On this day in Tudor history, 30th October 1566, Queen Elizabeth I’s former tutor, Roger Ascham, wrote a letter to his queen. It was a long, heartfelt letter of praise and moral guidance, but centuries later, it would be twisted into something sensational – supposed proof that Elizabeth had a secret child with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and that child was the famous statesman and philosopher Francis Bacon.
But what did Ascham actually write?
And how did a pious letter about ruling, learning, and virtue become ‘evidence’ for a royal scandal?…
Further Reading:
- Ascham’s letter – https://archive.org/details/englishworksrog00aschgoog/page/n202/mode/2up
- Queen Elizabeth I’s Pregnancy, Secret Marriage and Childbirth, Peter Dawkins – https://www.fbrt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Queen-Elizabeth-I-Pregnancy-Secret-Marriage-and-Childbirth.pdf