The Coronation Portrait
This portrait we see here is a copy of the original 1559 painting. This copy was created around 1600-1610 and the original work is now lost. Elizabeth is depicted here with a full face. This made it the perfect image to use on stamps and seals.
Like all portraits of this kind, Queen Elizabeth I’s coronation portrait is littered with symbolism.
The Coronation Robe
First of all, let’s begin with Elizabeth’s clothes. Elizabeth is depicted wearing a beautiful gold and silver robe. This had belonged to her sister, Mary. Mary had worn this robe for her own coronation in 1553. Elizabeth’s bodice was made to match.
The decision to use Mary’s coronation robe suggests Elizabeth may have wanted to demonstrate continuity between Mary and her own reign. The continuation and longevity of the Tudor Dynasty. The decision to use gold as the colour of the robe is pretty obvious. Gold was symbolic of royalty, majesty and power. It suggests wealth and prosperity. And in this instance, by extension, it hints at the ‘Golden age’ to come, a hint that Elizabeth’s reign will be prosperous for her kingdom and her subjects.
The Tudor Rose
Tudor roses feature on the robes. The Rose combined the white rose of the Yorksits and the red rose of the Lancastrians and came into use following the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The two houses were formally united in January 1486 with the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. The use of the Tudor Rose again alludes to the Tudor dynasty which began with Elizabeth’s grandparents in 1486 and Elizabeth is here to continue.
The Fleur de Lis also forms part of the pattern on the robes. This is an indication of English superiority and claim of right over French lands.
Ermine Fur
It is assumed the fur used in the robe is ermine. Ermines are small weasel-like creatures who were prized for their fur in the Middle Ages and Elizabethan periods. Their pure white fur with black tips features in several of Elizabeth’s portraits.
The black tips on the white fur are from different animals indicating the sheer amount of animals used in the process of making this fine robe. And the splendour and wealth of the Tudor dynasty. Ermine fur was reserved for royalty and nobility. It thus came to be symbolic of wealth and power. But also its pure white colour was symbolic of purity.
Elizabeth’s Hair
Elizabeth was 25 years of age when this portrait was originally produced. She was young and unmarried. An indication of her youth is her long flowing hair. Long hair also represented fertility. Queens were traditionally pictured with long flowing hair for this reason and this is particularly indicative of the image Elizabeth wished to represent.
After the succession struggles of her father, brother and sister, there was an expectation Elizabeth would marry and produce lots of children to stabilise the monarchy. Her brother, Edward died young, at the age of 15 before he could marry. The absence of children rendered his eldest sister, Mary his hire. Mary had struggled to bear children with her husband, Philip of Spain. The marriage produced no children, twice Mary thought she was pregnant on 2 occasions, both false alarms. And their father, Henry VIII’s obsession with bearing a son is well known. In short, the lack of legitimate children, in particular male children, had caused several succession issues for the Tudor dynasty.
We know with hindsight Elizabeth did not bear any children, but the indication of Elizabeth’s youthfulness, beauty and fertility would have offered reassurance to her nobles and subjects at the beginning of her reign. Elizabeth’s long, golden red hair set against her pale white skin and the white fur of the ermine-lined robe was reminiscent of the Tudor Rose.
Elizabeth was at a disadvantage from the outset – she was a woman ruling in a man’s world. Although the portrait conveys a message of strength and power, it also borrows characteristics associated with femininity. Elizabeth embodies all the positive characteristics associated with femininity – purity, virginity and fertility. The portrait picks up on these desirable feminine qualities and uses them to Elizabeth’s advantage. Elizabeth appears demure and incredibly marriageable. She appears as an attractive, yet powerful young woman, a desirable match for any foreign prince.
Orb and Sceptre
Importantly, Elizabeth is depicted with the orb and sceptre. These are the symbols of royal authority. Some historians have argued that the prominence of the orb in this image is intended to represent Elizabeth as a religious icon. The orb was not only a royal symbol, but could also refer to the Christian world. This is particularly relevant in Elizabeth’s case. She in many ways came to personify the new Church of England. For it was by her father and mother’s marriage that the Reformation came about and Elizabeth was the product of that union.
It is worth remembering that portraits were a form of royal propaganda. Their purpose was to convey messages not just to one’s subjects but also to their enemies and allies abroad. Elizabeth’s wealth is on display – her jewels, the richness of the fabric and the ermine fur. These all convey a message of wealth and prosperity. England is a rich and powerful nation ruled by a capable
Richard II’s Westminster Portrait
One cannot ignore the comparisons between Elizabeth I’s coronation portrait and the portrait of Richard II at Westminster Abbey. The two monarchs have a similar pose. Both are seated facing the onlooker with the orb featuring prominently in the picture. Like Elizabeth, Richard faced his own setbacks upon his coronation. He was young, only 10 years old when he came to the throne. Like Elizabeth, he had several obstacles to overcome to prove his right and capability to rule.
Due to his youth, he like, Elizabeth who was limited by her sex, was unable to draw upon some of the more traditional masculine imagery. For instance, Richard is depicted as beardless. This was not uncommon for the fourteenth century indeed Henry VIII was the first English monarch to be depicted with a beard. Although irrelevant then for Richard, this was significant for Elizabeth. Her brother was a feeble, unbearded boy, but she could look back to an ancestor who was also trying to make a statement in challenging circumstances.
There is some contention as to when the portrait of Richard was painted. It is generally agreed it was produced sometime during his lifetime (1367 – 1400). If not at his coronation (1377), then sometime later. If this portrait had been produced when Richard was an adult, the artist still had to depict a young boy at his coronation. He looks stern, his eyes gazing forward with confidence. He looks young, but not immature or unready. The similarities between the eyes of the two in the portraits are striking.
Like Elizabeth, Richard uses the portrait to convey a message of wealth and power. He wears ermine fur, his robes are rich. He sits on a throne, a symbol of his power and majesty. Elizabeth and her advisers must certainly have drawn upon elements of Richard’s portrait to similarly portray a young Elizabeth.
For a similar post, see Gender as a Weapon – The Case of the Emperor Elagabalus.
