SOURCE: “Marriage and Disgrace,” in Sir Walter Ralegh, Michael Joseph, 1975, pp. 109-27.

In the following essay, Winton relates the circumstances surrounding Raleigh's marriage and fall from royal favor and reflects on how these events formed his work.

What exactly happened in that summer of 1592 when Sir Walter Ralegh was disgraced and dismissed the Court will probably never now be known. In January he was still high in favour. The Queen was, in fact, then arranging to transfer to him the lease of a property he coveted, Sherborne Castle in Dorset. He returned to England from his sea voyage on or about 16th May. On the 23rd Lord Burghley and the Lord Admiral were writing to tell him that the Queen approved his change of plan. In June he was still living at Durham House, carrying out his normal business affairs, as though nothing were amiss. But by the...