Kat Ashley

Katherine “Kat” Ashley was the governess, companion and later chief gentlewoman of Elizabeth I. She supervised Elizabeth’s education and became one of the people the princess trusted most deeply. Ashley was imprisoned after questions arose about Thomas Seymour’s improper behaviour towards the young Elizabeth and was questioned again over Elizabeth’s possible marriage plans during Mary I’s reign. After 1558 she returned to royal service and remained close to the queen until her death.

Kat Ashley is a major supporting character in Alison Weir’s The Lady Elizabeth and in many novels about Elizabeth’s youth. She also appears in Philippa Gregory’s The Virgin’s Lover and related Tudor fiction. Novelists often use her as confidante and surrogate mother, allowing Elizabeth to express fears and ambitions that the historical queen rarely committed to private record.