He was born a lovechild, died an exiled nobleman—and in between, he explored the West Indies, built ships for Italian dukes, and underwent a bigamous marriage.

On this day in Tudor history, 7th August 1574, Sir Robert Dudley was born—the illegitimate son of Queen Elizabeth I’s favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and Lady Douglas Sheffield.

I’m Claire Ridgway, historian and author, and today I’m uncovering the dramatic tale of this brilliant yet controversial Tudor figure:

- Explorer.

- Cartographer.

- Naval innovator.

- Bigamist.

He tried to prove he was legitimate in a Star Chamber case, claimed his parents had married in secret, and later left England in scandal—running off with his teenage cousin and marrying her in Italy, despite having a wife (and seven daughters) back home.

From secret weddings and shady inheritances to pioneering naval design and creating the first maritime atlas by an Englishman, Dudley's life was one of ambition, scandal… and survival.

Was he a scoundrel, a genius, or both?

Watch now and decide for yourself.

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Further Reading:

https://archive.org/details/voyageofrobertdu00warnrich

Journal article “A Letter from Robert, Earl of Leicester, to a Lady” by Conyers Read

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3818131?read-now=1&seq=7#page_scan_tab_contents

https://allthingsrobertdudley.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/letter-to-a-lady/ 

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