Elizabeth I's Early Years At Hatfield
Royal children often lived separately from their parents in their own established households. This arrangement not only signaled the child's high social status but also provided protection from the perils of court politics and illness, while preparing them for their future roles as rulers or consorts.
Elizabeth was no different than her half-sister Mary, who spent significant time as Princess at Ludlow Castle. Without a doubt, some of the most critical moments of Elizabeth's life before becoming queen occurred at the location discussed in this article.
I
Princess Elizabeth spent her formative years at the Old Palace of Hatfield in Hertfordshire, England. While the Bishop of Ely, Cardinal John Milton, erected the palace between 1480- 1497 and established a home there, the old palace already had roots within the Tudor family. 1
For example, Elizabeth's paternal grandmother, Margaret Beaufort, spent considerable time at Hatfield at the invitation of the Bishop of Ely, who was a good friend of hers and a trusted councilor of her son, Henry VII. It later became the site of one of Henry VIII's favorite hunting grounds before he officially acquired the palace in 1538, nearly five years after Elizabeth was born. 2
While only the red brick banqueting hall is mostly all that exists of the original structure, during Elizabeth's youth, it consisted of a "four-sided enclosing courtyard, with a Great Hall, solar room, withdrawing rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and batteries." 3 In its place now stands Hatfield House, built between 1607 and 1612 by Elizabeth I's former Secretary of State Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury. The Earl was bequeathed the estate by James VI of Scotland and I of England, the former of whom demolished most of the estate and left only the existing banqueting house, which he used as a stable.
II
The procession to Hatfield in December 1533 was no less marvelous than the palace itself, with Princess Elizabeth escorted in a grand liter at the head of which were several lords, chief amongst them her uncle Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk. 4
Elizabeth's household at Hatfield comprised over 50 attendees and servants, likely including a laundress, gentlewoman, chaplain, and secretary.
The following is a list of some of the most prominent figures who waited on the Tudor Princess, many of whom would be instrumental in shaping her character:
- Governess - Lady Margaret Bryan
- Steward of the household - Sir John Shelton
- Lady mistress - Blanche Melbourne, Lady Herbert of Troy
- Junior lady of the household - Lady Alice Clere
- One of several ladies in waiting - Lady Mary Tudor
- Wet Nurse - Mrs Pendred
- One of four cradle rockers - Blanche Parry
III
Although royal duty often prevented Anne Boleyn from visiting Elizabeth, the former was more attentive to her daughter than many previous queen consorts.
In addition to ensuring Princess Elizabeth was surrounded by those loyal or kin to her Boleyn lineage, Anne ensured the princess was well cared for and regularly received reports on her development and health.
Anne also showered Elizabeth with gifts, as contemporary accounts show that she sent many luxurious items such as made-to-measure satin caps, gowns, dresses, and fringes for her cradle. 5
On January 1534, Henry VIII made his first recorded visit to Hatfield. However, according to historian Anna Whitelock, Anne Boleyn was concerned that her husband and stepdaughter, Lady Mary, would make amends. So she insisted Thomas Cromwell, the King's chief minister and Boleyn sympathizer, accompany him to act as a spy and as a buffer zone between the two. 6
After Henry left Elizabeth's nursery, where he spent considerable time doting on the infant, he requested Cromwell to speak to Mary and encourage her to cease using the title of princess. The latter refused to comply with the request and demanded that she be allowed to converse with her father directly, but the King refused to see her.
After being told of Mary's defiance, Henry promptly left the nursery for the courtyard, where Mary stood on the terrace and curtsied to him, and he bowed in return before he and his entourage departed. 7
IV
In February 1534, Hatfield received another royal visitor, Anne Boleyn. The Queen was visibly pregnant at the time, and everyone at court anticipated the arrival of a prince. However, in September 1534, the Spanish ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, gleefully informed Charles V that "the King began to doubt whether his lady [Anne Boleyn] was enceinte or not" as no sign of a baby ever materialized. 8
After Anne spent time with her daughter, she brought Lady Mary into her presence. Once they were face to face, Anne tried to get her stepdaughter to accept a peace offering between them under the condition that Mary would accept her as Queen and acknowledge that her own mother, Katherine of Aragon's marriage to Henry VIII was unlawful. But Mary refused the request, and the incident further strained their already heated relationship. 9
Due to Mary's refusal to accept her father's second marriage as lawful, she was subsequently left out of the first act of succession, officially ratified in March 1534, thus leaving Elizabeth as the only lawful claimant to the English crown.
Not long after Anne's fateful visit to Hatfield in February, Princess Elizabeth and her household relocated to Eltham Palace in March 1534. 10
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1, 3 Historic England. (n.d.). Bishops Palace Hatfield. Historic England Research Records. Retrieved December 16, 2024, from https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=364603&resourceID=19191#:~:text=At%20the%20end%20of%20the,to%20be%20called%20Bishops%20Hatfield
2 Hodder, S. J. (2021). The York Princesses: The Daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. United Kingdom: Collective Ink.
4 Tudor Place. (n.d.). Elizabeth I, Queen of England. Tudor Place. Retrieved December 16, 2024, from http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/aboutElizabeth.htm
5, 10 Starkey, D. (2007). Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne. United States: HarperCollins.
6, 7 Whitelock, A. (2009). Mary Tudor. United Kingdom: Penguin Publishing Group.
8 Ridgway, C. (n.d.). The pregnancies of Anne Boleyn. On the Tudor Trail. Retrieved December 16, 2024, from https://onthetudortrail.com/Blog/anne-boleyn/guest-articles/the-pregnancies-of-anne-boleyn/#:~:text=Chapuys%20suggests%20that%20it%20may,the%20false%20pregnancy%20theory%20as
9 Erickson, C. (1998). Bloody Mary. Macmillan.
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