(Lord Burghley features prominently, albeit fictitiously, in the novel, When the Time is Ripe by Tony Thistlewood. We meet him early in the book, when he visits an old friend who is on his deathbed. Yet this man is more than a friend; he is the guardian of a secret so incredible that, if it becomes known, it might cost Queen Elizabeth her throne, even her life.)
William Cecil, Lord Burghley was, perhaps, the greatest political survivor of the turbulent 16th century in England and eventually became the master statesman of Europe. Yet, it was not always thus: during the reign of the infant king, Edward VI, Cecil acted as secretary to the Lord Protector, the Duke of Somerset. Upon the latter’s downfall in 1549, Cecil was confined to the Tower of London for three months. The self-proclaimed Duke of Northumberland ordered Cecil’s release and appointed him one of the two Secretaries of State.
Although Cecil despised Northumberland and did not approve of his scheming to preclude both Princess Mary and Princess Elizabeth from the throne in favour of Lady Jane Grey, Cecil nonetheless signed, at King Edward’s insistence, the various instruments of settlement. Fortunately for Cecil, he managed to convince Queen Mary on her accession to the throne that he was an unwilling participant and, moreover, had actively intrigued against the ill-fated Northumberland.
After the accession of Queen Elizabeth in 1559, Cecil quickly became her trusted principal advisor and remained so until his death in 1598.
Cecil’s pious, intelligent and devoted second wife, Mildred, is buried in Westminster Abbey alongside their daughter, Anne. Every inch of their tomb is covered with effusive praise authored by Cecil and his son, Robert. That being so, it is a matter of interesting conjecture why William Cecil, Lord Burghley, chose to be buried over one hundred miles away in Stamford!
Snapshot Bio of William Cecil
Date
of Birth:
Titles:
Education:
Positions held:
* Dates are imprecise because many
records were lost when the Palace of Whitehall, the largest palace in
Europe, was destroyed by fire in 1698. The Banqueting House is all that
remains today of the original buildings.
Married:
(2) 1546 Mildred
Cooke (b.1526 d.1589)
Country seat:
Burghley House is currently owned by a family charitable trust established in 1975 by David Cecil (1905 – 1981), the 6th Marquess of Exeter, who won a gold medal at the 1928 Olympics. His daughter, Lady Victoria Leatham, lived in the house as Director of the Trust until 2007 when her daughter, Miranda Rock, took over the reins. The house has, therefore, had a continuous association with the Cecil family for over 400 years.Lady Victoria is well known to television viewers as one of the experts on the Antique Road Show.
Burghley House is open to the public, and the famous Burghley Horse Trials are held annually, usually in September, in the grounds of the house. Since its inauguration in 1961, this three-day event has become one of the top six horse trials held anywhere in the world.
Other houses:
Theobalds House in Hertfordshire was built by Lord Burghley and on his death passed to his younger son, Robert. Unfortunately, King James I/VI took a fancy to Theobalds House, and, in 1607, he persuaded (?) Robert to swap Theobalds for Hatfield Palace, the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth I, which King James did not like.
Hatfield House is also in Hertfordshire. Robert Cecil had only just finished rebuilding the palace, as the House was then known, when he died in 1612. Hatfield House is now the home of the 7th Marquess of Salisbury, a direct descendent of Robert who was created the 1st Earl of Salisbury in 1604, the same year in which his elder half-brother, Thomas, was created the 1st Earl of Exeter. Hatfield House is also open to the public.
Lord Burghley features prominently, albeit fictiously, in Tony Thistlewood's historical novel:
Back to Home from Historical Characters - Lord Burghley
Reviewers 'and Readers'
Comments on
Tony Thistlewood's books ....
Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite
(5 Stars)
"... a beautifully written story with strong psychological underpinnings"
Demeter's Dream
Reviewed by Ankita Shukla for Readers' Favorite
(5 stars)
"Demeter's Dream is ... a rare combination of mythology and politics ..."
Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite
(5 stars)
" ... a great story ... Thistlewood is a master at weaving all the elements of a tale into one coherent, intelligent masterpiece."
Click on image for details
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite (5 stars)
"... a work of great talent and imagination ..."
Read Romuald's full review here
"... a dense, absorbing tale ... bursting with subplots and theories ..." - Kirkus Reviews
Click on image for details
... a tale full of twists and turns that will leave the reader surprised ... ( Christine Nguyen for Readers' Favorites )
Click image for more details
Non-fiction: the Kings & Queens of England and how they got there.
Reviewed by Melissa Tanaka for Readers' Favorite (5 stars)
" ... a wonderful primer ... incredibly well organized and well written ...
" ... comfortable and interesting read for all ages… ”
Read Melissa's full review here
C aistor Parsons The Gingerbread Man
... a brilliantly written, edited and formatted work… Wow! Recommended for all lovers of historical fiction ...
(Reviewed by Alice D. for Readers' Favorites)
Click on image for details and reviews
(Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorites)
… An immensely entertaining and enlightening mystery story… the real deal… Fans of literary mysteries will enjoy the fruits of Thistlewood's research into Shakespeare…
Click here to see the full review.
… Descriptive writing was amazingly good… I enjoyed it immensely - DGM, Cardiff, UK
… I can not put it down… will need to take it to the hairdresser with me. - JM, NSW, Australia
Stay In Touch
Want to receive Tony's eNewsletter in your inbox?
It's Easy ... and Free!
Sign up here ..