 Portrait of Robert Devereux ©
Robert Devereux was a courtier and soldier, famous for his charm and for his position as royal favourite in the court of Elizabeth I.
Background
Devereux was the son of Walter Devereux, first Earl of Essex, and Lettice Knollys. When he was nine his father died, and Robert inherited the title of earl. He became a ward of Lord Burleigh, of the powerful Cecil family.
The new earl inherited many debts. Then within two years his mother married the Earl of Leicester, who was the then favourite of Queen Elizabeth, so despite his poverty he was well placed to make a fine career after his studies at Cambridge.
He first attained prominence by fighting bravely against the Spanish in the Netherlands in 1586, and distinguished himself at Zutphen where his cousin, Sir Philip Sidney, fell.
Four years later Devereux married Sidney's widow. By this time he had replaced his stepfather in the affections of the ageing Queen Elizabeth. He exploited her weakness for him throughout his life, and there were many quarrels with her as attempted to improve his fortune - making a rival of Sir Walter Raleigh in the process.
Fortune seeking
It was with plunder in view that he disobeyed his queen to join the counter Armada against Spain in 1589. The expedition ended unprofitably, however, and Devereux returned to England in response to an angry letter from Elizabeth.
In 1591 he was allowed to command a small English force sent to support Henry of Navarre against the Catholic League, in France. During this campaign his leadership was inefficient, although he showed a certain reckless courage. The expedition, again, was unsuccessful.
Devereux spent the next four years resolved to secure 'domestical greatness'. He became a privy councillor, and leader of a forward-thinking faction at court - as against the faction of the entrenched Cecil family.
He also continued to seek military honour. When Philip of Spain planned an expedition to support Roman Catholics in Ireland in 1596, Elizabeth was persuaded to counter this threat with an attack on Cadiz - with Devereux as joint commander of the force.
This time, he was seen as the hero of the hour. He put to land with a detachment of men and drove all before him until he reached the market-place of Cadiz, which surrendered 'in great order'.
Triumphs and disaster
A year later he was off again - this time to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet in the Azores - but the attempt failed, largely due to the earl's own mismanagement. Back home, he continued to press for advancement, and was made Earl Marshal of England - a remarkable sign of Royal favour. But there were many disagreements with the queen, and Devereux struggled to be allowed the task of putting down a rebel movement in Ireland in 1599. Then, despite a well-equipped army, the expedition was disastrous.
There was no placating Elizabeth this time, and Essex was made a prisoner in his home and deprived of his main source of income. This drove him to desperation, and he headed a feeble attempt to raise the people of London against the government. This ended predictably in failure, and Essex was executed as a traitor.
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