Queen Elizabeth I, by English School.

Explore the dark corners of Tudor history as historian Carol Ann Lloyd reveals stories about the spy network tasked to keep England’s monarchy safe. Codes and hidden ciphers asserted one’s legitimacy at court while secret letters plotted to gain the monarch’s favor. During his reign, Henry VIII placed spies inside noble households and expanded England’s espionage networks. By the mid-1550s, numerous plots were hatched to dethrone Elizabeth I and replace her with Catholic Mary Queen of Scots. So, the two queens relied on ciphers and codes to promote their royal legitimacy. William Cecil was the first to organize the gathering of intelligence throughout Europe and was aided by Francis Walsingham, known as the “Spymaster.” National Trust houses that were involved in this period of intrigue include Baddesley Clinton, Coughton Court, and Oxburgh. Ms. Lloyd will describe this tumultuous time and explain how the ability to control information became the most potent tool of the realm, and the only way to survive.

Carol Ann Lloyd is a popular speaker who shares the stories of Shakespeare and English history. She is the former Manager of Visitor Education at Folger Shakespeare Library. Her podcast, British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics, explores the lives of famous and infamous historical characters. Her latest book is Courting the Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I and Her Suitors. Carol Ann has presented programs at the Smithsonian, Folger Shakespeare Library, Agecroft Hall, and TEDx, among other venues.

IN-PERSON ONLY 
Thursday, June 4 | Lecture at 11:00 a.m. PT; Coffee and Tea Reception at 10:30 a.m. PT

$40 members; $45 non-members

741 S Lucerne Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90005