Anne Cecil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anne Cecil |
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| Countess of Oxford | |
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| Effigies of Anne and her mother. Anne's is on the raised shelf | |
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| Father | William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley |
| Mother | Mildred Cooke |
| Born | 5 December 1556 England |
| Died | 5 June 1588 (aged 31) |
| Burial | Westminster Abbey |
| Occupation | Maid of Honour |
Anne de Vere (born Anne Cecil), Countess of Oxford (born December 5, 1556 – died June 5, 1588), was an important English noblewoman. She was the daughter of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, who was a main advisor to Queen Elizabeth I of England. Her mother, Mildred Cooke, was known for translating books from Greek. In 1571, Anne became the first wife of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. Before her marriage, she worked as a Maid of Honour for Queen Elizabeth.
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Anne's Early Life and Education
Anne was born on December 5, 1556. She was the older daughter of William Cecil, who later became Baron Burghley. Her father was a very important member of the Queen's Privy Council, which was a group of trusted advisors. Anne's mother, Mildred Cooke, was famous for being very smart and for translating Greek writings.
Anne was a bright and well-educated child. She likely had a tutor named William Lewin. She could speak French, Latin, and possibly Italian. A scholar from Germany, Johannes Sturm, even wrote about how good she was at Latin. Her father lovingly called her 'Tannakin'.
Marriage to the Earl of Oxford
In 1569, Anne was supposed to marry Sir Philip Sidney. But those plans didn't work out. Instead, she married Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford on December 16, 1571. Their wedding took place at Whitehall Palace and Queen Elizabeth herself was there. It was a very grand event.
Some people believe Anne truly loved Oxford. He had partly grown up in her family's home because her father was his guardian. However, Oxford mainly married Anne because he hoped her father would help him pay his many debts.
After her marriage, Anne continued to live with her parents at Theobalds House. Her first child, Elizabeth, was born on July 2, 1575. At that time, Oxford was traveling in Europe.
Later, Oxford had a relationship with another woman, Anne Vavasour. This caused some trouble, and he was briefly sent to the Tower of London. After a while, Anne and Oxford started writing to each other again. By January 1582, they had made up, and he accepted their daughter Elizabeth as his own.
A writer named John Southern dedicated a book called Pandora (1584) to Anne's husband. In this book, Southern said that Anne wrote six sad poems. These poems were about her baby son, Lord Bulbecke, who died very young in May 1583. Some experts disagree on whether Anne actually wrote these poems, but others believe she did.
Anne's Children
Anne and Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, had five children together:
- Lady Elizabeth de Vere (born July 2, 1575 – died March 10, 1627); she married William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby and had children.
- Lord Bulbecke (died May 1583 as a baby)
- Lady Bridget de Vere (born April 6, 1584 – died December 1630 or March 1631); she married Francis Norris, 1st Earl of Berkshire and had one daughter.
- Lady Frances de Vere (died as a baby on September 12, 1587)
- Lady Susan de Vere (born May 26, 1587 – died January 1629); she married Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke and had children.
Her Death
Anne died on June 5, 1588, when she was 31 years old. She passed away at the Queen's court in Greenwich. The reason for her death is not known. She was buried in Westminster Abbey in a tomb she shares with her mother, who died a year later. Anne's statue, called an effigy, is on the tomb. Her daughters were also later buried there.
Her father was so sad about her death that he couldn't do his work in the Privy Council for a while. Anne's three young daughters stayed with their grandfather. They received excellent schooling and later married into important noble families. Her husband, Edward de Vere, married again in 1591 to Elizabeth Trentham. They had a son, Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, who became his heir.
In Books and Movies
Lady Anne was shown in the movie Anonymous (2011). Actresses Amy Kwolek played young Anne, and Helen Baxendale played the older Anne. The character is based on Anne Cecil, but many parts of her story in the movie are made up.
Anne Cecil is also the person telling the story in Peter Hildebrandt's novel, The Rest is Silence. This book is a different version of history about her husband, the 17th Earl of Oxford.
