Elizabeth Hardwick, better known as 'Bess of Hardwick', was one of the most intriguing figures in Tudor history. Born to a gentleman of Hardwick in Derbyshire, through a series of marriages, Bess rose through the ranks of Elizabethan society, her fourth and final marriage elevating her to Countess of Shrewsbury, and becoming the second wealthiest woman in England, only behind Queen Elizabeth I.

On 25 May 1553, numerous guests including members of the Privy Council and foreign ambassadors, gathered at Durham Place, the Westminster residence of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland to witness a triple wedding celebration: the three young brides were Northumberland's youngest daughter Katherine Dudley, and sisters Jane and Katherine Grey, eldest daughters of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk.

On This Day (06 April) in 1621, Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, died at his Hampshire home, Netley Abbey, aged 81.

On This Day (19 Jan) in 1601, Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Elizabethan courtier, soldier, politician and patron of the arts, died.

On 17 November 1558, Elizabeth I ascended the throne of England, following the death of her half-sister Mary I.

Around Christmas Time 1560, Katherine Grey, the younger sister of the ill-fated 'Thirteen Day Queen' Lady Jane Grey...

Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk, had survived the events of Jul 1553, those being the attempts to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne...

On This Day (10 Oct) 1562, Elizabeth I was at Hampton Court when she started to feel unwell.

On This Day (25 Aug) in 1540, Katherine Grey was born at Bradgate House, Leicestershire; the second daughter of Henry Grey.

Elizabeth Hardwick (better known to history as 'Bess of Hardwick') was born in the 1520s (estimated dates range from 1520-21 to 1527).