In the early modern period, Greenwich was synonymous with the royal palace located there, being no more than a village; it is 5 miles east of St Paul's.

North was created KB at the coronation of Elizabeth , and succeeded to his father's title in 1564. In 1572 he was one of the 26 peers who condemned to death Thomas Howard , duke of Norfolk, and in 1574 he was an envoy to the French court. In 1578 he entertained the queen at Kirtling, his Cambridgeshire seat. In 1585-7 he served with distinction under Leicester in the Netherlands; he was wounded at Zutphen and returned briefly to England for Sidney 's funeral. By the end of the 1580s he was in poor health, although in 1596 Essex (as lord high admiral) consulted him as to the defences against a threatened Spanish invasion. He was made treasurer of the queen 's household in the same year, and in October a privy councillor. His health failed again in 1599 and, after a trip to Bath, he died in London in December 1600.

Carey was appointed captain-general of the Isle of Wight in 1582. He succeeded to the peerage as Lord Hunsdon in July 1596, also becoming KG and a privy councillor. He was appointed lord chamberlain of the household in March 1597, and died 9 Sept. 1603.

Knollys was knighted by Leicester in the Low Countries in 1586, and appointed comptroller of the royal household and a privy councillor upon the death of his father, Sir Francis Knollys, in 1596. In Dec. 1602 he succeeded Roger, Lord North , as treasurer of the royal household. Under James he became, successively, Baron Knollys of Rotherfield Greys (May 1603), cofferer to the household of Henry , Prince of Wales (1606), master of the court of wards (Oct. 1614), KG (1615) and Viscount Wallingford (1616). Charles created him earl of Banbury in 1626, and he died in London in 1632.

Cecil was the younger son of William Cecil , Lord Burghley . He was knighted during the queen 's visit to Theobalds in 1591, and became a privy councillor in the same year. He was appointed secretary of state in 1596, while Essex (who had delayed, if not blocked his appointment) was on the expedition to Cadiz. In early 1598 he went, with Ralegh, Southampton and others, to France , the object of the embassy being the prevention of an alliance between France and Spain . His father died in Aug. of the same year. Cecil continued as secretary under James , becoming successively Baron Cecil of Essingden (13 May 1603), Viscount Cranbourne (20 Aug. 1604), Earl of Salisbury (4 May 1605), and KG (20 May 1605). He was also, following his father, master of the court of wards, and lord high steward to Anne of Denmark . He became lord treasurer in May 1608, following the death of Thomas, earl of Dorset , and was also chancellor of Cambridge.

Fortescue for a time oversaw the studies of Princess Elizabeth , of whom he was a cousin on the Boleyn side. On her accession, he became keeper of the great Wardrobe in Blackfriars, where he lived throughout the reign. He was also an MP, sitting in every parliament from 1572. He became chancellor of the exchequer and under-treasurer in 1589, and also a privy councillor. He ceased to be chancellor of the exchequer upon James 's accession, and died in 1607.

Topcliffe was employed by Burghley on a regular basis from the mid 1580s, although in what capacity is not specified. He was named in the special commission against the Jesuits (26 Mar. 1593).

Fletcher was made master of requests in ordinary and secretary or remembrancer to the city of London c . 1589. He was empowered as a commissioner by the Privy Council to examine seminary priests. On 20 June 1597 he became treasurer of St Paul's.

Nashe was admitted to St John's College, Cambridge as a sizar in 1582, and graduated BA in 1586. In 1593 he published Christ's Tears over Jerusalem and in 1594 The Unfortunate Traveller . He seems to have escaped imprisonment for his part in The Isle of Dogs , but his papers were seized. His comedy Summer's last will and testament, appeared in 1600.