Lettice knollys biography

A doppelgänger of her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, Lettice Knollys was a formidable Tudor woman in her own right; married three times, in and out of royal favour during her lifetime, she was a courtier who inspired intrigue and scandal in equal measure.

Born in November , her father was Sir Francis Knollys who was both a Member of Parliament and Master of the Horse to Prince Edward.

Through her mother’s lineage, she was related to the royal family, as her mother was the daughter of Mary Boleyn, the sister of former queen, Anne Boleyn. Mary was known to have been Henry VIII’s mistress and as a result there is speculation as to whether or not her daughter, Catherine, was in fact Henry VIII’s daughter, which would make Lettice his granddaughter.

The royal connection and lineage meant that Lettice found herself experiencing life in the royal court from a young age.

After briefly fleeing persecution during the reign of Queen Mary I as a result of their Protestant beliefs