Early Life
Robert Dudley was the son of the Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and his lover Lady Douglas Sheffield, daughter of William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham. He grew up in the houses of his father and his father's friends, but had leave to see his mother whenever she wished. Lady Sheffield married Sir Edward Stafford in November 1579, and left for the Continent. Leicester was fond of his son and often made trips to see him. Dudley was given an excellent education and enrolled into Christ Church, Oxford in 1587 with the status of filius comitis, Earl's son. There his mentor was Thomas Chaloner, who also became his close friend. In 1588, when the Spanish Armada threatened England, the 14-year-old Robert joined his father, who was commanding the army at Camp Tilbury, preparing to resist a Spanish invasion. On 4 September the Earl of Leicester died. The Earl's will gave Dudley a large inheritance, including the castle and estate at Kenilworth and the lordships of Denbigh and Chirk, on the death of his uncle, Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick.
In early 1591, Dudley made a formal contract to marry Frances Vavasour with the consent of Queen Elizabeth I, who liked Dudley very much but wished him to wait until he was older. Vavasour married someone else secretly later that year and was banished from court. In turn, the 17-year-old Dudley married Margaret, sister of Sir Thomas Cavendish—in whose last voyage he had probably invested. Dudley was excluded from court for this secret marriage, but only for a few days. Margaret was given two ships by her father Robert, the Leicester and the Roebuck. She soon died childless.
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