When Elizabeth I nearly died of smallpox, she requested that Robert Dudley be appointed as Protector in the event of her death. My question is, what did Elizabeth mean by "Protector"? What kind of role or responsibilities did she assume Robert Dudley would have in this position? I have heard the title used in regard to regents ruling for minors, or as a title for the head of state himself (like Cromwell later in history). Did Elizabeth envision one of these situations, or did she mean something else entirely?