What to expect when the Queen is in town (A Tudor Story)
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
United States
October 16, 2019 6:00pm CST
If you had been a nobleman at the time of Queen Elizabeth the First's reign, well you'd surely be hoping that she didn't intend to pay you a visit.
Queen Elizabeth would pull away from her home with 400 to 600 horse drawn carts full of everything one might require on a long journey during those days. The queen not only brought bedding, kitchenware and items she might need to conduct the business of the realm, she also brought along nearly her whole household.
An account ledger done up by Roger, Lord North, claims that 762 pounds, 4 shillings and 2 pence were spent on making sure the Queen was well happy.
If that's not enough of an insult, some hosts were thrown out of their own homes for the duration of the Queen's stay. Mind you, they still had to pay for all the upkeep and entertainment that the Queen and her household required.
I'm sharing the link to where I learned of this because it has so much more you can learn about what to expect when the Queen is in town.
https://shakespeareandbeyond.folger.edu/2016/05/20/queen-elizabeth-summer-progresses/
2 people like this
3 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Oct 19
Yeah it really was. I can imagine it bankrupted a few people.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (127187)
• United States
17 Oct 19
@ScribbledAdNauseum sounds like it!
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Oct 19
@NJChicaa On top of that, making them leave if their household wasn't big enough to accommodate everyone. So the expense of the Queen plus whatever expense to find a place to lodge for however long the queen wanted to stay.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Oct 19
@Poppylicious I didn't know they had the first and second sleep thing. I've been known to do that, more towards the winter months.
Yes, we romanticize it but there was disease and leeches (shudder) and the witchcraft as well. We even find a way of romanticizing that though there were innocent people murdered because of this unfounded fear.
@Poppylicious (11134)
• United Kingdom
17 Oct 19
@ScribbledAdNauseum We have a very romanticised view of Tudor England. But no personal space {fancy sleeping in the kitchen?}, no education, bizarre medical practices, fear of accusations of treason or witchcraft ... yikes.
Back then they also have first and second sleeps, so they would wake up for an hour or so in the middle of the night, to chat or read or a bit of how's your father. That bit would be doable for me!!
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@thedevilinme (5216)
• Northampton, England
21 Oct 19
Bloody right and all. Respect our Queen!
1 person likes this
