Sir Pedro: Who Is He In The Becoming Elizabeth?
The first few years of Elizabeth I’s reign are covered in “Becoming Elizabeth.” The story focuses on the time when she was still a princess rather than following her rule as it would normally do. Elizabeth finds herself in the heart of all of the struggle after the death of her father, King Henry VIII, who presided over the English court. After his death, the English court became riddled with politics and scandal. Every every character in the show is hiding something from the audience. There is an atmosphere of “every man for himself,” and each of the characters is looking for a coalition that will help them advance in the hierarchy of the organization. Sir Pedro is an example of such a figure. The fact that he just appears in the pilot episode of the series doesn’t give him a significant role in the narrative. On the other hand, in the second episode, it becomes clear that there is a great deal more to him than we had previously thought. We have some answers for you if you are curious about who Sir Pedro is and if he was a genuine person or not. If this is something that has been on your mind, read on.
Was There Really a Person Named Sir Pedro?
There really existed a person by the name of Sir Pedro. He was a Spanish soldier who served both King Henry VIII and King Edward VI, the son of King Henry VIII. Because he is a relatively unknown historical figure, there is not much information available about him. There are a few documents here and there that attest to his presence throughout the Tudor period, but other than that, his history is still cloaked in enigma.
A thousand or more Spaniards, including Pedro, entered Henry VIII’s service around the year 1545. Pedro was one of those Spaniards. In the war against Scotland, he was dispatched to the north to fight. He was an extraordinarily accomplished warrior who led dangerous operations to bring victory to the English side of the conflict. One of his most famous victories was at the Battle of Haddington, which took place in what was a pivotal location for the English army to hold against the Scottish forces during the conflict.
It was a battle between an army of 10 thousand Scots and six thousand men from the United Kingdom. Pedro conceived of a plan after realizing that they were vastly outnumbered by their opponents. He discovered that they had an excessive number of horses, the maintenance of which was going to be challenging for them. The ration was quite meager, and in the long run, they would not have been able to maintain custody of the animals even if they had provided more food. The result of this was that three hundred soldiers, both Englishmen and Spaniards, each carrying close to 3,600 pounds of gunpowder and charged through the gates of the fortress. They caught the Scots off guard, and as a result, they were ultimately successful in establishing a stranglehold on Haddington.
After the battle of Pinkie Cleugh and the capture of Leith in 1547, Lord Protector Edward, Duke of Somerset, bestowed upon him the honor of knighthood in recognition of his valor and the services he had rendered. It is said that he passed away in the year 1551 as a result of an infectious sickness that soon engulfed him. In spite of the fact that history seems to have overlooked him in favor of other, more significant figures of his day, the show “Becoming Elizabeth” provides him a well-fleshed-out journey, bringing more notice to his honors and achievements in the process. Ekow Quartey, the actor, found that he had a lot of fun performing the role because of the character’s relative anonymity.
In spite of the fact that at first glance Sir Pedro appears to have little independent standing and is seen as merely another mercenary available for hire, we quickly learn that he is able to exert significant influence over the political climate at the court of England. Both the princess and the soldier share a shared ancestry due to the fact that the princess Mary Tudor’s mother, Catherine of Aragorn, was born in Spain. This is where the soldier’s family originates from. They are both members of the Catholic faith, which provides them with a second motive to work together: King Edward is hostile toward their religion. When he realizes that Somerset might not be able to make the most of his abilities, he does not waste any time in changing his affiliations. While illuminating his role in Mary’s ascent to the throne of England, the episode “Becoming Elizabeth” also demonstrates to viewers how even a seemingly insignificant character may play a significant role in the course of history.