In December 1643, after an almost 40 year struggle, Lady Anne Clifford, Countess of Dorset, Pembroke and Montgomery, finally came into her rightful inheritance, claiming the Clifford family lands in Cumberland. In celebration of this significant achievement, Anne commissioned the ambitious 'The Great Picture' - a large composite triptyph portrait, depicting herself and selected family members, which reinforced her heritage and life accomplishments (Targoff, 2022). Whilst Anne and her immediate family, including her beloved mother, Margaret Russell, Countess of Cumberland, are portrayed in the foreground, Anne also chose to depict other deceased female family members, including the eldest sister of her mother, her maternal aunt Anne, Countess of Warwick.
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THE DUDLEY WOMEN BLOG: The Death of Margaret Russell, Countess of Cumberland - 24 May 1616
THE DUDLEY WOMEN BLOG: Lady Anne Clifford and 'The Great Picture' - 1646
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As with all of the depictions within this composite painting, this impression of Anne was taken from a contemporary portrait. The original artist is unknown, and in the mid 17th century, the portrait was likely still in the possession of her family, possibly her niece, but now appears lost to history. An inscription accompanies the portrait, which hangs on the wall, behind her younger sister, Margaret, displayed next to their other sister Elizabeth, Countess of Bath; this description of Anne provides not only a brief biography into her life and career at court, but also an insight into her personality, 60 years after her death. It was likely provided, or at least influenced, by her niece, as these appear to be sentiments similar to those shared in her surviving diaries (Clifford, 2003).
Francis Russell, the only son and heir of John Russell, Edward VI's Lord Privy Seal, married his first wife, Margaret St John, the widow of William Gostwick, in c.1547. Anne, was the eldest of the seven surviving children born to the couple, and the eldest of three sisters; the inscription suggests that an older child was born to the couple before Anne, but no other details are known. However, the painting emphasises the relationship between the three sisters:
"Ann Countess of Warwick, and hir 2 younger sisters Elizabeth Countess of Bath and Margaret Countess of Cumberland...was the three Sisters of the greatest honor & goodnes of any three sisters that lived in theire tyme in this Kingdome".
According to the inscription, Anne was reportedly born "about the latter end of December 1548"; this date of birth has been generally accepted as it has been recorded that she was 16 years old at the time of her marriage in November 1565 (Paul, 2022). She was also reportedly born "in hir Fathers house of Chenys in Buckinghamshire"; at the time of Anne's birth, Cheynes was the country residence of her paternal grandparents, John Russell and his wife Anne Sapcote, their marriage in 1526 bringing Cheynes into the Russell family. On the death of John Russell, then 1st Earl of Bedford, in 1555, Cheynes eventually passed to his only son and heir, Francis, along with his other properties, including Russell House, on The Strand, and Woburn Abbey. As requested in his will, John Russell's widow commissioned the construction of the 'Bedford Chapel' within the nearby St Michael's Church, where the Earl, and subsequent family members were interred, including Anne herself (British History Online, 2024 [1]).
According to her niece Anne Clifford, Anne joined Elizabeth I's household from a "young age", likely joining her mother Margaret, who had been appointed as a Lady of the Privy Chamber on the queen's accession (Clifford, 2003); Borman (2009) questions whether given her family's position at court, including their ability to avoid scandal, whether Anne may have been raised in Elizabeth's household prior to her ascending the throne, when she later joined as a 'Maid of Honour', being one of the youngest to be so. It was as a young woman at court that Anne first came to the attention of many, reported to have "been lauded by poets for her virgin grace, her genius and her charming voice (Weir, 1991, p.256). Following her marriage to Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, in November 1565, in a marriage arranged by her father and brother-in-law, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, the new Countess of Warwick was promoted to the position of Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber, as her mother had before her (Borman, 2009).
Her wedding to Ambrose Dudley, Anne's only and Dudley's third and final, took place on 11 November 1565, in the Queen's Chapel at Whitehall Palace, in the presence of the Elizabeth. Described by Whitelock (2013, p.102) as a "great court occasion, a coming together of two great protestant families at court", the celebrations lasted three days, comprising of feasts and jousts. Their marriage itself was a long and successful one, with Anne adapting well to her role as Countess of Warwick, supporting Ambrose as head of the Dudley family (Paul, 2022). There are no reports of any illicit affairs or illegitimate children during their marriage; however, as documented on the inscription, the couple also did not have any children themselves. Throughout their time together, Ambrose and Anne resided predominantly at their home Northaw, North Hall, Hertfordshire, when not at the Royal Court (Whitelock, 2013).
Ambrose was supportive to Anne throughout their marriage, including incidents where he lobbied to those close to the Queen, believing that she should be treated better, given her years of service. Ambrose died at the newly constructed Bedford House, on The Strand, London, following an amputation of his gangrened leg, on 21 February 1590 (although the inscription above documents the '22 February'). Whitelock (2013, p.272) reiterates their genuine love for each other, highlighting Sir Edward Stafford's description of Anne being "so full of tears that she could not speak" just prior to Ambrose's death. Anne herself died on 09 February 1604 at Northaw; following the accession of James I, it appears that the older Countess had no place in the new Royal Court, as the new queen, Anna of Denmark was surrounding herself with young ladies, including the wife of her nephew Lucy Russell [Harington], Countess of Bedford (Clifford, 2023).
However, throughout Elizabeth's reign, Anne remained a constant presence within her household, serving her continuously throughout the 1570s and 1580s. Borman (2009, p.349) describes Anne as being "extraordinarily diligent in duties", and that Elizabeth "found her service indispensable", and as time passed, she was treated more as a friend than as a servant. However, following Ambrose's death in 1590, Anne found herself again devoting her time and service towards the queen. As the years passed, as the Elizabeth found herself more reliant on Anne, following the deaths of some of her closest ladies, including Blanche Perry and Catherine Carey (Whitelock, 2013). As with many who were in positions close to the monarch, Anne used her increasing influence and power to further the interests of those whom she showed favour. Anne had many allies in court and abroad, and subsequently she received more requests for favour than any of Elizabeth's ladies. Those who benefitted were her kinsmen and women, including Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (stepson and mentee of her brother-in-law Robert Dudley) and nephew Sir Robert Sidney (Whitelock, 2013). However, her actions and perceived influence on the queen led to unpopularity amongst some in court, including Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, which Anne Clifford herself commented on (Clifford, 2003; Borman, 2009). Anne did briefly fall out of Elizabeth's favour in 1599 and 1601; however, on both occasions, within months she was soon back to court, with the Queen having missed her old friend and companion (Borman, 2009). She would remain close to Elizabeth throughout the rest of her life, being one of the Gentlewomen of the Privy Chamber who was present at the Queen's death in March 1603 (Weir, 1999).
Whilst Anne had no children of her own, she was described as being a "Moother in affection to hir yonger brothers & sisters, and to theire children, especially to the Lady Ann Clifford". Their mother, Margaret St John, Countess of Bedford, had died of smallpox in August 1562, when her youngest child Margaret was only two years old, and Anne herself 13 years old. As the eldest (surviving) child, it therefore appears that she took on a maternal role from a young age, which continued throughout her life. On the death of her brother Francis Russell in July 1585, Anne and Ambrose were granted the wardship of his son, Edward, who became the 3rd Earl of Bedford on the death of his grandfather Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, hours after the death of his father. The couple were also responsible for the supervision and funding of a new home, 'New' Bedford House on the Strand, on behalf of her nephew (British History Online, 2024 [2]). Her close relationship with Anne Clifford is also described in the latter's diaries from childhood; Anne writes about visiting her aunt at court in 1603, whom she wrote as being "much bound for her continual care & love of mee" (Clifford, 2003, p.21). The 13 year old Anne, following the death of Elizabeth I, also documents in her diaries the ongoing close relationship between the Russell siblings and their children in the Summer of 1603, the inscription on the portrait having attributed this to the elder Anne: brother William Russell, sister Margaret Russell, Countess of Cumberland and daughter Lady Anne Clifford, her other sister Elizabeth Russell, Countess of Bath, husband William Bourchier, 3rd Earl of Bath, and their children John Bourchier, Lord FitzWarin and Frances Bourchier, and Anne's nephew and former ward Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford and wife Lucy (Clifford, 2003).
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Bibliography: Borman, T., (2009). Elizabeth's Women: The Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen. London: Vintage. ''Parishes: Chenies'. British History Online [1] [website]. Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol3/pp199-203#h3-s2 (Accessed on: 18 Dec 2024). 'The Bedford Estate: The Bedford Estate from 1527 to 1627'. British History Online [2] [website]. Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol36/pp22-25 (Accessed on: 26 Dec 2024). Clifford, D.J.H., ed. (2003). The Diaries of Lady Anne Clifford. Stroud: The History Press.
Paul, J., (2002). The House of Dudley: A New History of Tudor England. London: Penguin.
Targoff, R., (2024). Shakespeare's Sisters: Four Women Who Wrote the Renaissance. London: Riverrun.
Weir, A., (1999). Elizabeth the Queen. London: Pimlico.
Whitelock, A., (2013). Elizabeth's Bedfellows: An Intimate History of the Queen's Court. London: Bloomsbury.
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