Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
| Robert Devereux | |
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Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, after Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger
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| Born | 10 November 1565 Netherwood near Bromyard, Herefordshire, England |
| Died | 25 February 1601 (aged 35) Tower of London |
| Cause of death | Decapitation |
| Resting place | Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, London |
| Title | Earl of Essex |
| Tenure | 1576–1601 |
| Known for | Favourite of Elizabeth I |
| Nationality | English |
| Residence | Essex House, London |
| Wars and battles |
Dutch revolt Spanish Armada English Armada Capture of Cadiz Azores expedition, 1597 Irish Nine Years' War |
| Offices |
Master of the Horse Privy Councillor Earl Marshal Master-General of the Ordnance Lord Lieutenant of Ireland |
| Predecessor | Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex |
| Successor | Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex |
| Spouse(s) |
Frances Walsingham Elizabeth Southwell (mistress) |
| Issue |
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex Lady Dorothy Devereux Frances Seymour, Duchess of Somerset Sir Walter Devereux (illegitimate) |
| Parents |
Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex Lettice Knollys |
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG, PC (/ˈdɛvəˌruː/; 10 November 1565 – 25 February 1601) was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599. In 1601, he led an abortive coup d'état against the government and was executed for treason. He is an ancestor of Queen Elizabeth II.
Essex was born on 10 November 1565 at Netherwood near Bromyard, in Herefordshire, the son of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, and Lettice Knollys. His maternal great-grandmother Mary Boleyn was a sister of Anne Boleyn, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I, making him a first-cousin-twice-removed of the Queen.
He was brought up on his father's estates at Chartley Castle, Staffordshire, and at Lamphey, Pembrokeshire, in Wales. His father died in 1576, and the new Earl of Essex became a ward of Lord Burghley. In 1577, he was admitted as a fellow-commoner at Trinity College, Cambridge; in 1579, he matriculated; and in 1581 he graduated as Master of Arts.
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