Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Closed Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History and University Honors

Department

History

Language

English

DOI

10.15760/honors.1046

Abstract

This thesis will begin by focusing on and analyzing Arbella Stuart's arrival at the court of Queen Elizabeth in 1587. By examining letters sent by Stuart' s uncle William Cavendish, reports by ambassadors established at court, and the events surrounding Arbella's arrival this thesis will detail the first political experiences of a woman who, despite her later relocation to Hardwick Hall, remained in the eye of the political storm. In chapter three this thesis will consider the events surrounding Stuart's attempt at a marriage match long after she had reached a marriageable age. Examining the unsuccessful attempt at marriage orchestrated by Stuart provides a look at the emergence

of a woman determined not to marry but to secure freedom from the care of her grandmother at any cost. Finally, in chapter four this thesis will take a detailed look at a letter written by Arbella Stuart in the winter of 1603 in which Stuart makes a final attempt to gain the attention of Queen Elizabeth by fashioning a fake lover to cause alarm. By looking at these three events in Arbella Stuart's life it become clear that, far from a bystander, she was very much an active participant in the politics and society of Early Modem England.

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Comments

This thesis is only available to students, faculty and staff at PSU.

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/35565

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