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Mary Sidney (née Dudley), Lady Sidney (c. 1530–1535〔Adams 2008c〕 – 9 August 1586) was a lady-in-waiting at the court of Elizabeth I, and the mother of Sir Philip Sidney and Mary Sidney Herbert, Countess of Pembroke. A daughter of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, she was marginally implicated in her father's attempt to place Lady Jane Grey on the English throne and affected by his attainder. Mary Dudley was one of Queen Elizabeth's most intimate confidantes during the early years of her reign. Her duties included nursing the Queen through smallpox in 1563 and acting as her mouthpiece towards diplomats. A sister of Elizabeth's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, she remained always loyal to her family. She was the mother of seven children and accompanied her husband, Sir Henry Sidney, to Ireland and the Welsh Marches. From the 1570s the couple complained repeatedly about their, as they saw it, niggardly treatment at the Queen's hands. Still one of Elizabeth's favourite ladies, Mary Sidney retired from court life in 1579, suffering from ill health during her last years. ==Family and early years of marriage== Mary Dudley was the eldest daughter among the 13 children of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland and his wife Jane Guildford.〔 Mary Dudley was well-educated. Fluent in Italian, French, and Latin,〔Stewart 2000 p. 40〕 she was interested in alchemy, romances, and writing poetry.〔 Her copy of Edward Hall's ''Chronicles'' bears her annotations in French.〔 She also became a friend, correspondent and frequent visitor of the scientist and magus John Dee.〔French 2002 pp. 126–127; Woolley 2002 p. 99〕 On 29 March 1551 Mary Dudley married Henry Sidney at Esher, Surrey. Possibly a love match, the ceremony was repeated in public on 17 May 1551 at her parents' house Ely Place, London.〔 Four months later Henry Sidney became Chief Gentleman of Edward VI's Privy Chamber;〔Alford 2002 p. 156〕 he was knighted by the young King on the day his father-in-law, who headed the government, was raised to the dukedom of Northumberland.〔Beer 1973 p. 119; Loades 1996 p. 285〕 In May 1553 Mary's second youngest brother, Guildford Dudley, was married to Edward's favourite cousin, Lady Jane Grey.〔Loades 1996 pp. 226, 239〕 According to Lady Jane it was Mary Sidney who, on 9 July 1553, called upon her to bring her to Syon House, the place where she was informed she was Queen of England according to King Edward's will.〔Ives 2009 p. 187〕 After Mary I's triumph within a fortnight and the arrest and execution of the Duke of Northumberland, the Sidneys were in a precarious situation. Like the rest of the Dudley family, Mary Sidney was attainted and suffered the consequences in her legal status.〔 Henry Sidney's three sisters, however, were favourite ladies of Queen Mary, which may have saved his career.〔 In early 1554 he went with an embassy to Spain to plead with England's prospective king consort, Philip, for the pardon of his brothers-in-law John, Ambrose, Robert, and Henry.〔Adams 2008c; Adams 2002 p. 133〕 John Dudley, the eldest brother, died days after his release in October 1554 at Penshurst Place in Kent, the Sidneys' manor house granted to them by Edward VI in 1552.〔Stewart 2000 p. 17〕 Philip Sidney, Mary Sidney's first child, was born there in November 1554 and named after his godfather, the King.〔Stewart 2000 p. 9〕 His godmother, the widowed Duchess of Northumberland, died in January 1555. She left her daughter 200 marks as well as a cherished clock "that was the lord her father's, praying her to keep it as a jewel."〔Collins 1746 pp. 34–35〕 In 1556 Mary Sidney went with her husband to Ireland, where they resided mostly at Athlone Castle.〔Adams 2008c; Stewart 2000 p. 19〕 Their first daughter, Mary Margaret, was born some time after their arrival. Queen Mary acted as godmother, but the child died at "one year and three quarters old".〔Stewart 2000 pp. 19–20〕 Meanwhile, the infant Philip stayed behind at Penshurst〔Stewart 2000 p. 19〕 until his mother returned from Ireland in September 1558.〔 She had been restored in blood earlier in the year when the Dudley's attainder was lifted by Mary I's last parliament.〔Adams 2002 p. 134〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mary Dudley」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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