Audrey Walsingham Audrey Walsingham Lady Audrey Walsingham, née "Shelton" (1568-1624), was an English court office holder. She served as Lady of the Bedchamber to queen Elizabeth I of England, and then as Mistress of the Robes to Anne of Denmark from 1603 until 1619. She was born to Sir Ralph Shelton and married Sir Thomas Walsingham, cousin of Sir Francis Walsingham. She served as Lady of the Bedchamber to queen Elizabeth I. In 1603, she was selected to be in the English entourage who met the new queen at the Scottish border, and accompanied her to London. She was appointed Mistress of
Babington Plot restoration of the old religion. The plot was discovered by Elizabeth's spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham and used to entrap Mary for the purpose of removing her as a claimant to the English throne. The chief conspirators were Anthony Babington and John Ballard. Babington, a young recusant, was recruited by Ballard, a Jesuit priest who hoped to rescue the Scottish Queen. Working for Walsingham were double agents Robert Poley and Gilbert Gifford, as well as Thomas Phelippes, the last a spy agent and cryptanalyst. The turbulent Catholic deacon Gifford had been in Walsingham's service since the end of 1585 or the