Editing Francis Walsingham (section)

==Rise to power==
Mary I died in November 1558 and was succeeded by her Protestant half-sister [[Elizabeth I|Elizabeth]]. Walsingham returned to England and through the support of one of his fellow former exiles, [[Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford]], he was elected to Elizabeth's first parliament as the member for [[Bossiney (UK Parliament constituency)|Bossiney, Cornwall]], in 1559<!--writs were sent in December 1558 and Parliament convened in January-->.<ref>Adams et al.; Cooper, p. 39; Wilson, p. 35</ref> At the subsequent election in 1563, he was returned for both [[Lyme Regis (UK Parliament constituency)|Lyme Regis, Dorset]], another constituency under Bedford's influence,<ref>Cooper, p. 42; Wilson, p. 39</ref> and [[Banbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Banbury, Oxfordshire]]. He chose to sit for Lyme Regis.<ref>Wilson, p. 39</ref> In January 1562 he married Anne, daughter of Sir [[George Barne II|George Barne]], [[Lord Mayor of London]] in 1552–3, and widow of wine merchant Alexander Carleill.<ref>Cooper, p. 45; Hutchinson, p. 30</ref> Anne died two years later leaving her son [[Christopher Carleill]] in Walsingham's care.<ref>Adams et al.; Cooper, p. 45; Hutchinson, pp. 30–31</ref> In 1566, Walsingham married [[Ursula St. Barbe]], widow of Sir Richard Worsley, and Walsingham acquired her estates of [[Appuldurcombe]] and [[Carisbrooke Priory]] on the [[Isle of Wight]].<ref>Cooper, p. 46; Hutchinson, p. 31</ref> The following year, they had a daughter, [[Frances Walsingham|Frances]]. Walsingham's other two stepsons, Ursula's sons John and George, were killed in a gunpowder accident at Appuldurcombe in 1567.<ref>Hutchinson, p. 31</ref>

In the following years, Walsingham became active in soliciting support for the [[Huguenots]] in France and developed a friendly and close working relationship with [[Nicholas Throckmorton]], his predecessor as MP for Lyme Regis and a former ambassador to France.<ref>Hutchinson p. 34; Wilson, pp. 41–49</ref> By 1569, Walsingham was working with [[William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley|William Cecil]] to counteract plots against Elizabeth. He was instrumental in the collapse of the [[Ridolfi plot]], which hoped to replace Elizabeth with the Catholic [[Mary, Queen of Scots]].<ref>Hutchinson, pp. 39–42; Wilson, pp. 61–72</ref> He is credited with writing propaganda decrying a conspiratorial marriage between Mary and [[Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk]],{{efn|''Discourse Touching the Pretended Match Between the Duke of Norfolk and the Queen of Scots'': some biographers<ref>e.g. Hutchinson, p. 39 and [[Conyers Read]] quoted in Adams et al.</ref> think he was the writer, but others<ref>e.g. Wilson, p. 66</ref> do not.}} and [[Roberto di Ridolfi]], after whom the plot was named, was interrogated at Walsingham's house.<ref>Cooper, pp. 57–58; Hutchinson, p. 42; Wilson, pp. 68–69</ref>

In 1570, the Queen chose Walsingham to support the Huguenots in their negotiations with [[Charles IX of France]]. Later that year, he succeeded Sir [[Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys|Henry Norris]] as English ambassador in Paris.<ref>Hutchinson, pp. 43–44</ref> One of his duties was to continue negotiations for a marriage between Elizabeth and Charles IX's younger brother [[Henry III of France|Henry, Duke of Anjou]]. The marriage plan was eventually dropped on the grounds of Henry's Catholicism.<ref>Cooper, pp. 65–71; Hutchinson, pp. 46–47; Wilson, pp. 75–76</ref> A substitute match with the youngest brother, [[Francis, Duke of Alençon]], was proposed but Walsingham considered him ugly and "void of a good humour".<ref>Hutchinson, p. 48</ref> Elizabeth was 20 years older than Alençon, and was concerned that the age difference would be seen as absurd.<ref>Cooper, p. 112; Hutchinson, p. 48</ref> Walsingham believed that it would serve England better to seek a military alliance with France against Spanish interests.<ref>Wilson, p. 76</ref> The defensive [[Treaty of Blois (1572)|Treaty of Blois]] was concluded between France and England in 1572, but the treaty made no provision for a royal marriage and left the question of Elizabeth's successor open.<ref>Cooper, p. 74</ref>

The Huguenots and other European Protestant interests supported the nascent revolt in the [[Spanish Netherlands]], which were provinces of [[Habsburg Spain]]. When Catholic opposition to this course in France resulted in the death of Huguenot leader [[Gaspard II de Coligny|Gaspard de Coligny]] and the [[St. Bartholomew's Day massacre]], Walsingham's house in Paris became a temporary sanctuary for Protestant refugees, including [[Philip Sidney]].<ref>Cooper, pp. 77–79; Hutchinson, pp. 48–50</ref> Ursula, who was pregnant, escaped to England with their four-year-old daughter. She gave birth to a second girl, Mary, in January 1573 while Walsingham was still in France.<ref>Hutchinson, pp. 33, 51</ref> He returned to England in April 1573,<ref>Hutchinson, p. 53</ref> having established himself as a competent official whom the Queen and Cecil could trust.<ref>Wilson, pp. 83–84</ref> He cultivated contacts throughout Europe, and a century later his dispatches would be published as ''The Complete Ambassador''.<ref name=adams/>

In the December following his return, Walsingham was appointed to the [[Privy Council of England]] and was made joint [[Secretary of State (England)|principal secretary]] (the position which later became "Secretary of State") with Sir [[Thomas Smith (diplomat)|Thomas Smith]]. Smith retired in 1576, leaving Walsingham in effective control of the [[Privy Seal of England|privy seal]], though he was not formally invested as [[Lord Privy Seal]].<ref>Cooper, pp. 87–88</ref> Walsingham acquired a [[Surrey (UK Parliament constituency)|Surrey county seat]] in Parliament from 1572 that he retained until his death, but he was not a major parliamentarian.<ref>Adams et al.; Wilson, p. 156</ref> He was knighted on 1 December 1577,<ref>Adams et al.; Hutchinson, p. 243; Wilson, p. 127</ref> and held the [[sinecure]] posts of Recorder of Colchester, ''[[custos rotulorum]]'' of Hampshire, and High Steward of Salisbury, Ipswich and Winchester.<ref>Adams et al.; Hutchinson, pp. 244, 348</ref> He was appointed [[Chancellor of the Order of the Garter]] from 22 April 1578 until succeeded by Sir [[Amias Paulet]] in June 1587, when he became [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] in addition to principal secretary.<ref>Adams et al.; Hutchinson, pp. 243–244</ref>