Lord Robert Dudley had been a close friend of Queen Elizabeth I  since they met as teenagers,  both imprisoned in the Tower & both anticipating a death sentence.  For the rest of his life, Robert hoped that the Queen might throw caution to the winds & marry him.  When he was in favour, she even created him Earl of Leicester & gave him the Castle of Kenilworth.  In 1575, she favoured him further with  a visit.

To  please & honour his loved one, Leicester created a special private garden. A recent discovery of a contemporary description set off an archeological exploration of the site. Together, these researches have enabled English Heritage to reconstruct the garden as it was,  with an erotically decorated marble fountain, a "jewelled" birdcage & an authentic layout with plantings of period flowers. It was all designed on a theme of "Love" to get her into a mood to consent to his proposal.  It is said that Leicester spent £1000 a day (at least £2m per day in today's money) entertaining the Queen during her visit & she stayed for 19 days!  She never married him, despite his best efforts.

The garden opened to the public in May 2009.  A year on,  the various features have matured,  giving visitors a better idea of the original,  which the Queen, a great lover of such things, was able to enjoy during her stay in Kenilworth.