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The Yeomen of the Queen’s Guarde Valecti Garde (Corporis) Domini Regina
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March 3, 2009
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The Yeomen of the Queen’s Guarde
Valecti Garde (Corporis) Domini Regina
Queen Elizabeth IAt the time of the Elizabeth’s coronation, the Captain of the Guard was Sir William St. Loo, who was the second husband of the Countess of Shrewsbury. The full complement of the Guard was 200 men, 30 of which were Yeomen of the Crown. There were four Yeomen Ushers.
A Mounted Yeoman During the Reign of Elizabeth I c. 1575
Queen Elizabeth's bodyguard was made up of three distinct units. The first was the Sergeant-At-Arms, which was a ceremonial unit of 20 men. The second unit was the Yeomen of the Guard, or the "New Guard" who were the working guards of the palace. The third unit was a "guard of gentlemen" known as the King's Spears, or the Gentlemen Pensioners, which was added by Henry VIII in 1509. This provided him with a "stout retinue and a 'pool' of reliable captains who could command either by land or by sea."
As the name implies, during the reign of Elizabeth I, the Yeomen of the Guard were made up of members of the yeoman class. "Yeomen" was a rank just below that of Esquire in order of precedence. The Guards were considered to be in a special class by themselves with a "recognized duty and status." They were not exactly nobles, but they were not commoners either.
A Yeoman of the Guard armed with a Bow
Despite the attention of her guards, the Queen's protection was not perfect. There were several occasions in which her life was in danger. One potential assassin was Dr. Parry, who made it through to Elizabeth in her privy garden. When he saw her, "he was over-awed by her likeness to her grandfather", as so, did not make an attempt on her life. A second life threatening situation occurred when Elizabeth was "taking of the air" in Islington when she was set upon by several "rogues". On another occasion, she was nearly killed when, in Greenwich on her barge, a fowler accidentally fired his weapon and narrowly missed her. He was pardoned just before he was to be hanged.
It is well known that Queen Elizabeth I did not enjoy being closely guarded. She frequently ignored the rules intended to safeguard her person, especially when she was on progress. On at least one occasion she ran from her guards into a private house. There she ate some food that was untasted for poisons. She apparently enjoyed the meal because she ordered the remainder to be delivered to her lodgings. Paul Johnson wrote, "She was not an easy woman to guard."
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Last updated: March 3, 2009
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