On this day in Tudor history, 29th September 1564, Michaelmas, Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, was made Earl of Leicester and Baron Denbigh.
Dudley was made earl in a ceremony in front of the Scottish ambassador, Sir James Melville, as the queen was granting him the earldom to make him a suitable potential bridegroom for Mary, Queen of Scots.
There was a moment of intimacy during the proceedings - Elizabeth I tickled Robert Dudley's neck!
Let me explain why Elizabeth I was prepared to marry her favourite off to Mary, Queen of Scots, what happened on this day in 1564, and what happened next...
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