by Danielle Friedl

Created on: January 13, 2009

In 1532 Amy Robsart was born the only child to wealthy land-owner Sir John Robsart and his wife Elizabeth Scott. Very little, if anything, is known about her childhood as it seems her death is the most famous thing about her. Speculations about her demise include being murdered by several different people, as well as it being a simple matter of natural death brought on by illness.

The Robsart's land was next to that of John Dudley, the 1st Duke of Northumberland and his family. John Dudley had several sons, one of which was Robert Dudley, who would end up becoming the Earl of Leicester. On June 4, 1550 when Amy and Robert were approximately 18 years of age they were married at the royal palace of Sheen at Richmond, with the frail King Edward VI in attendance. Documents about the wedding would lead one to believe that Amy and Robert agreed to the union because they were in love with each other. Whether that was the case or not, Amy and Robert would not be spending much of their marriage together.

Robert Dudley had no great fondness for land management. He had his eyes on another prize - nobility in the court of England. The Dudleys spent their first years in Norfolk, however John Dudley took his son to court frequently, leaving Amy behind at home. John Dudley had strategically married his unwilling son Guilford to Lady Jane Grey, a cousin of the king. When Edward VI died on July 16, 1553 Robert assisted his father with the plot to put his sister-in-law Lady Jane on the throne instead of Edward's older half-sister Mary. By July 26th the whole thing came crashing down on them and Robert, John, Guilford and Jane were imprisoned in the tower. During his time in the tower Robert was allowed visits by Amy, who was now impoverished. Consequently, Princess Elizabeth, who would become Queen Elizabeth I, was also imprisoned by Mary as a precaution so she wouldn't be a threat to her throne.

Robert, John, Guilford and Jane were all sentenced to death, however Robert was pardoned in October of 1554,while the others met their untimely death. In 1557 Robert served in the battle of St. Quentin with his brothers Ambrose and Henry. After Henry died in battle his surviving siblings were given back their station in life that had been taken away after trying to put Jane on the throne. As Robert's wife Amy was given back some of the prospects she was born into. At this time King Philip, Mary I's husband, took a liking to Robert and had carry messages back and forth between himself

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