A kinswoman to Elizabeth I, Lettice Knollys had begun Queen Elizabeth’s glittering reign basking in favor and success. It was an honor that she would enjoy for two decades. However, on the morning of September 21st, 1578, Lettice made a fateful decision. When the queen learned of it, the consequences were swift. (Lettice had dared to marry without royal consent.) But worse, her new husband was Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the queen’s favorite and one-time suitor.

Though she chose not to marry him herself, Elizabeth was fiercely jealous of any woman who showed an interest in Dudley. Knowing that she would likely earn the queen’s enmity, Lettice married Dudley in secret, leading to her permanent banishment from court. Elizabeth never forgave the new countess for what she perceived to be a devastating betrayal. She had become not just Queen Elizabeth’s adversary. She was now her rival.