Raleigh's El Dorado Expedition Portuguese possessions and shipping, and conduct illicit trading. Sir Walter Raleigh had enjoyed several years of high esteem from Queen Elizabeth I, which stemmed in part from his previous exploits at sea which included the famous Capture of the Madre de Deus. Soon after, however, Raleigh suffered a short imprisonment for secretly marrying one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, Elizabeth Throckmorton, and bearing her a child. In a bid to restore his influence with the Queen, Raleigh, having promised a "gold-rich empire more lucrative than Peru", had set up an expedition under John Whiddon to find the fabled city of gold
Clare McLaren-Throckmorton "indirectly" involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 through their association with Robert Catesby. McLaren-Throckmorton is a member of the Throckmorton family via her mother, Elizabeth, the sister of Sir Robert Throckmorton, 11th Baronet. The 10th Baronet, Sir Richard Throckmorton, was her great-grandfather. The 12th and last Baronet, Sir Anthony Throckmorton, died in 1994; thus the title is now extinct. Clare McLaren-Throckmorton trained as a barrister and specialised in European Community Law with a particular interest in competition law. She served on the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and on the Financial Intermediaries, Managers and Brokers Regulatory Association (FIMBRA). She relinquished