Lettice Knollys
Deceased Person
1543 – 1634
Who was Lettice Knollys?
Lettice Knollys, Countess of Essex and Countess of Leicester, was an English noblewoman and mother to the courtiers Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Lady Penelope Rich, although via her marriage to Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, she incurred the Queen's unrelenting displeasure.
A grandniece of Anne Boleyn and close to Princess Elizabeth since childhood, Lettice Knollys was introduced early into court life. At 17 she married Walter Devereux, Viscount Hereford, who in 1572 became Earl of Essex. After her husband went to Ireland in 1573 she possibly became involved with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. There was plenty of scandalous talk, not least when Essex died in Ireland of dysentery in 1576. Two years later Lettice Knollys married Robert Dudley in private. When the Queen was told of the marriage she banished the Countess forever from court, effectively curtailing her social life. The couple's child, Robert, Lord Denbigh, died at the age of three, to the great grief of his parents and ending all prospects for the continuance of the House of Dudley.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- Nov 8, 1543
Rotherfield Greys - Also known as
- Laetitia Knollys
- Parents
- Siblings
- Spouses
- Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex
(1560 - 1576/09) - Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
(1578/09/21 - 1588) - Christopher Blount
(1589 - )
- Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex
- Children
- Nationality
- Kingdom of England
- Lived in
- Reading
- Died
- Dec 25, 1634
Staffordshire - Resting place
- Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Lettice Knollys." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/lettice_knollys>.
Discuss this Lettice Knollys biography with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In