England: Sir Francis Walsingham (1532 - 1590), Principal Secretary of England (1573-1590). Oil on panel painting by John De Critz the Elder (1551-1642), c. 1585. Sir Francis Walsingham (c. 1532 - 6 April 1590) was Principal Secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 1573 till 1590, and is popularly remembered as her 'spymaster'. Walsingham is frequently cited as one of the earliest practitioners of modern intelligence methods both for espionage and for domestic security. Walsingham was one of the small coterie who directed the Elizabethan state. (Photo by: John De Critz (1551-1642)/Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)