Margaret Radclyffe facts for kids

Margaret Ratcliffe (born in 1575, died in 1599) was an English courtier. This means she was a lady who worked and lived at the royal court of Queen Elizabeth I.

Life at Court

Margaret Ratcliffe served as a maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth. A maid of honour was a young noblewoman who attended the Queen. She helped the Queen with daily tasks and was part of her close circle.

Margaret was sometimes confused with her older cousin, Mary Radcliffe. Both were known as "Mistress Ratcliffe" at court. Margaret's father was Sir John Radcliffe of Ordsall Hall, and her mother was Anne Asshawe.

Court Life and Fashion

We know a lot about the Elizabethan court from letters written by Rowland Whyte. He wrote to Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, sharing news and gossip.

In February 1598, Whyte mentioned Margaret Ratcliffe's amazing dress. She wore a white satin gown that was richly embroidered. It was cut from expensive silver cloth and cost a lot of money – about £180! This shows how important fashion was at court.

Rivalries and Sadness

Court life could also be difficult. In August 1599, Rowland Whyte wrote that Margaret Ratcliffe was very upset. She had stayed in her room for four days because Frances Howard, Countess of Kildare had been unkind to her.

They were rivals for the attention of Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham. At the same time, Margaret's brother, Alexander, had died in Ireland. She did not yet know this sad news.

Margaret's Final Days

Margaret Ratcliffe died on 10 November 1599. She passed away at the home of Mr. Kirkham in Richmond. She had become very ill and stopped eating.

Rowland Whyte wrote that after Margaret's death, Lady Kildare hoped to marry Lord Cobham.

A lawyer named Philip Gawdy also heard about Margaret's illness. He said she had gone without food for two days. He also heard that Queen Elizabeth was there when Margaret died.

A Royal Funeral

The young women at court wore black clothes to show their sadness. Queen Elizabeth herself paid for Margaret's funeral. Margaret was buried at St Margaret's, Westminster on 23 November.

Her funeral was very grand, like that of a nobleman's daughter. Twenty-four poor women were given gowns to match Margaret's age. Anne Russell was the main mourner at the service.

The famous writer Ben Jonson even wrote a special poem for Margaret. After her death, her place at court was given to a young lady named Elizabeth Southwell.

Her Portrait

In January 1603, the Earl of Rutland paid £4 for a portrait of Margaret Ratcliffe. He was known for supporting artists like Nicholas Hilliard and Robert Peake.