant to get rid of her so he could marry Elizabeth I. The obstacle is gone. The queen could have married the man she loved. And she said no anyway.

I wanted to know what would have happened if she'd said yes. Turns out it touches everything, her entire approach to foreign policy, the Mary Queen of Scots plots, even whether she'd ever have had to sign that execution warrant. There's no clean answer here, and that's what makes it such a good one.

Also, quick note, I've built an app called Tudor Scroll. Daily Tudor puzzle, all your favorite Tudor creators in one feed, and more. Android testers are in now (thank you all so much) and iPhone is about to go into final App Store testing. Want in early? Email [email protected].

Related episodes:

Jill McCracken on her murder mystery podcast

https://youtu.be/yplUI7pbEWY

Janet Wertman on the woman who had Robert Dudley's baby: https://youtu.be/2UEyw4q_dto

Tudor Times' Melita Thomas on Robert Dudley: https://youtu.be/Bot35V6CPCo

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