Sir William Cecil
1st Baron Burghley
Secretary of State

as portrayed by Mitchell Raup

Although I am now known as the great Lord Burghley, Treasurer of England and principal Secretary to Her Grace, I was hardly born to greatness.  I was born a commoner in 1520, the son of Richard Cecil, who served His Majesty King Henry VIII as Yeoman of the Wardrobe, also known as the Groom of the Robes – a sort of head valet, responsible for the care and transportation of the King’s garments.  As a boy, I also served in the household of Henry VIII, beginning by assisting my father with the Robes.

I was educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge and Gray’s Inn, London.  In 1541, when I came of age, I married Mary Cheke (sister of my Cambridge professor John Cheke), who bore me a son, Robert, but sadly died in early 1543.   I inherited from Mary a not insubstantial estate.  As a young widower, I embarked alone on a career in civil service.

My early years were spent in the service of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset and later Lord Protector of England, who effectively ruled England during the reign of the boy King Edward VI.  There I met Sir Anthony Cooke, little Edward’s Governor and educator.  In 1546 I married Mildred Cooke, Sir Anthony’s daughter, whom he had taught as thoroughly as any of his male students.  Mildred is one of the most learned women in England, well versed in Greek, Latin, literature and poetry.  She has been the mainstay of my life ever since.

I served King Edward VI and later Queen Mary in various positions, including Secretary to Edward, who knighted me in 1551.  I served as a diplomat under Queen Mary, but she never offered me any high office.  Although I played the part of a Papist in the Marian years (as did we all!), Mary no doubt suspected that my loyalties were with the reformers, and with the Princess Elizabeth. 

I have had the honor of serving Her Grace Queen Elizabeth since her accession in 1558.  I was at her side from the moment that I brought her the news of Mary’s death.  She named me Secretary of State, and directed me to form her first Privy Council.  Our first acts were to remove our nation from Papal domination, thus completing the reformation begun by Henry VIII.  By acts of Parliament in 1559, we established the uniform Book of Common Prayer in all of English worship, and installed Her Grace as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.   The Papist bishops were required to swear an oath acknowledging Her Grace’s control over the Church.  Those who refused were removed from public office, although some of them continue to divide our nation through their subversive devices.

Her Grace created me Baron Burghley in 1571, shortly before the marriage of my daughter Anne to my ward, Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.  In 1572, she named me Lord Treasurer of England, the office I now hold.  I continue to direct Her Grace’s relations with foreign princes.  I am assisted in that regard by Sir Francis Walsingham, whom I recruited to succeed me as Secretary of State.  Her Grace and our nation are stronger and more secure as a result of Sir Francis’ efforts and those of his various spies, at home and abroad.

I believe the greatest threat to Her Grace and her people is the power of the Pope and his benighted adherents, including many who remain in England and Scotland today.  I do not support Her Grace’s policy of tolerating the papists.  Religion divides our people, and once divided by religion, they can never be united in service to Her Grace.  "For there is no enmity so great as that for religion; and therefore they that differ in the service of their God can never agree in the service of their country."

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