Why was sir Walter Raleigh in the Bloody Tower of London ?
Elizabeth I sent Raleigh to the tower in 1592 because he was planning to marry Elizabeth Throckmorton, one of her maids of honour, whom he had got pregnant. She finally let him out when she needed him to rescue a treasure-laden spanish ship that had been captured by privateers who were plundering it. In recognition of his action in saving the treasure from being plundered, he was released from captivity. In 1597 he was received back at court, and reinstated as Captain of the Queen’s bodyguard. In 1603, Raleigh became involved in the Main Plot, a scheme to replace King James I with his cousin Arabella Stuart. The plot was quickly betrayed to the government, and Raleigh was among those convicted. His life was spared for the time being, and he lived in the Tower, occupying himself writing. In 1616, James was persuaded to let him embark on an expedition to Guiana to find gold. However, the expedition was a failure, and when he returned home he was executed.
