Elizabeth Amadas

Elizabeth Amadas (d.1532) was a lady at the court of King Henry VIII of England who was accused of treason, and who claimed to have been a mistress of Henry VIII's.

Background

Elizabeth was the daughter of Hugh Brice, a courtier at the court of Henry VIII. Her grandfather, Hugh Brice the Elder, had been the court goldsmith. On his death, this position was passed on to Robert Amadas, who had married Elizabeth. His talents quickly made him the richest goldsmith in England. She was in the ambiguous position of being a member of the gentry but married to a man who worked for his living.

Arrest

In 1532, Elizabeth was arrested for treason. She had described Anne Boleyn as a harlot, and said that she should be burnt. She also said that the King, by setting aside Katherine of Aragon for a younger woman, was encouraging the men of England to do the same. Elizabeth's husband had recently left her. She described herself as a 'witch and prophetess'. She was released, but the couple got into debt and did not recover their position at court.

She also stated that Henry VIII had asked her many times to join her at the house of William Compton in Thames Street. She alleged that Compton and Dauncy had brought messages from the King to her. She does not state when this was, although Compton died in 1528 so it must have been before this. She also does not state if she gave in to the King's advances.