On the 7th of December, 1558, Alvaro de la Quadra, Bishop of Avila, arrived to supplement the ambassadorial efforts of the Count de Feria to the new English Court of Queen Elizabeth I. The Spanish King, Philip, seems to have felt that Feria was not up to the new responsibilities that went along with convincing the young Queen to embrace the Catholic faith. Feria also had family matters to attend to.
In May of 1558, Quadra became the new ambassador, as described
in his letter of the 24th.
From the BISHOP OF AQUILA to the KING.
I received your Majesty's letter of the 8th instant,
ordering me to remain here for your Majesty's service, following the
instructions to be given to me by the count de Feria. The latter took me to the
Queen, who received me graciously, and promised to hear willingly whatever I
had to say on your Majesty's behalf, and I will take care, as your Majesty
orders me, to advise you fully of all that happens here.
For all Quadra was considered the crème de la crème
of the Spanish diplomatic corps, he was led a merry chase from first to last. It is difficult to be sure just how much from
the astonishing reports back to Philip was real chaos from the beginning of
Elizabeth’s reign and how much designed disinformation. Every opportunity was
taken to put him off balance. In the end, members of his household came under
the influence of the English Court and others were encouraged to commit indiscretions
which were immediately charged against him.
Distraught at the treatment he was receiving, and his
inability to deal with it, for all his reputed diplomatic powers, Quadra took
sick and died. The cause is thought to have been the plague.
Luis DE PAZ to the KING, Aug. 26, 1563.
Bishop Quadra, may he rest in glory, sent me recently on
certain business concerning your Majesty. When I returned I found the Bishop so
ill that he only lived six hours after, and although he understood and answered
me sensibly he was in great grief that he should drop from his work just when
he hoped to succeed.
The King replaced Quadra with the young, dashing Don
Diego Guzman de Silva.
247. The KING to the DUCHESS OF PARMA.
Letter of introduction and recommendation of Don Diego
Guzman de Silva in accordance with the aforegoing instructions. The new
Ambassador to have a copy of the new general cipher as the Bishop had died when
the packet containing the copy sent to him arrived in England. Monzon, 19th
January 1564.
Queen Elizabeth truly loved a well-turned leg. Guzman was
much more to her taste. Wild rumors of intrigue in the English Court were no
longer reported back to the Spanish King. The Queen began flirting with the
young ambassador from the first she saw
him.
GUZMAN DE SILVA to the DUCHESS OF PARMA. September 23, 1564.
As your Highness knows the marchioness of Northampton is a great
favourite of the Queen, and I am gaining the goodwill of her intimates, so as
to gain more influence over her mistress. She is a person of great
understanding, and is so much esteemed by the Queen that some little friction
exists between her and Robert. I understand, however, that she bears herself
towards him in a way that together with other things that can be better
imagined than described make me doubt sometimes whether Robert's position is so
irregular as many think. It is nothing for princes to hear evil, even without
giving any cause for it.
The first order of business, for Guzman, was to encourage
Elizabeth to accept the offer of marriage from the Archduke Charles of Austria,
Philip himself having been refused, and the Archduke being his Habsburg cousin.
Elizabeth was really feeling her oats during her 1564 summer vacation (a.k.a.
Progress) and had disappeared for some weeks in September on a clandestine hunting
trip.[1]
Before the Queen came back I went to visit the Marchioness of Northampton, and when I was taking my leave she said she had something important to say to me which she must defer to another day, and in consequence of the return here of the Queen I did not go again for six or seven days, when on the 10th instant I sent to ask after the Marchioness' indisposition, and to ask her if I could visit her that afternoon. She sent to say that she should be delighted, and I went by water to Westminster, where she lives, and there found the Queen, who had gone over from St. James' to dine with her almost alone and was there when I had sent word, as I afterwards found out. They played me this trick between them and kept the secret until I was in the Queen's presence, and then laughed greatly at it. I was there until almost night, the Marchioness on her couch and the Queen near her. What passed were mostly tales told by the Queen and ordinary conversation, into which she was constantly slipping some slight allusions to marriage. I told her she was wrong to keep the world in suspense
and ought to decide. She laughed and said she had
something to say to me about our business, and on her return at nightfall to
St. James' through the park she went on foot, although she had a carriage
waiting and took me part of the way with her. On the way she said that a fool who
was about there had advised her never to marry a German, as they were bad men.
She spoke about nothing else and made me turn back, so that I might return by
water, as I had come. I learn on good authority that Lord Robert has no chance,
and the talk is now all about the Archduke. The Queen has even said something
about visiting the Emperor.
[1]
See my “To Where Did Queen Elizabeth I Disappear in August 1564?” https://gilbertwesleypurdy.blogspot.com/2021/07/to-where-did-queen-elizabeth-i.html
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