Not Just the Tudors Elizabeth I's Doctor - & Poisoner?
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Jan 26, 2026 Dr. Samia Errazouki, historian of early modern Iberian and North African links, brings new research on Rodrigo Lopez. She traces his Portuguese Jewish origins, rise to Elizabeth’s physician, and the fraught mix of religion, court rivalries, espionage and Anglo‑Moroccan diplomacy. Short, vivid accounts explore prejudice, political intrigue, and newly found Moroccan connections.
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From Converso To Court Insider
- Rodrigo Lopez rose from forced-conversion origins in Portugal to become Elizabeth I's chief physician, showing mobility for skilled minorities.
- His ascent illustrates how early modern courts used marginalized experts for diplomacy and intelligence.
Intimate Access Equals Political Influence
- The chief physician had unparalleled private access to the monarch and could influence political discussions during intimate medical encounters.
- Lopez received commercial monopolies, showing his role extended beyond medicine into courtly patronage.
Disposable Outsider At Court
- Lopez's Jewish origin made him doubly vulnerable: valued while useful but disposable when politics turned.
- Marginalized experts often became scapegoats in factional rivalries at court.
