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Sunday, June 20, 2021

Elizabeth I’s Progress to Cambridge University, 1564: Her Arrival.

Haslingfield Hall
In the Progress to Cambridge University, 1564 series:

  • The host is notified
  • Preparations at Greenwich
  • The Host Makes Ready
  • Final Inspections
  • Her Arrival

  • As we have pointed out, the lead group called the “harbingers” had arrived several days ahead of the Queen to make ready the buildings and environs of Cambridge University for her arrival. Her Principal Secretary, William Cecil, arrived on August 4th in order to inspect the arrangements that were underway and to accept the greetings of the officers of the school who nominally worked for him in his position as Chancellor of the university.

    Robert Dudley arrived the next day, presumably from Haslingfield Hall, where the Queen spent the night as guest of William Worthington. What remained of her party — most of which was vigorously employed in Cambridge — probably was housed in the  hall (the nobles) and the nearby village (the servants). Haslingfield would serve as the staging area for the Royal Procession into Cambridge.

    In the morning, the servants who remained with the party would saddle the finest chargers with the finest tack. These would have remained with the baggage until this moment. The Queen’s charger was not used for her transportation except for ceremonial moments such as this. The same was likely the case for most of the noblemen who were accompanying her. They were simply too valuable and too hard to handle to be general riding horses.

    The Queen would be the only woman riding a charger. It was a statement that she could rule as well as any king, including the rule of a war horse. The other noblewomen would ride on palfreys — fine show horses trained to gentleness and display. Nearly everyone rode in the carts that had been requisitioned until they reached the various staging points of a progress, their horses being too expensive for general use.

    Overnight at Haslingfield, the finest clothes in each noble’s travel wardrobe were being carefully cleaned and checked perfect in every detail. While the horses were being dressed in their finest, in the morning, the nobles were also. All of this probably began before dawn.

    We have already mentioned that road crews were active in Cambridge filling-in depressions that might become mud-puddles, during the stay of the Queen’s party, and laying down rushes, in an attempt to keep the clothing of the nobles (and city and university officials) in as perfect a condition as possible during the visit. Servants jumped into action throughout the procession to clean the hems of gowns and fine shoes and boots of the least spatter.

    Haslingfield was unusually far from Cambridge for a staging area. The party seems still to have had some 6 or 7 miles of riding in full dress ahead of them. Be the distance long or short, the procession had begun.

    [B]y the way, the Duke's Grace of Norfolk, the Earl of Sussex, the Bishop of Ely, and divers other honorable personages, met with her Majestie, and so conveyed her toward the town.

    Sussex had likely been an overnight guest of Norfolk or of Ely, freeing up precious space at Haslingfield. Messengers rode ahead to announce the Queen’s imminent arrived:

    At two a clock all the whole University, at the ringing of the University bell, assembled at King's College. And there, by the Chancellor, Vicechancellor, Proctors, and Bedells, were set in order and straightly charged, every man to keep their place.

    All the scholars were commanded “to cry out, ' Vivat Regina,' lowly kneeling” as the Queen passed.

    The Mayor of the City, the Aldermen, and all the Burgesses, together with the City Recorder, welcoming the Queen just outside of the city, on horseback, dismounted and knelt awaiting permission to rise again. The Recorder then recited the first of many speeches the Queen would hear as she made her way to the west door of King's College Church

    hanged with fine tapestry, or arras of the Queen's, from the north vestry dore, round by the communion table, unto the south vestry dore; and all that place strawed with rushes. The communion-table and pulpit hanged richly

    where she would be officially received by the University with final gifts and speeches from her hosts. The mayor presented the first of many gifts the Queen would receive this day: “a fair standing cup, which cost ₤19, and [with] 20 of [g]old angels in it.”

    The streets were lined, as well, with local guardsmen strictly instructed on crowd control and ready to use devastating force if the queen’s safety seemed the least in question. As they stood at the ready, the trumpets gave out a brave and extended flourish to announce the Queen had arrived. Ahead of her came a parade of nobles and officials arranged in strict “order and degree”.

    Her Almoner, the Bishop of Rochester bareheaded; with the Bishop of Ely. Then Garter King at Arms, in his Royal cote; with divers Sergeants at Arms. Then the Lord Hunsdon with the sword in a Royal scabbard of goldsmith's work. And after him, the Queen's Majestie, (with a great companie of Ladies and Maids of Honor)

    Queen's College was the first University stop. There two of the scholars, chosen for the quality of their Latin composition, knelt before the Queen, and, being ordered to rise, kissed their compositions and handed them to her Majesty who handed them in turn to a footman.

    As she received further compositions, after the same manner,

    all the Lords and Ladies did forsake their horses; and her Majestie only remained on horseback…. [dressed] in a gown of black velvet pinked: a call upon her head, set with pearles and pretious stones; a hat that was spangled with gold, and a bush of feathers.

     The procession was coming to the moment.

     

    Sources:

    The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth (1823). Volume 1.

    Annals of Cambridge (1843). Volume 2.

     

    Also at Virtual Grub Street:

  • Sir Robert Carey’s Account of the Death of Queen Elizabeth. March 23, 2021. “When I came to court I found the Queen ill disposed, and she kept her inner lodging; yet she, hearing of my arrival, sent for me.”
  • Sir Henry Bedingfeld’s Notes Regarding Princess Elizabeth in The Tower. February 7, 2021. “Itm, hir grace to have lib'tee to walke in the Gardeyn when so ever she doth comaunde, forenoone and afternoone,…”
  • A Most Curious Account of the Funeral of Queen Elizabeth I: April 28, 1603.  April 28, 2019.  “Once it was clear that James I would face no serious challenges, Cecil and the others could begin to give attention to the matter of the Queen’s funeral.”
  • Queen Elizabeth I’s Heart and the French Ambassador.  April 3, 2019.  “…the Queen of England, with the permission of her physicians, has been able to come out of her private chamber, she has permitted me… to see her…”
  • Hedingham Castle 1485-1562 with Virtual Tour Link.  January 29, 2019. “Mr. Sheffeld told me that afore the old Erle of Oxford tyme, that cam yn with King Henry the vii., the Castelle of Hengham was yn much ruine,…”
  • Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
  • Check out the English Renaissance Letter Index for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
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