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.
Guest article by Lindsey Wolf November 30, 1601. 140 members of the House of Commons collected unceremoniously in the Council Chamber of Whitehall. Kneeling in respect of their sovereign who had ruled them for these past forty three years, they both heard and recorded what was to go down as Elizabeth’s “Golden Speech.” Additionally, it was to be her last address to Parliament at the age of sixty eight. Within its “Letters of Gold”, one could not only better understand [More]
by Heather R. Darsie It was 29 June 1588. The Spanish Armada sailing in its customary crescent shape was spotted off the coast of Cornwall. After many years of waiting, the time had finally come: Spain was invading England to reclaim the country for Catholicism. It is possible that Philip II, former brother-in-law to Elizabeth I previous suitor, began planning the invasion as early as 1584. What is certain is that Philip was amassing a fleet of ships in June 1585. At t [More]
One of the most recognizable monarchs of all time is Queen Elizabeth I of England. Four hundred and fifteen years after her death she is still revered as one of the best monarchs in history. She reigned for forty-five years and her rule was known as the Age of Gloriana. Not bad for the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, eh? On my Facebook page I love to share images of artifacts belonging to different monarchs of the time and that led me to creating this [More]
Catherine Carey, Lady Knollys was the daughter of Mary Boleyn and William Carey. When Catherine's cousin Queen Mary came to the throne they fled the country for fear they would be persecuted for their Protestant beliefs. This letter was written in 1553 making Elizabeth twenty years old. Elizabeth and Catherine always had a close relationship - is it possible because Elizabeth had a feeling they were sisters instead of cousins? We'll never know for certain. Relieve your sorrow [More]
They were both female, both royal by birth and both queens in their own right, but being cousins is what caused the most havoc in the lives of these two women. I am of course speaking of Elizabeth Tudor and Mary Stuart. It wasn't only the fact that the cousins practiced different religions but that one was declared illegitimate in 1536 after the execution of her mother, Anne Boleyn. Had Henry VIII legitimized both Mary and Elizabeth Tudor when he added them to the line of [More]