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For centuries, the death of Lady Amy Robsart Dudley has remained a mystery. Was the cause of her death murder, suicide, or was it simply an accident? What began as a marriage of love, ended in scandal, effectively putting an end to her husband's desire to acquire the throne and causing the name of Robert Dudley to be recorded in the annals of infamy.

Amy Robsart, the daughter of wealthy landowner Sir John Robsart and his wife Elizabeth Scott, was born June 7, 1532 in Norfolk, England. Very little, if anything is known of Amy's childhood. John Robsart's land was adjacent to that of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland. Mr. Dudley had several sons, one of which was Robert Dudley. When Amy was approximately seventeen years old, she married Robert Dudley, the future Earl of Leicester. Their

wedding took place on June 4, 1550 at the Royal Palace of Sheen at Richmond in Surrey with King Edward VI in attendance. It is evident by the marriage contract which stated that they would be married only by mutual agreement to the match, that the marriage was one based on love.

John Dudley had tactically married his son Guilford to Lady Jane Grey who was a cousin of King Edward VI. When King Edward died, Robert aided his father in an attempt to put Lady Jane on the throne. In July, the plot unraveled and Robert, John, Guilford and Lady Jane were imprisoned in the tower. All four were sentenced to death; however, Robert was pardoned in October 1554. During his imprisonment in the Tower of London for his participation in the scheme, Amy proved to be a faithful wife to her husband. She visited him often, bringing him news of the outside world. Upon his release from the tower, Robert repaid her devotion by neglecting her in favor of his true love, Queen Elizabeth.

Robert Dudley did not possess a desire for land management. Instead, he had his eye set on nobility in the court of England. The early years of their marriage were spent in Norfolk where Robert Dudley became well known in local affairs. This soon changed, however, as he began spending more time at court while Amy remained at home. The ascension of Elizabeth I to the throne only served to complicate matters even further. Robert, who had ambitions of getting to the throne himself, began spending more time at court and soon became a favorite of the queen. Since Robert had known Elizabeth since childhood, her accession gave the Dudleys the opportunity to once more climb the social ladder.

Meanwhile, Amy, who was not

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