Elizabeth I lived through some incredibly turbulent times. There was the state-sanctioned murder of her mother when she was just a toddler, her fathers many failed marriages and the resultant comings and goings of a parade of stepmothers, and then the dynastic firebomb that was her fathers death. One man wanted to steer her future and take her influence and political power for himself. That man was the brother of one of her stepmothers, the uncle of her younger brother, and a man destined to die in the same place her mother did: Thomas Seymour.Seymour, Using Age and Charm as a WeaponElizabeth I, by Henry Bone, 1815. Source: Getarchive.netBefore Thomas Seymour ever wreaked havoc in Elizabeths life, he had his sights set on her stepmother, Katherine Parr, who was much closer to his age. Lets rewind a bitback to 1547 when Seymour decided to test his luck with the then 13-year-old Elizabeth.Fresh off his broken fling with the recently widowed Katherine (who had, in the ultimate plot twist, ended up marrying Henry VIII instead), Seymour sent Elizabeth a marriage proposal. Was this a power play? Was this a ploy to make Katherine jealous for choosing king and country over her heart? It was terrible timing as Elizabeth was in mourning for her father. The tyrant king had died just a year earlier, but that didnt stop Seymour from making his move.Edward VI, Circle of William Scotts, 16th century. Source: SothebysElizabeth, ever sharp even in those formative years, politely rejected the proposal, claiming she was too young and had obligations in mourning for her father. A slick and reasoned response from a girl who had probably seen more political maneuvering by age 13 than most people see in a lifetime.Seymour was more than two decades older than Elizabetha seasoned 38 to her fresh-faced 13. The age difference didnt seem to bother him one bit and, to be fair, it wasnt unheard of in Tudor England among the noble echelon. You have to admire Elizabeths poise; she didnt just brush him off, she did it diplomatically, writing her refusal in a letter her tutor would have been proud of.Seymour, however, wasnt someone to hear no and believe it to be a final answer. He came from quite the background: the fourth of six strapping sons born to Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth, he boasted royal blood through descent from Edward III (yes, that Edward III, the warrior king from the 1300s). His family had a solid reputation and was firmly ensconced within the court. His father had been knighted by Henry VII after the Battle of Blackheath, and Thomas himself was knighted in 1537quite the rsum, if he hadnt been, well, rather full of it.Portrait of Thomas Seymour, by Nicholas Denizot, 1547-9. Source: Art UKHe managed to carve out a comfortable existence, snatching up monastic land after the Dissolution and getting knighted, but he was always aiming for moreparticularly in the form of power through proximity to the throne. When he fell for the widowed and wealthy Katherine Parr in 1543, she ended up marrying Henry VIII instead. As Jane Dunn puts it in Elizabeth & Mary, Katherine had sacrificed her heart for the sake of duty.Clearly, Seymour was not someone who was comfortable with knowing his place. This is when his eyes wandered to the middle school-aged Elizabeth (though middle school itself, or any state-mandated education, was a concept far in the future for Tudor folks). His charm, coupled with his older, experienced man act, was less a romantic gesture and more a weapon to wield for power. Katherines rejection of him to become Englands queen hadnt knocked him down, so Elizabeths well-written refusal certainly didnt either. Instead, he just got a little more creative and a lot more reckless.Seymour, Destroyer of Elizabeths Only Happy Home LifeWaxworks of King Henry VIIIs Court, photo by Ann Longmore-Etheridge. Source: FlickrBefore Thomas Seymour came barreling into Elizabeths world, things were actually kind of nice for once. Thanks to her stepmother, Katherine Parr, Elizabeth was finally starting to feel like part of a real family after years of being sent from court and ignored by her father. Katherine had achieved something remarkableshed managed to reconcile Henry VIII with his three children: Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward, despite his ire toward two of their three mothers.This wasnt just some family squabble patched over tea and biscuits and savvy Katherine knew it. Katherines efforts had massive implications for the Tudor era. It was under her influence that Henry restored Mary and Elizabeth to the line of succession, a move that put both women back in the running for the throne, though firmly behind Edward and any children Henry and Katherine would potentially produce together.This new consort, who had experience stepmothering children from a previous marriage, basically glued the family back together from scattered shards. Elizabeth, at long last, had a woman in her life who could be trusted.Catherine Parr, late 16th century. Source: Wikimedia CommonsKatherine Parr wasnt just playing house and coddling the tykes. She was one of the few strong and learned female leaders Elizabeth had ever known, for which the young girl admired her deeply. When Henry went off to battle in France, he left Katherine as regent, something hed only trusted one other woman to doessentially putting her as the highest arbiter in the land. It was a power move that made it clear to both Elizabeth and Mary that a woman could rule, and queenship could be effective. Lets be honest, in a time when strong, empowered female role models werent exactly growing on trees in the English countryside, this was huge.Elizabeths feelings for Katherine were best summed up in her letters and by her own words. In one, written after shed been hastily sent away, Elizabeth poured her heart out to her stepmother. She spent most of the missive apologizing for not expressing her gratitude properly during their goodbye because she was replete with sorrow at having to leave Katherines side.The letter practically screams confusion and heartbreak, but it also shows just how much she valued Katherines opinion and their connection. Katherine, after all, had been a positive force in Elizabeths life, encouraging her love of learning, and her growing Protestant faith. Elizabeth was a Boleyn by birth, with all the sharp wit and ambition of the mother she never really knew, and Katherine seemed to nurture those qualities instead of finding shame in them.Sudeley Castle, where Elizabeth I Lived With Katherine and Thomas. Source: GeographBut then along came Thomas Seymour, charming his way into Katherines heart once again. It is clear Katherine adored Seymour during this early period of their secret courtship and marriage, maybe even blindly. She suffered a lot to be with him including the scorn of her two other stepchildren from the king. When she made a home with him, Elizabeth went with her, and this was the beginning of the end for Elizabeths sense of a steady family.Katherine seemed to look the other way as her husband roughhoused with and made visits to Elizabeths bed chamber only half dressed in the morningsthough no one should forget that his sporting behavior was toward a young lady he had recently proposed to before this union with Katherine.However, as her husbands antics with the young princess became impossible to ignorelike the time she walked in on Elizabeth in his arms in what was deemed an embraceKatherine was forced to face reality. When she finally woke up to what was happening, she acted quickly, sending Elizabeth away.Thomas Seymour miniature, 16th century. Source: Royal Greenwich MuseumsElizabeths reaction? Utterly heartbroken and confused. Her letter after the abrupt dismissal from the household is packed with words of hurt and sorrow. She was desperate for reassurance that Katherine still cared about her, despite all the tumult. The whole situation wasnt just awkwardit was scandalous. Even by the standards of Tudor England, people were side-eyeing the entire affair, whispering, This is not okay.Katherines home had once been a haven for Elizabeth. Under her stepmothers watchful eye, Elizabeth was thriving intellectually and emotionally, soaking up Katherines strength as a leader alongside Jane Grey. Then, thanks to Seymours meddling, that peaceful and quiet female sanctuary was shattered. Katherine, who had likely convinced herself that everything was fine for far too long, ended up sacrificing Elizabeth in the venture to keep her marriage and the pregnancy within it respectable. It was a harsh lesson for Elizabethone she would never forgetand it solidified in her mind the need to protect her own reputation at all costs.Rumors of Marriage and PregnancyWomen with babies, detail from a painting in a Larvik Church, by Lucas Cranach, 16th century. Source: Wikimedia CommonsWhat is a royal dust up without a bit of juicy gossip for the people to mull over? As this was before television, the royal rumor mill was the Netflix of the day. During the height of the Thomas Seymour debacle, wild tales circulated that Elizabeth might have been pregnant with Seymours child. Take a pause here to appreciate the sheer audacity of that claim. At the time, Elizabeth was just 14 years old, and while Seymour had clearly crossed some inappropriate lines, the idea that theyd managed to carry on a secret affair and produce a child was almost too outlandish to believe. Almost.Many historians have chalked up these rumors to nothing more than slanderous attempts to ruin Seymour, who, by then, had already done a fine job of digging his own grave. Elizabeths ruin then was just a byproduct of the bid to take down Thomas. After all, this was the same fellow who tried (and failed) to kidnap King Edward VIan act so reckless that even the mucky mucks in power, including his own brother, were eager to see his head roll. Did they really need to throw in a scandalous pregnancy accusation for good measure? Probably not. After all, Thomas had shot and killed the boy-kings beloved pup.In her book Elizabeth: Virgin Queen? Philippa Jones dives into some of these theories, suggesting that Elizabeth may have had not just one, but multiple illegitimate children. According to Jones, there is a possibility that Elizabeth could have had a baby with Thomas Seymourand then later, perhaps more with her lifelong favorite, Robert Dudley.Teenage Elizabeth I, by William Scrots, 1546. Source: Wikimedia CommonsNow, to be fair, this theory of Elizabeth being a mother has never exactly held up under a microscope. As much as people love to speculate, keeping a royal pregnancy under wraps (especially one that involved a princess as scrutinized as Elizabeth) shouldve been impossible. Were talking about court in Tudor Englanda place where you couldnt sneeze without someone noting it in a letter sent to other bastions of power abroad. And yes, there is evidence of people attempting to pay servants and ladies for information about Elizabeths periods. Therefore, the idea of hiding an entire pregnancy and birth is a bit of a stretch.Even once Elizabeth became queen, this secret would have been bound to leak at some point; though proponents of the Elizabeth-and-Thomas-baby theory would argue, Maybe it did.That being said, it is no surprise that people believed such rumors about the princess. Elizabeth was Anne Boleyns daughter, and in the eyes of the Tudors, she became stained with her mothers supposed treachery. Annes rumored witchcraft followed her everywhere, and the belief in the bad seed theorywhere sin is supposedly passed down from parent to child like a genetic diseasewas rampant.Elizabeths quick wit and political maneuvering may have saved her from the worst of the Seymour scandal, but her already shaky reputation plummeted. And, for a young princess whose mother was the most infamous woman in Christendom, many were looking for an excuse to condemn her.Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle Portrait, c. 1550. Source: Wikimedia CommonsHolding her own in the face of interrogations conducted by grown men, Elizabeth emerged from the whole mess with her head held high but her name somewhat bruised. To restore her standing, she spent the remainder of her brother Edwards reign emphasizing her piety and respectability. Plain clothing, prayer book in handit was Elizabeths way of saying, Behold my unimpeachable innocence.Did any of these rumors about pregnancy or secret children ever hold any water? Modern historians pretty much agree: not likely. They dismiss the gossip as little more than the usual court speculation designed to bring down powerful figuresbecause when youre on top, people just love to watch you tumble.Downfall of Thomas Seymour and Elizabeths ReactionEdward VI, c. 1546. Source: Wikimedia CommonsWhen Thomas Seymours life finally imploded, it was nothing short of a train wreck. And Elizabeth? She knew how to keep her cool in the face of chaos. After all, she was both Tudor and Boleyn and had lived through the execution of one stepmother and the divorce of another. So, when Thomas was finally sent to the executioners scaffold, what did Elizabeth reportedly say? This day died a man of much wit and very little judgment. Talk about a sharp-tongued epitaphthough it is probably apocryphal.Now, some historians, like Elizabeth Jenkins in Elizabeth the Great, argue that even if those words werent actually Elizabeths, they likely captured her feelings perfectly. She may have kept a stiff upper lip, but no one doubted the emotion simmering just beneath her stoic exterior. Her father had a temper for the ages, one that made his favor, and the revoking of it, the stuff of legends. Elizabeth had it too, but earned the respect of those watching her closely by keeping it mostly under wraps.Yet up until the very end, there was reason to believe Seymour might wiggle his way out of the mess of his making. He was the kings uncle and the brother of the Lord Protector. Hed fathered a child with the queen dowager. Surely, theyd spare him, right? Wrong. He was hit with 33 charges of treason. The only special treatment that came his way was when both his brother, Edward Seymour, and young King Edward VI delayed signing the death warrant.Executioners axe, Tower of London, photo by Serendigity. Source: FlickrHowever, the execution wasnt to be put off indefinitely. On March 20, 1549, Thomas Seymours head met the executioners axe. Unfortunately for him, it took two blows to get the job done.To make matters worse, his material possessions were returned to the Crown, the common practice with treasoners, and his fancy title of Baron of Sudeley was handed off to Katherine Parrs surviving brother. This left his daughter with Katherine, little Mary, whose mother had died of childbed fever, orphaned and without the funds to cover her needs.During life, being Lord High Admiral wasnt enough for Thomas, nor was being married to the previous Queen of Englandhe wanted power, real power, the kind his brother held as Lord Protector. One of Thomass final actions was his attempt to bribe Sir William Sharington, who was busy cooking the books at the Bristol Mint, so he could invest in a coup against his brother. This was classic Thomas, always aiming high and falling hard.It all fell apart at the end of 1548 when the Privy Council caught wind of his schemes. He was summoned to explain himself, but instead of laying low, he decided to go all-in on a wild plan to kidnap Edward VI (in the blown scheme in which he shot the boys dog).Elizabeth, however, wasnt about to get dragged down with him. She played it cool under interrogation, confirming only that yes, there had been gossip about her marrying Seymour, and yes, he had asked a few too intimate questions about her body and her finances. The emotional scars Seymour left behind were undeniable. His death marked the end of a tumultuous chapter in her life, but it also solidified her determination never to let herself be manipulated again.