Guest article by Samantha K. Cohen It is said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Of course this was said long after Gloriana left the stage for as everybody knows Cynthia, goddess of the moon adored pearls. Pearls, because of their shimmering beauty, are linked to the moon. They represent purity, virginity, and femininity all of which Elizabeth I put great store in.
by Rebecca Larson After the death of an English monarch in the 14th and 15th centuries there was general chaos surrounding the throne. Different factions believed their person should indeed be King of England. This was really highlighted after Richard II handed over his crown to his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, aka Henry IV. The Wars of the Roses then helped to decimate the remaining pool of contestants to only a few. An act of succession was always an important to a ruling [More]
Guest article by Karlie aka History Gal Robert Devereux, the 2nd Earl of Essex, was known throughout the court for his military prowess, good looks and charisma. These qualities made him popular with the Queen and with the English people. The titles and adulation that was heaped on Essex undoubtedly inflated the young Earl’s massive ego and made him hungry for more power and glory. More than anything else, Essex wanted to be the head of a great and victoriou [More]
Symbolism in Elizabeth's portraits has been there all along, but some of us have chosen not to see it until now. It wasn't until I recently watched a documentary that talked about the symbolism in Elizabeth's "Rainbow" portrait that I started looking for them. In this article I will cover three portraits with obvious symbols. If you happen to find more portraits with symbols please feel free to share with me! Elizabeth "Rainbow" Portrait Elizabeth had lots of [More]
Guest article written by Wendy J. Dunn There is one thing I rediscover over and over in my research of the Tudors: "The past is another country; they do things differently there"(Hartley 1997, p.5). Yes - the people of the past lived very differently to us. As a writer, I am fascinated by these differences and use them to enrich my storytelling. I am particularly fascinated by the daily life of my Tudor people. This involves an adventure of research. Learning about Tudor [More]
From 1461 to 1603 there were three Elizabeths with the title of Queen - granted two were Queen consorts and one was Queen regnant, but regardless, for the sake of this post they were all queens. Queen Elizabeth Woodville (c. 1437 - 1492) - the consort of King Edward IV Queen Elizabeth of York (1466 - 1503) - the consort of King Henry VII Queen Elizabeth I (1533 - 1603) - Queen regnant of England The first Elizabeth, Elizabeth Woodville, was a commone [More]