Opinion
“During Elizabeth’s 4 4 -year reign
England was transformed into an
increasingly wealthy cultural hub”
T
he second half of the 16th century was an
age of rapidly evolving culture, tumultuous
politics and intrigue, religious conflicts,
worldwide exploration and bitter power
struggles. Small wonder, then, that the
events of the turbulent Elizabethan era continue not
only to fascinate but also to inspire a thirst for knowl-
edge that is seemingly unquenchable. At the centre of
this ever-changing world was one of the most famous
queens in history: Elizabeth I.
It is largely thanks to Elizabeth that curiosity
about the period shows no signs of abating. And the
queen was as much a source of fascination in her
own lifetime as she is today – in no small part
because she resisted conforming to expectations of
a 16th-century woman.
A fiercely intelligent individual who witnessed the
brutality of her age first-hand, Elizabeth was forced
to learn some cruel lessons from an early age. Her
mother was executed before her third birthday; her
stepmother, Catherine Howard, was beheaded when
she was eight; and she endured a spell in the Tower of
London, suspected of complicity in the Wyatt
Rebellion of 1554. In short, Elizabeth’s youth was
blighted by fear and uncertainty. But rather than
allowing these experiences to break her, Elizabeth
learned from them, and determined to be different.
What is more, she succeeded.
From the moment of her accession in 1558 Elizabeth
was expected to take a husband, but instead defied her
ministers by declaring her intention to remain
unmarried. Few believed that she would maintain that
line, yet she remained determined to rule alone – sole
mistress in a realm dominated by men. Thus the cult
of the Virgin Queen was born.
Throughout her reign, Elizabeth played on that
persona and on her femininity. Though she often
chose to identify herself and her strength
with male rule, famously claiming during
the dangerous days of the Spanish
Armada campaign that she had
“the heart and stomach of a
king”, Elizabeth continually
referred to her womanhood.
Her image provided the
perfect outlet for controlling
these aspects of her identity. More
than 100 likenesses of Elizabeth
were produced during her lifetime –
and it was always her, rather than anyartist, who decided how she was portrayed, and how
those portrayals might be interpreted. In her autho-
rised portraits, the queen was always richly dressed and
adorned with an array of costly jewels – often pearls,
symbolic of purity, thereby reinforcing the qualities of
the Virgin Queen. In a further projection of majesty,
she was often also depicted with symbols of her
authority, including her crown.
Elizabeth fully understood the importance of image
to leadership, and throughout the course of her reign
successfully manipulated hers in order to boost her
popularity and ensure that she was viewed as a
powerful female sovereign. Elizabeth’s leadership drew
the admiration of many of her contemporaries, which
is part of the reason she has earned the continued
admiration of many modern historians.
Another factor that may help explain why we are
drawn to her era is that during her 44-year reign
England was transformed into an increasingly wealthy
cultural hub. Art and literature thrived, and the first
permanent theatres in England attracted throngs of
people eager to witness the latest offerings from some
of the most talented playwrights and actors of the day.
We remember the Elizabethan period as the heyday of
William Shakespeare, whose work is still performed
and received with as much enthusiasm now as it was
then. We are thus able to relive some of the moments
that once enraptured the Elizabethan crowds, and
experience their sense of humour, tragedy and
romance first-hand. Crucially, at the helm of this
cultural evolution was a woman – and an extraor-
dinary woman, at that.
So why is it important to continue studying
Elizabeth and her world, and what lessons can
we learn from it? Elizabeth was a different kind
of queen – one who was not afraid to stand
out, and who chose to walk her own path,
often in the face of resistance. Moreover,
she successfully managed her image as
the Virgin Queen, and in so doing
ensured that she was viewed – and
continues to be remembered – with
both awe and adulation.
When we revisit that period and
consider why we are enthralled- and though there’s no denying
the allure of Shakespeare, the
portraits and the poems – the
epicentre of the fascination is
clear: Elizabeth herself.
Nicola Tallis on... The enduring appeal of the Elizabethan era
Nicola Tallis is
a historian and
researcher. Her
latest book is
Elizabeth’s Rival:
The Tumultuous
Ta l e of L e t t i c e
Knollys, Countess
of Leicester
(Michael O’Mara
Books, 2017)