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A blistering summer heat beat down on Edward and Anne as they rode out of the sheltering woods and turned their horses towards the river Avon. By the time the riverbank came into view, Anne was feeling hungry and thirsty. To her delight, Edward's servants had set a picnic in a shaded area where several graceful willow trees dipped their branches into the gently flowing waters.
As they ate, Anne asked Edward about his early days at court. She assumed that his bravery in Scotland had established him as one of Elizabeth's favorites.
"If only it were that simple, Anne. Fighting is expected of noblemen. The Queen reserves her special praises for warriors who can advance on two fronts."
"What mean you?"
"Her Majesty favors only those who are skilled at both warfare and the arts. I set out to conquer her with a sword in one hand and my quill in the other."
WHITEHALL PALACE
By this time, Elizabeth had established her Court at Whitehall Palace, a large Tudor-Gothic building appropriated from Cardinal Wolsey by her father, Henry VIII. She delighted in the palace's gleaming white towers, glittering pinnacles and vast galleries. A large tiltyard allowed her courtiers to parade their martial skills. The Privy Garden offered privacy for her daily walks.
Best of all, the Great Hall, hung with Flemish tapestries, provided a large, well-lit setting for state occasions. Burghley encouraged the move, for Whitehall Palace, like most large structures of the day, was riddled with secret passageways, hidden escape tunnels, and peepholes.
Much to the Lord Chamberlain's disgust, Edward and Thomas not only distinguished themselves in the Scottish wars, they returned unscathed. Eager to escape Burghley House, Edward chose to reside in apartments at the Savoy.
Henry VIII had revived royal tournaments and made them a central part of court life at Windsor Castle. Elizabeth continued her father's tradition, holding earnest but friendly competitions every May. For 3 days, Windsor Castle's ancient walls echoed with the clash of metal against metal as heavily armored knights battled under the banners of their wives or sweethearts.
In 1571, Edward, splendidly dressed in armor and crimson velvet, entered his first tournament. Watching from the Queen's side, Burghley quietly congratulated himself on having banished the martial arts from his ward's education.
What the Lord Chamberlain didn't know was that Edward's father had taught him to fight at an early age. In Scotland, these formidable skills had been honed under fire on the battlefield. At Elizabeth's tournament, the newcomer fought superbly and, to the Court's amazement, bested every opponent.
After his final resounding victory in the tiltyard, the Red Knight trudged over to Elizabeth in his heavy armor. As he removed his helmet, the cheering crowd rained flowers down on his head. Kneeling, the Earl proclaimed: "My gracious Queen, along with my victory, I tender you my service, such as it is, being tender, raw, and young; which elder days shall ripen and confirm to more approved words and feats."
"A very pretty speech, milord. We thank you for your offer of brave service."
"If your Majesty would accord me the honor of accepting it, I will follow you to the death."
"Nay, milord. I would have you go before me there," Elizabeth replied with a chuckle, prompting laughter from those around her. "We have a bauble to match your rich deeds this day," she said stepping down from her throne to present Edward with a costly tablet of diamonds. The crowd applauded loudly.
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Despite this thunderous applause, Edward hadn't forgotten that real progress at Elizabeth's Court depended on intellectual, not physical, prowess. Determined to make his mark as both warrior and scholar, he sought out his friend John Lyly at the Boar's Head Tavern.
After swearing him to secrecy regarding their youthful escapades together, Edward hired the young poet as his personal secretary. Acting on Lyly's advice, he commissioned a translation of Balthasar Castiglioine's "The Courtier." Edward wrote an eloquent preface to this book in which he dedicated the work to Elizabeth. Edward then applied for permission to present a dedication copy of "The Courtier" to the Queen. His request was granted.
On the appointed day, Edward stood in Whitehall Palace's Great Hall. He was part of a line numbering some 150 other supplicants, each patiently waiting to address the Queen. Peering over their heads, Edward could see Elizabeth seated imperiously on her high-backed golden throne atop a small stage surrounded by guards and attendants.
In his hand the Earl held a dedication copy of "The Courtier" bound with scarlet ribbons. As he surveyed the vast room, state trumpets sounded loudly. His thoughts drifted back to the first time he'd met the yellow-haired Queen.
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Edward always recalled his early childhood in idyllic images. One glittering highlight had been Elizabeth's arrival at Castle Hedingham. England's energetic new ruler was fond of visiting her wealthier subjects. Such "royal progresses" provided a welcome relief from squabbling politicians. They also allowed the ever-thrifty monarch to be entertained in her noblemen's ancestral castles at their expense.
In 1561, John was awarded the extremely costly honor of keeping Elizabeth amused for 5 days. He prepared to welcome her with giant banners, loud trumpets, and a rich panoply of color and pageantry.
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The moment the Queen's caravan was sighted, Edward scrambled up the spiral staircase's stone steps to Castle Hedingham's highest turret. From this vantage point, he watched Elizabeth, mounted on a magnificent white charger, leading her retinue towards the castle's steep driveway.
John and Margery stood together on the moat's bridge. As the Queen rode into view, they stepped forward, smiling and waving a greeting. John's trumpeters sounded a loud fanfare.
Acknowledging their salute with a raised hand, Elizabeth turned her horse up the steep driveway. Armed guards stood shoulder to shoulder, lining both sides of the road. Each wore the Earl of Oxford's distinctive livery with its bright crest, a silver five-pointed star. The two rows of burly men stretched back towards London as far as the eye could see. A second loud fanfare sounded as Elizabeth rode across the bridge spanning the moat and entered the castle.
In addition to the usual hunting, feasting, and musical recitals, the Earl was relying on his players to make the Queen's visit to Castle Hedingham especially memorable. They had been busily rehearsing a popular rustic farce for weeks.
Entitled, "A Country Bridal," this comedy was staged on the penultimate evening of the Queen's visit. A platform stage had been erected in the Castle's Banqueting Hall. Guards with lighted torches stood beside it to provide illumination. John, Margery, and their guests settled down as the farce began.
Soon Elizabeth, seated in a place of honor on stage, was leading the audience in gales of hearty laughter. Burghley sat to one side, refusing to join in the general amusement. He preferred to spend his evening eyeing John's home and royal favor enviously.
The sixteenth Earl, for his part, treated Burghley with aristocratic disdain. In John's eyes, the minister was nothing more than a bureaucratic upstart who belonged downstairs with his servants.
After the play, John thanked the players and announced that his son would now recite a poem the boy had written in honor of Elizabeth's visit. Gazing shyly at Elizabeth with fascinated admiration, Edward rose from his seat and took the stage.
He unfurled a manuscript. His feet fidgeted under him. A passionate intensity filled the young Earl's face.
Taking several deep breaths, he lifted the manuscript and began reading:
"Her hair of gold, her front of ivory
A gentle heart within so white a breast
Her teeth of pearl, lips ruby, crystal eye,