The bulk of the linked article is behind a paywall. Can anyone please post it?
Was it an anti-tobacco statement? Anti titles? Or just disliked the painting? Jealousy over fame?
And from a quick google:
"Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) was an English adventurer, writer and nobleman. After growing close to Elizabeth I during his time in the army, Raleigh was knighted in 1585 and became captain of the guard. During Elizabeth’s reign, Raleigh organized three major expeditions to America, including the ill-fated Roanoke settlement. He later drew the queen’s wrath and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. After Elizabeth’s death in 1603, Raleigh was implicated as an enemy of her successor, James I, and given a death sentence. The sentence was commuted, and Raleigh was freed to lead an expedition to the New World, but its failure sealed his fate."