Robert Devereux (1565 - 1601). Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG, PC, was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. He is often depicted in art as a symbol of Elizabethan nobility, military prowess, and courtly intrigue. He is commonly portrayed in formal portraiture wearing elaborate clothing that reflects his status, such as rich fabrics adorned with jewels and intricate patterns. Many portraits emphasize his youthful, handsome features, often depicting him with a confident or assertive expression. One of the most famous representations of Essex is the portrait attributed to William Segar, where he is shown in armor, which signifies his military achievements, particularly his role in the Anglo-Spanish War. He is typically presented with a lace collar and a decorated doublet, signifying his high rank and fashion sense during the Elizabethan era. In some artworks, Essex is depicted with symbols of power and authority, such as a sword or a map, highlighting his role as a military commander and political figure. His portraits often serve to convey his charisma and the favor he enjoyed at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, as well as his subsequent fall from grace. Overall, representations of Robert Devereux reflect not only his personal attributes and achievements but also the complex political dynamics of the Elizabethan court, where loyalty, ambition, and rivalry played significant roles in shaping his legacy. 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. 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 a Master of Arts. On 21 September 1578, Essex's mother married Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Elizabeth I's long-standing favourite and Robert Devereux's godfather. Essex performed military service under his stepfather in the Netherlands, before making an impact at court and winning the Queen's favour. In 1590, he married Frances Walsingham, daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham and widow of Sir Philip Sidney, by whom he was to have several children, three of whom survived into adulthood. Sidney, who was Leicester's nephew, had died from an infected gun wound in 1586, 31 days after his participation in the Battle of Zutphen in which Essex had also distinguished himself. In October 1591, Essex's mistress, Elizabeth Southwell, gave birth to a son who survived into adulthood. Essex first came to court in 1584, and by 1587 had become a favourite of the Queen, who relished his lively mind and eloquence, as well as his skills as a showman and in courtly love. In June 1587 he replaced the Earl of Leicester as Master of the Horse.