Philadelphia Scrope

Philadelphia, Lady Scrope ( Carey; 1563 (Kristin Bundensen gives her birth year as 1563, but does not cite a source.)

Philadelphia was a friend of the Earl of Essex. In August 1600, she wrote to him that Elizabeth had read one of his letters carefully in her presence. She asked the Queen if he would be returned to favour but received no answer.

Lady Scrope took part in the Harefield Entertainment in August 1602, and was given a mask or vizard, as the lines "Want you a mask! Here fortune give you one: Yet nature gives the rose and lily none" were recited.

She was at the queen's bedside near the time of her death. She is mentioned in Elizabeth Southwell's narrative of the queen's final days, as her special confidante. On the queen's death, she passed her sapphire ring to her brother Robert Carey, who rode to Scotland to give it to James VI. One version of the story of the ring is that James VI had sent the sapphire ring to Philadelphia Scrope by his diplomat Sir James Fullerton to be used as a token of Elizabeth's death.

On 2 May 1603, Lady Scrope and Anne, Countess of Worcester, Frances, Countess of Kildare, Lady Anne Herbert, Penelope, Lady Rich, Audrey Walsingham and others went to Berwick-upon-Tweed to welcome Anne of Denmark to England, according to the directions of the Privy Council. Anne came to Berwick on the 9 May. Some of the women had travelled into Scotland to meet her ahead of the others. Another group of women, led by Lucy, Countess of Bedford also travelled to Scotland, attempting to gain the new queen's favour.

A letter of Philadelphia Scrope mentions that she had escorted Anne of Denmark from Warwick, according to directions from Sir Robert Cecil, but unlike her companions, she had no reward.

Death and burial Thomas Scrope died on 2 September 1609. Lady Scrope died on 3 February 1628. She apparently died and was buried at Hunsdon, Hertfordshire;