Elizabeth I and the Golden Age

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC ĐỒNG NAI
KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ
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THE VIRGIN QUEEN
AND THE GOLDEN AGE
MÔN: ĐẤT NƯỚC HỌC ANH

Họ và tên sinh viên 1: Nguyễn Quang Huynh
MSSV: 1181120031
Họ và tên sinh viên 2: Trương Thị Hoài Trâm
MSSV: 1181120079
Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Bùi Hồng Hà

ĐỒNG NAI, 2021



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THE VIRGIN QUEEN AND THE GOLDEN AGE
The Virgin Queen and the Golden Age
Four hundred and fifty-two years ago, British Queen Elizabeth I rose to the throne at the
age of twenty-five while the country was among antagonists. The world was never the same, from
politics to art and religion. Under the reign of the Tudor Queen, Britain has conquered the Spanish
and established itself as the most powerful empire in Europe. The hand of Elizabeth restored the
Protestant Church and developed the moderate Anglicanism that currently remains in England.
Not only that, plays, poetry, and music flourished during the Elizabethan Golden Age as well as
her reign has exerted influence on regions far beyond Britain. This research will muster
considerable elements that brought about the success of this Virgin Queen in the Golden Age of
Britain.
The early age - Background

Initially, like every child, what Queen Elizabeth I experienced during her childhood
affected her chances of success in the future, and how much she grew up affected how successful
she would be in her life and reign.
The way she was born firstly affected her position on the throne. According to Somerset
(2010), King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn had only one child, Elizabeth Tudor. Between
the winter of 1532 and the end of January 1533, the two secretly married. Elizabeth was named
after her grandmother, Elizabeth of York, and was born on September 7, 1533, at Placentia Castle,
Greenwich. Although Henry VIII had a daughter, Mary Tudor, Elizabeth got the right to the throne
upon her birth. Princess Mary was not regarded as the legal heir by her father since the king had
annulled her marriage to her mother, Catherine of Aragon, who had been Queen of Spain at the
time. Greenblatt and Morrill (2021) showed that when the third wife of Henry, Jane Seymour, gave
birth to a baby boy, Edward, in 1537, Elizabeth fell even further into obscurity. Despite his horrible


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violence, Henry VIII treated his kids with what he saw as a fondness; Elizabeth was presented on
ceremonial occasions and designated the third place of the throne. She spent much of her time with
her half-brother Edward and, at the beginning of her tenth year, benefited from the loving attention
of her stepmother, Catherine Parr, the king's sixth and last wife.
The early age - Education
Like any other royal kid, Elizabeth has grown up with good nurturance. She has also been
tutored and has excelled in languages. According to Loads (2003), her first governess was
Margaret Bryan. Nevertheless, with the birth of Elizabeth's half-brother, Lady Bryan was removed
from Elizabeth to serve the newborn Prince, Edward. Consequently, Katherine Champernowne,
also known as Katherine Ashley or Kat, became Elizabeth's regular caregiver in 1537. She was
also considered a priceless companion and caregiver of Elizabeth Tudor. As her primary governess,
Kat became Elizabeth's mother much more than any woman she ever knew during her life.
Armitage (2019) also showed that Kat would have spent hours teaching Elizabeth a
multitude of subjects that a lady and a Princess should know as part of the traditional curriculum

for royal children. Languages, grammar, religion, history, rhetoric, logic, philosophy, arithmetic,
literature, music, and geometry were among the subjects she learned. In addition, Her education
also covered non-academic topics useful to a woman of her position and standing, such as
needlework, dance, archery, riding, and hunting, etc. Thanks to this instructor, by the age of 11,
Elizabeth had learned well in Latin, Greek, French, and Italian (Hollihan, 2011, p.16). As a result,
Loades (2003, p. 41) quoted Elizabeth as later stating that Kat took "great labour and pain in
bringing me up in learning and honesty". Not only that, Harper (2011, p. 284) narrated that in her
later life, Elizabeth would say, "Anne Boleyn gave me life, but Kat Ashley gave me love."


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Moreover, Elizabeth also had several other tutors who had much influence on her life. One
of them was a talented scholar, Wiliam Grindal. Dunn (2010, p. 175) considered him as Elizabeth’s
“inspirational tutor” who provided her a solid foundation in “Greek, Latin and foreign languages.”
Not long after that, Jones (2010, p. 538) claimed that she was “fluent in Latin, Greek, Italian,
French, and in Spanish.” Due to her brilliance in these languages that Roger Ascham, mentor of
Wiliam Grindal and then Elizabeth’s tutor, admitted that he did not know “whether to
admire more the wit of her who learned, or the diligence of him who taught” Dunn (2010, p.175).
After the death of Grindal in January 1548, on the report of Somerset (2010), Elizabeth
was educated by the tutor of Prince Edward, Roger Ascham, a compassionate instructor with the
thought that studying should be enjoyable. Loades (2003) showed that language was central to the
study program of Elizabeth, and Asham was teaching it via the contemporary double translation
approach. With his routine that Elizabeth followed between 1548 and 1550, according to
Whitelock (2013), she became a qualified linguist and translator, proficient in French and Italian,
and acquired interests in science, philosophy, and history. Her wonderful intellect made Ascham
also commented afterward “her mind has no womanly weakness, her perseverance is equal to that
of a man, and her memory long keeps what it quickly picks up.” (Plowden, 2013, p. 120).
With the abilities she had acquired, Queen Elizabeth was able to wield power via her words
throughout her lengthy reign. That capability allowed her to present herself as a powerful and

stable ruler, which is why Queen Elizabeth Tudor's reign is known as the Elizabethan Golden Age.


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The Virgin Queen‘s Governance and her Legacy
Mary died on November 17, and Elizabeth became Queen of England. The country's
transfer to Elizabeth was remarkably effortless in 1558. But, while there was a flood of release at
Mary's death and the end of the flames at Smithfield that had roasted heretics, there was also great
concern about whether a 25-year-old woman's rule would be any more fruitful. (Levin, 2002, p.14)
Throughout Elizabeth I's lengthy reign (1558–1603), England evolved as an international
power and also known as the empire “on which the sun never sets” (Collinson, 2010) and according
to a recent survey on Britannica, her presence served to unite the kingdom against foreign
adversaries. Her rule is defined by her excellent diplomacy, religious actions, and victory over the
Spanish Armada. During her reign, the arts also flourished. In addition, Elizabeth's reign period is
considered a golden age for other factors. Hundreds of shipping, trade, industry, monetary
improvements, roadways, poverty relief, and agriculture legislation were significant. These rules
affected England's policies for about two centuries following the end of Elisabeth's reign.
The Virgin Queen‘s Governance and Legacy - Religious Divides and Religious Settlement
Collinson, M. & Collinson, D.( 2010) noted that throughout Elizabeth I’ reign, the main
concern was religious divisions. It is found in a recent survey on Britannica that Elizabeth
reintroduced Protestantism to England. Moreover, the Supremacy Act, enacted in the Parliament
and ratified in 1559, restored Henry VIII's anti-papal legislation and proclaimed the queen the
church's supreme ruler, and the Act of Uniformity updated the second Edwardian prayer book as
the official order of the religious liturgy. These structural and liturgical modifications from the
law books on to local parishes were passed cautiously but continuously by Elizabeth's government.
However, Collinson found that the intellectuals have been much discussing Elizabeth's own
religious views. She was a Protestant, but she retained Catholic symbols (such as the cross) and

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minimized the significance of preaching, which was contrary to a major Protestant principle
(2007).
In addition, Levin (2002) noted that Elizabeth was confronted by a kingdom not only
divided by Catholics and Protestants but also by Protestants with various ideas about the Church's
actual essence. The disdain of Elizabeth for extravagant religious fervor led her Catholic citizens
to expect her to rejoin their fold and avoided a Catholic rebellion or expulsion from the pope almost
for a decade of her reign. Unfortunately, over the course of a short time, so many changes were
the reasons for not just bewilderment but also hostility. Because Mary had taken advantage of her
reign to offer sufficient support to reinstate Roman Catholicism, to make abolishing it even more
difficult for her heir. Besides, some conservatives have opposed the changes of Elizabeth.
However, The administration of Elizabeth finally persuaded people to give up their old faiths in
triumph and make the kingdom a true Protestantism via preaching and educating. In 1559, in a
sequence of legislation that started with Supremacy and Uniformity Acts, the Parliament codified
England's formal religious affiliation with the State. Again, the Catholic mass was suppressed. The
Uniformity Act brought England back to a protestant Edwardian religious structure. The 1552
Book of Common Prayer was the shape of the new service defined by the Act of Uniformity.
Instead of the Latin rule of Mary, the liturgy was once again in English. The clergy conference
established in 1563 the Thirty-Nine Articles formed a theoretical framework for the Elizabethan
churches. In 1571, the Parliament confirmed them. Not only did the parliament in 1559 approve
the Uniformity Act, which established the Church of England's official theology, it also formally
approved the Supremacy Act, which gave Elizabeth the name of England's Supreme Governor.
Nevertheless, there was lots of turmoil that Elizabeth should be named the "Head" or the
"Governor". Elizabeth opted not to become the Head of the Church, but to be the Governor, not


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because being a woman was improper, just because she took the role of Christ. Elizabeth did not

give up her authority on the Church, though she was against the handle, and she also believed that
she deserved to own that power. John Guy is cited by Levin (2002, p. 24) as stating that “despite
the purposeful ambiguity of the settlement of 1559,” The status of Elizabeth did not change
substantially from that of Henry VIII. Elizabeth especially took her extremely seriously as
Governor of the Church. The queen was politically cautious. She required her Bishops to struggle
for the form of a national Church instead of addressing the Church's hierarchy directly. It also
accepted the Supreme Governor's power by The Act of religious Divides and the Religious
Settlement Supremacy, in particular ecclesial affairs, to transfer its jurisdiction to the
commissioners and created a Court of High Commission, commonly known as the Ecclesiastical
Commission. They were authorized to castigate religious law offenses, solve canonical conflicts
and maintain religious conformity. Elizabeth as Queen rejected that all pictures were idolatrous.
And she wanted the Catholics to believe she was not so distinct from them so that they would
accept her and not launch a holy crucifix on England, and she hoped to see the Lutheran Princes
in Germany would back her. The Catholic Ritual was comparable to several features of the England
Church including garments, crosses, and candelabra. To convince both Luthers and Catholics,
Elisabeth sought to ensure England was not a Calvinist country. The application of the Latin Prayer
Book at the universities and the colleges of Winchester and Eton was approved by Elizabeth in
1560. Moreover, she effectively persuaded the usage of the silver crucifix and candlelight in the
royal church with the Archbishop of Canterbury and other religious authorities. She requested the
monks that numerous traditional rites had to be maintained. In promoting patriotism, the church
had a vital role. Prayer against disobedience was read repeatedly in it on Sunday. Throughout the
1560s, Elizabeth chose to persuade her Catholic subjects rather than to force them. Elizabeth I and


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her government typically adopted only strong measures if individuals publicly protested the
law. The 1563 statute that prescribed the life sentence to anybody who twice rejected the
Supremacy Oath, was bypassed by Elizabeth. Over the first decade of her rule, it also did not urge
Catholics to revolt because the decision was made not to oppress them. On the other hand, after

the Queen's forced renunciation, Mary Stuart fled to England, and the fact that the relations of her
kingdom with Spain were increasingly worse, aroused much concern in her citizens. Over the next
few years, there were a series of local and international political crises with strong religious
undertones. The complot to murder Elizabeth I in 1571, and put Mary Stuart on the throne, became
much more severe. Furthermore, Acts of violence on Protestants in the region further heightened
worries of what Catholics could do to Protestants in England if the Catholics reclaimed authority,
namely, the slaughter across the Channel or the St Bartholomew's Day carnage. Fortunately, by
the mid-1590s, the Catholic menace was seen as far less threatening.
Elizabeth I's reign was even harsher on the Puritans. Since Elizabethan Church Settlement
lacked a cohesive doctrine. Levin (2002, p. 30) quoted that in 1585 Elizabeth said to the House of
Commons, "Resolutely, she will receive no motion of innovation, nor alter or change any law
whereby the religion or Church of England stands established at this day." Elizabeth stressed that
the clergy would observe the existing Act of Uniformity and the Articles of Thirty-Nine. A handful
of devoted Protestants were also angered by his efforts to improve Catholics politically at an early
stage (Levin, 2002).
Levin noted that although the fight against religion was to reoccur in the 17th century,
Elizabeth won the battle for the maintenance of the Settlement in 1559. What was enacted in the
early year of her rule was not basically changed until her reign came to an end, and England became
a Protestant nation in 1603 ( 2002, p. 37).


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The Virgin Queen‘s Governance and Legacy - The Virgin Queen and her Marriage Life.
It has been recently claimed (Borman, 2010) that Elizabeth was widely regarded as a man's
lady. With the numerous ambitious young men attending her court, she preferred to dally with.
Her romantic relationship with Robert Dudley, her enthusiasm for the Earl of Essex - Robert
Dudley's stepson, and her ties to trustworthy counselors Lord Burghley, are widely recorded. But
that just reveals part of the reality. Intentionally, Elizabeth presented these relationships to make
her own place in the world of men. The picture was rather dissimilar from her personal sphere.

The women there took control of the men.
Queen Elizabeth I (quoted by Borman, 2010, p. 235) states “And, in the end, this shall be
for me sufficient, that a marble stone shall declare that a queen, having reigned such a time, lived
and died a virgin”- these comments were said to the first Parliament in February 1559. Few of her
citizens believed her. They presumably claimed that her words were either the product of humility
and statehood, in order to raise her worth.
There were many unpleasant presumptions about her marriage made by her subjects.
Besides, her private council was sure that only if their royal lady generated a successor could
maintain the novelty regime. Philip II persuaded Elizabeth, right after her ascension, to marry him
to rescue her from works suitable for the men. In day-to-day social customs, marriage was the
ideal condition not just for the queens but for all women. Those who stayed unmarried were
ridiculed. Elizabeth (quoted by Borman, p. 236) also acknowledged: “There is a strong idea in the
world that a woman cannot live unless she is married, or at all events that if she refrains from
marriage she does so for some bad reason.” Without regard to the reluctance of their queen to
marry, many appropriate candidates were proceeded for casting. The Archduke Charles of Austria,
Philip II's cousin, was among the first to be put forward. Even though Elizabeth had explicitly


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prohibited her ladies from interfering in politics, she soon recognized the usefulness of the
numerous marriage processes following her accession. It was mediators with the emissaries of the
Archduke, the Count de Feria, and Bishop de Quadra, respectively embassies for the Republic of
Spain. Soon, the queen informed de Quadra that she did not wish to get married to him (the
Archduke) or anybody else. It is claimed, by the queen, to be improper for her and a virgin to invite
anybody to tie the knot with her for her enjoyment (Borman, 2010).
Kat served as the Queen's companion on both personal and general affairs, and the fact that
she was the person with whom Elizabeth spent the most of her time earned her unmatched status
at court. Kat's position provided her with a unique perspective on Elizabeth's growing personal
connection with Robert Dudley. The Queen had known him from infancy, and their connections

had become closer during Mary Tudor's years because Robert was the one bold enough to swear
his loyalty. In reality, the couple behaved just like lovers, as they held intimate discussions and
spent many hours together hunting, dancing, and partaking in other court activities. Elizabeth
employed her people to help her favorite meetings, which frequently required a considerable
degree of deception, such as in November 1561, when she camouflaged herself as Katherine
Howard's maid to gain the hidden pleasure of seeing Dudley shot in Windsor. Robert Dudley was
a married man, but the Queen was still jeopardizing her image by lavishing such favors on him,
which was particularly problematic as her marriage was now one of the most vital state affairs.
She might protect her position by striking an advantageous match, ideally with a powerful foreign
ally. However, the more she lingered with this married favorite, the less appealing a bride became
to other candidates. Not just in England but also in courts around Europe, Elizabeth and Dudley
had been scandalous. Elizabeth was one of history's most renowned flirts. Her conduct toward
some of her male servants was so wildly provocative that many assumed she was having


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relationships with them. Once, the ceremony to make Robert Dudley an earl, she tickled his neck.
She also intimately made her interactions with her advisers by assigning them pet names: Cecil
was "Sir Spirit," Dudley was "Eyes," and Hatton was "Lids" (p.250). Kat did what nobody else
would have dared to do to save her lady's reputation and prevent her from putting away what they
had battled so much. But Elizabeth answered to her subjects' astonishment, praising her ancient
ruler for Kat's words. She continued to convince Kat that she intended to marry to dissipate rumors
and facilitate her subjects' minds, however, adding that marriage was a big affair and she did not
desire to change her status. Elizabeth had clearly shown that she was not attracted to the notion of
marriage, but Kat remained in persuading her to do something different. Therefore she
enthusiastically encouraged the varied followers of Elizabeth's hand in marriage. Particularly, the
new King of Sweden - Eric XIV, who in the early 1560s became one of the strongest competitors.
In the spring of 1561, his chancellor Nils Gyllenstierna came to Londres to prepare the foundation
for a king's arrival. Although she was kind enough to welcome Gyllenstierna, she wouldn't marry

his lord and finally, following a year of nice words and broken promises, the chancellor went back
home dissatisfied. Kat's over interference was eventually revealed. Even the Queen's favorite
attendant now faced jail and dismissals again. The violation is so great that could hardly be
disregarded. She was discharged after a month and reinstated her previous post, by the surprise of
contemporaneous people in the court and abroad (Borman, 2010).
Borman stated that since a series of the Queen's rejection, some rumored that her
hesitation to marry was more than a matter of politics. Her procreative health status had been an
issue from her infancy. As a child, the French diplomats were shown "unclothed" by Elizabeth to
show that there were no obstacles to Francis I's third son, Charles, Duke of Angoulême, to prevent
her from becoming engaged. The question of her ability to reproduce got more diplomatic interest


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when she was a queen, as her whole regime's safety depended on her capacity to birth her
successors. Following the succession of Elizabeth, a proposal from the Duke of Casimir, the son
of the Palatine electoral officer, was sought by the Scottish Ambassador, Sir James Melville.
However, he refused the request due to the fact that the queen might not be getting married because
of her inability to have children. In June 1559 Elizabeth was bled, which was seen as evidence that
her physical functions were incorrect. The assumption was that the Queen lost her blood to remedy
her body imbalance formed by the absence of periods in her body. For much of her life, Elizabeth
struggled from unpredictable or nonexistent periods, which had become a matter of global issues.
Elizabeth contributed to inflame the stories by suggesting to her women that she was infertile and
detested the concept of marriage. Nonetheless, she knew it was crucial to encourage her numerous
beaus, so she sometimes exhibited her passion on the topic. For more than two decades, this
retained her status as one of Europe's top longed-for brides. Even in 1579, when Elizabeth was in
her forties, the topic of her fertility was still being debated. Elizabeth confidently stated he was in
the body without any impairment. Medical tests performed indicated that she was completely
healthy and capable of bearing children. Despite she eventually successfully made a virtue of her
virginity, Elizabeth was heavily chastised for marry denying. In point of fact, Elizabeth was

hesitant to take a spouse for political grounds. Marriage in the sixteenth century for most women
meant full submission for their man's wishes. But Elizabeth was considerably more self-sufficient
than anybody else. With her tremendous knowledge and tenacious soul, she would have found it
impossible to submit to the rule of any man. Elizabeth's resolve to stay unmarried went beyond
political considerations. When speaking with an ambassador from Scotland in 1561, Elizabeth
acknowledged that some of her childhood incidents had scared her of being married (2010).


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She portrayed herself as the "wife" of England and the "mother" of all her subjects. Her
statements had been riddled with references to this symbolic condition from the commencement
of her rule. In response to the House of Commons' request to marry, she told them that she had no
children and all the English were her children. Elizabeth wanted her women to be wedded to her
service, just as she was devoted to her nation. She routinely educated her maids and other single
women about marriage, and she would strongly encourage all her women to stay in virginity states.
Elizabeth had set her court a stringent standard of morality. The Queen's fury was always
tremendous once her inferior's secret was exposed. She would rip off her girls because of
disobeying her commands and impose severe penalties on them. Specifically, several people were
sent into the Tower or Fleet Prison, while others were expelled. Even though she may have valid
reasons for punishing her women for marriage, it's hard to abstain Elizabeth from fury with love
(Borman, 2010).
Though, at that time, a single Queen was regarded as abnormal. The unmarried status was
converted into a strength by Queen Elizabeth. The remaining single policy of Elizabeth left the
succession dilemma. A great leader such as Queen Elizabeth's demise left England a huge gap
(Collinson, 2010).
The Virgin Queen‘s Governance and her Legacy - Foreign Policies
In 1558, when Elizabeth became the Queen, according to Levin (2002), she was
responsible for religion as well as the balance of a religious settlement and ensuring that England
was secure and independent. Although Elizabeth's foreign policy tended to be defensive, her

control over it was even more crucial. The Queen did not just drift in and react to external
circumstances, that she had a consistent foreign policy, which she set herself.


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However, Elizabeth never reigns her country alone; she chose a few trustworthy advisers,
a small group of 18 men known as the Privy Council. They counseled Elizabeth on domestic and
international matters but did not have authority over her (Levin 2002, p. 16). William Cecil, whom
Elizabeth appointed as Secretary of State in 1558 and eventually elevated to the title of Lord
Burghley, was one of her counselors. For 40 years, he was her most important minister, advising
her intelligently (Levin, 2002). Another one was Robert Dudley, Elizabeth's most trusted counsel
until his death, and received the title Earl of Leicester. He and Elizabeth had such a tight
relationship that there were suspicions that they were lovers (Levin, 2002, p. 17). One of her three
prime advisers was Sir Francis Walsingham, who managed Elizabeth's secret service and provided
foreign policy advice. These men and the Privy Council assisted Elizabeth and partly contributed
to the success of the Tudor Queen in her reign, especially the foreign issues.
Elizabeth’s foreign policies were more apparent when considered via her behaviors
towards several countries around, especially the Netherlands. Levin (2002, p.39) mentioned that
the Queen had pursued many objectives since 1567. She expelled the Netherlands from the Spanish
military, stopping the Francs from obtaining control in the Netherlands, seeing the Netherlands
return to its old freedoms and home rule under Charles V. There were some reasons why Elizabeth
helped the Netherlands, which she found crucial for the country. According to Levin (2002, pp.4344), Spain governed the Netherlands, but the English considered the Netherlands to be the essential
site for commerce. Besides, Levin (2002) also indicated that by 1572, in the Netherlands,
Protestant thought flourished, and the Protestant Dutch rebels started an independence fight from
Catholic Spain, which led to the Netherlands Revolt. King Philip dispatched an army from Spain
to subdue the rebels. Elizabeth was approached to become Queen of the Dutch following the death
of the Dutch leader of the rebels, William of Orange (Levin, 2002, pp.60-61). But she just

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dispatched an army to combat Spain alongside the Dutch. During the 1590s, the Netherlands
gained many triumphs over the Spanish.
While she succeeded in developing diplomatic relationships with several of the major
current empires and backed Protestant movements throughout Europe, Catholic Spain and its
Armada were the biggest foreign policy issue she confronted and finally won over with England.
According to Levin (2002), in the 1560s, Philip II of Spain was confronted with growing religious
unrest as Protestantism gained traction in his Low Countries realms. Relations with the
government of England Elizabeth I deteriorated again after their reinstatement of royal control
over the English Church. Besides, the English sailors' actions, which Sir John Hawkins initiated
in 1562, earned Elizabeth's tacit backing, despite the Spanish Government complaining that
Hawkins' trading with their colonies was contraband (Levin, 2002, pp. 120-122). Moreover, in
August 1585, England and the Netherlands responded by signing the Treaty of Nonsuch, following
which Elizabeth pledged military support to the Netherlands (Haigh, 1984, p.159). This treaty
marked the explosion of the Anglo-Spanish War, which lasted until 1604 - when the Treaty of
London was signed (Fritze, 1996, p. 310).
The victory over the Spanish marked a significant event in the reign of the Tudor Queen.
Before the problems above, Philippe had a plan to attack England with an armada of 130 ships.
However, an English attack on Cadiz port in 1587, in which Drake stole gold and damaged many
Spanish ships, delayed the Armada (MacCaffrey, 1992, pp. 81-82). In 1588, Philip's Armada set
sail for the Mediterranean. According to Levin (2002, p. 69), while Spain's Armada was moored
at Calais, the English employed fireships to disperse the Spanish fleet before attacking it at
Gravelines in July 1588. Consequently, the Armada was destroyed by a combination of


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THE VIRGIN QUEEN AND THE GOLDEN AGE
miscalculation, misfortune, and an attack by English fire ships near Gravelines on July 29, which
dispersed the Spanish ships to the northeast (Loades 2003, pp. 250-251).

The English victory over the Spaniards established Elizabeth as a more capable leader and
solidified her position as Queen. For Elizabeth, it was a sign of the Protestant victory over the
Catholic Church. Moreover, the English triumph demonstrated the English as Europe's most
powerful country, inspiring other nations to fight against more strong opponents, also like the
resumption of Dutch rebellions against the Spanish.
The Virgin Queen‘s Governance and her Legacy - Art
During her reign, the arts, namely, poetry, prose work, or drama also experienced a
brilliantly flourishing trend. Country houses such as Longleat and Hardwick Hall were built, the
miniature painting reached its high point, theatres thrived - the Queen attended the first
performance of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. Elizabeth's court and the Royal
Chapel, St. James' Palace, were where some renowned artists, particularly William Byrd and
Thomas Tallis worked (Ciara.Berry., 2018). Moreover, with her palace serving as a central hubby
for composers, and intellectuals and William Shakespeare (1564–1616) and Francis Bacon (1561–
1626), as well as adventurers such as Francis Drake (c. 1540–1596) and Walter Raleigh (c. 1554–
1618), stand as perfect examples (Collinson, 2010).
It is found in the Britannica encyclopedia that in her honor, Edmund Spenser composed
The Faerie Queene, widely regarded as his masterpiece. William Shakespeare performed in front
of the Queen (despite most of his greatest tragedies had not yet been written at the time of Elizabeth
passing away in 1603). Sir Philip Sidney, Roger Ascham, Richard Hooker, and Christopher
Marlowe were the other outstanding writers of that time. Elizabeth was a big fan of and supporter
of the arts.


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THE VIRGIN QUEEN AND THE GOLDEN AGE
Additionally, according to a trustworthy survey on UKessays, a considerable number of
the theatres testified the performances by the illustrious William Shakespeare that emerged all over
London reflected how Elizabeth inspired the arts. The thriving theatres attracted inhabitants in
London and enabled them to experience a lifetime of plays and specially enhanced the country's
economy. Theatres extended from one half of the city to the other. The Globe, Theatre, The Butts,

The Curtain Elizabethan Theater, Swan Theater, The Fortune Elizabethan Theatre, The Boars
Head, The Bear Garden, The Bull Ring, and the Hope Elizabethan Theatre were and remain a
series of theatres. James Burbage would be the first person to bring the theatre and also the Globe
Theater to London. The Elizabethan Age, sometimes called the Renaissance, introduced new views
of art. Grand works of art mounted on the walls were produced by renowned artists throughout
the Renaissance, namely, Rose Building and other artworks. Many artists such as George Gower
came to be famous artists. His masterpieces were exhibited around London, where the arts and
items contributed beauty to the kingdom. Music was another element that gained more popularity
and accessibility to the people of London. Stringed, wind, percussion, keyboard, singing, dance,
authors, and Masques were all popular instruments at the period. Elizabethan music evolved into
a variety of complex styles. The Elizabethan era's theatre was improved by the introduction and
accompaniment of music. There were several forms of Elizabethan music, including Church,
Court, Street, Town, and Theater music. Those who had never heard of music would immediately
fall in love and desire to experience more. Music did successfully spread everywhere.
In conclusion, Collinson, M. & Collinson, D. (2010) claimed that Elizabeth was a
wonderful lady recognized and adored not only in her homeland but in other countries. Her legacy
is still acknowledged as one of the wealthiest monarchs in English history over four hundred years
after her death. The stable situation of England under the reign of Elizabeth led to the development


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of English culture, especially art. People in North America named Virginia after the virgin queen
Elizabeth. Her reign is well-known for conquering the Spanish Armada and establishing itself as
a powerful naval force. Elizabeth contributed to the establishment of a democratic parliament, a
moderate church, and a generally rich, peaceful, and stable country. The Elizabethan epoch has
been considered the Golden Age by numerous intellectuals and her rule brought the great British
Empire to stand out.

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References:
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