the Earl of Leicester
/ði ˌɜːl əv ˈlestə(r)/
/ði ˌɜːrl əv ˈlestər/
- born Robert Dudley (c. 1532-88) an English nobleman and soldier who was a close friend of Queen Elizabeth I. He was suspected of murdering his wife Amy Robsart in 1560 in order to be free to marry the queen but he and Elizabeth did not marry. She made him an earl in 1564. see also Kenilworth Castle