Elizabeth's main palace was at Whitehall and it dominated the cultural, social and political life of the country. Ambitious men and women were attracted from all over England and came to court to further their own goals. As a result there was always a lot of intrigue swirling around Whitehall. Elizabeth insisted on taking a personal interest in the affairs of court, punishing or rewarding the gentleman who secretly married one of the queen's ladies in waiting, or bestowing a title on a pirate who brought back a ship full of gold from a Spanish galleon.