13. FACT: Elizabeth spent several weeks locked up in the infamous Tower of London, though was allowed to take her servants with her
In August of 1553, Mary Tudor rode proudly into London to be crowned the Queen of England. Elizabeth, her half-sister was by her side. One of Queen Mary I’s first acts was to require all her nobles, and fellow royals, to attend Catholic mass. Elizabeth, a Protestant, went along with this. In February of 1554, however, she was implicated in the Wyatt’s Rebellion, a Protestant plot to overthrow Mary and make England a Protestant stronghold once again. Elizabeth vehemently denied any involvement. Despite a lack of concrete evidence, she was found guilty of sedition and sent to the Tower of London.
Elizabeth entered the infamous prison on boat, through Traitor’s Gate. Given the circumstances, it’s probable that she believed she would either be executed or else live out the rest of her natural life in the Bell Tower. However, the Tower guards treated her well. Several of her closest servants joined Elizabeth in the prison, and she was given a small but comfortable room, with enough natural light to read, and was permitted to take daily exercise. Supporters petitioned Queen Mary to release her half-sister. And in May she did just that. Elizabeth was sentenced to live under house arrest – and the records show huge crowds lined the streets as she was transported to the home where she was to spend more than a year.