Robert Cecil Vs The Earl of Essex

• Late 1590s, This was by far the most serious factional rivalry of Elizabeth’s reign; argument that “factional struggle affected every decision”
• Just as Robert Cecil looked to fill his father’s position as the most important politician and administrator in the realm, Essex looked to replace his stepfather, Leicester, as the Queen’s favourite
• It peaked in 1601: Essex returned without permission from his command of the Queen’s forces in Ireland, and burst into the Queen’s bedchamber
• He was convinced, correctly, that Cecil was engineering his downfall, Elizabeth banned him from Court (thus weakening his faction), she also took away his monopoly on sweet wines and put him under house arrest
• Essex then launched his doomed revolt, and ended up being executed, the point here however is that by this stage faction was out of control, and actually caused a revolt against the Queen