The Gatekeeper

Lady Secretary

The House of Percy was one of the most powerful noble families in English history, drawing their lineage from Baron William de Percy shortly after the Norman conquest. However, the Percys found themselves in a complicated position after the Wars of the Roses, themselves a product of the open war between the Houses of Percy and Neville. Loyalties became torn, and by the early seventeenth century, some Percys were actively plotting against the English crown. Among them: Thomas Percy, a key member of the infamous Gunpowder PloT.

​Why would Sir Thomas Walsingham employ a young woman from the House of Percy in his office? Is Lady Percy an aide, or a hostage? Could she be Both? Maybe she just enjoys holding such a high position in a male-dominated government. Or maybe she just likes to torture people.

In any case, Lady Percy's motives, just like her loyalties, are her own.

The Henry Connection

There is a "Lady Percy" in Shakespeare's Henry IV  plays, appearing in Henry IV, Part 1  & Part 2. Although she is allegedly based on Lady Elizabeth Mortimer, why would Shakespeare choose such an obscure figure from History as one of the few recurring characters in his plays?

Perhaps it has less to do with Elizabeth Mortimer and more to do with the name "Lady Percy." But then, what's in a name? especially since the full name of Walsingham's secretary is Lady Penelope "Penny" Percy.