Lady Honora Denny

Honora Denny (died 1614) was an English courtier. She was the daughter of Edward, Lord Denny and Mary Cecil, a daughter of Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter. Some sources use the name "Honoria" or "Honor". She married a prominent Scottish-born courtier James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle. Their marriage was celebrated by Lord Hay's Masque written by Thomas Campion and staged on 6 January 1607. The Spanish ambassador gave her a jewel worth 6000 crowns. She was a favourite of Anne of Denmark. They enjoyed the company of a Venetian diplomat and musician Giulio Muscorno. Muscorno argued with the ambassador Antonio Foscarini. A third Venetian diplomat, Giovanni Rizzardo investigated their quarrel and found that the queen and Lady Hay had promoted Muscorno's cause. During subsequent hearings in Venice about Foscarini's conduct, doubt was cast on Rizzardo's story, and it was suggested Lady Hay was not a lady of the court, or the queen's servant, and did not frequently visit her.