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| Haslingfield Hall |
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:
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