1
The Image of Gloriana
1. Which images and themes did Elizabeth use most frequently in her portrait?
- Pearls
- Gloves
- Roses
- She wants to show her dominance, purity, wealth and beauty
2. How would ordinary people have caught a glimpse of these royal images?
Miniatures were sometimes given out to the ordinary people, which they could wear
around their necks
3. Why were pictures of Elizabeth so popular?
Acted a propaganda to motivate the people and people got to have a glimpse of their
queen
How did Elizabeth influence elitist culture?
- Masques: often anti-Papal and with themes ranging from war against the Turks to
astronomy - interspersed with mime and dancing were regular evening entertainment at
court
- Musical evenings: permanent at court- constantly employed musicians and composers
- Drama: Classical plays were often performed at court in the early years of the reign,
usually by the choirboys of St. Paul’s. In the second half of the reign Elizabeth’s support
of actors accelerated the growth of drama and led to the establishment of permanent
theatres. Leading playwrights were not allowed to refer to Elizabeth by name but
blessed her reign
- Miniatures: From 1586 it became fashionable for courtiers to wear them or jewelled
cameos of Elizabeth. These included Burghley, Drake, Hatton and Walsingham - they
commissioned portraits of themselves wearing these miniatures
- Royal progresses: Every summer the Queen would leave court for 10 weeks and
undertook a stately progress staying at the homes of nobles and courtiers - encouraged
them to have the grandest houses
- Tournaments: Increasingly elaborate- Henry Lee transformed the Accession Day joust
into a spectacular pageant - knights performed heroic deeds to prove their loyalty to
Elizabeth
- Chivalry: Became inspiration for a lot of literature, i.e. Sir Philip Sidney and Edmund
Spenser’s work
- Noble patronage of the arts: Shared interests ensured mutually supportive relationship
between Queen and her nobles sustained
The Image of Gloriana
1. Which images and themes did Elizabeth use most frequently in her portrait?
- Pearls
- Gloves
- Roses
- She wants to show her dominance, purity, wealth and beauty
2. How would ordinary people have caught a glimpse of these royal images?
Miniatures were sometimes given out to the ordinary people, which they could wear
around their necks
3. Why were pictures of Elizabeth so popular?
Acted a propaganda to motivate the people and people got to have a glimpse of their
queen
How did Elizabeth influence elitist culture?
- Masques: often anti-Papal and with themes ranging from war against the Turks to
astronomy - interspersed with mime and dancing were regular evening entertainment at
court
- Musical evenings: permanent at court- constantly employed musicians and composers
- Drama: Classical plays were often performed at court in the early years of the reign,
usually by the choirboys of St. Paul’s. In the second half of the reign Elizabeth’s support
of actors accelerated the growth of drama and led to the establishment of permanent
theatres. Leading playwrights were not allowed to refer to Elizabeth by name but
blessed her reign
- Miniatures: From 1586 it became fashionable for courtiers to wear them or jewelled
cameos of Elizabeth. These included Burghley, Drake, Hatton and Walsingham - they
commissioned portraits of themselves wearing these miniatures
- Royal progresses: Every summer the Queen would leave court for 10 weeks and
undertook a stately progress staying at the homes of nobles and courtiers - encouraged
them to have the grandest houses
- Tournaments: Increasingly elaborate- Henry Lee transformed the Accession Day joust
into a spectacular pageant - knights performed heroic deeds to prove their loyalty to
Elizabeth
- Chivalry: Became inspiration for a lot of literature, i.e. Sir Philip Sidney and Edmund
Spenser’s work
- Noble patronage of the arts: Shared interests ensured mutually supportive relationship
between Queen and her nobles sustained
