On This Day (29 Sep) in 1564, Elizabeth I ennobled her 'favourite', Robert Dudley, granting him the Earldom of Leicester - he was from then known as Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, or sometimes simply 'Robert Leicester'.
This promotion was the day after his appointment as 'Baron of Denbigh', and the year after Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire had been granted to him by the Queen, following its confiscation back to the Crown via an Act of Attainder in 1553, due to the conviction for treason and execution of his father John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland.
There had been ongoing negotiations over the past year regarding an English-Scottish alliance, with her cousin, the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, including in regards to her succession. This issue appear to have been triggered by two significant events: the birth of a son to her cousin Katherine Grey, following her secret (later ruled invalid) marriage to Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, and her brush with death in Oct 1562, after contracting smallpox.
Initially the recently-widowed Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick was suggested as a potential husband for Mary. However, despite there being a clear affection, in the spring of 1563, Elizabeth put forward Robert as the primary candidate. By offering English Protestant men of her choosing as potential spouses, Elizabeth attempted to influence not only the ruling of Scotland, but also any potential heirs (which would likely be hers also).
Mary rejected the prospect of marrying Robert Dudley, also reportedly resisting his charms, which Elizabeth found so appealing. Sarah Gristwood (2007) notes that his lack of noble ancestry ('he is not from a great house') and 'spotted' blood were factors in this decision. Robert's elevation to the nobility in 1564 was, in part, intended for him to appear more acceptable to Mary.
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