Places predominantly associated with Elizabeth I
The fabulous Chequers’ Ring, so-called because it resides in Chequers, the UK Prime Minister’s country residence, has long been an object of mystery and speculation. Rarely on view to the public, it is one of the most intensely personal objects, once belonging to Elizabeth I. Is the portrait of the mystery woman inside that of …
The Old Palace of Hatfield was one of the most significant places in the life of Elizabeth I. It was to Hatfield that the 3-month old princess was brought from London to establish her first household under the watchful eye of Sir John and Lady Shelton, the uncle and aunt of Anne Boleyn. Some twenty-five …
Do you find most of the portraits of Elizabeth I frustratingly aloof? The majestic ‘Virgin Queen’, her face and hair puffed and powdered to within an inch of her life, her body stiff and her gowns brimming with the carefully crafted symbolism of power, purity and wisdom? I do. That was until one lazy afternoon …
Were Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, lovers? Now there’s a question that ignites a passionate debate. Whilst we will probably never know the truth of the extent of their physical relationship, no one would argue that through life, and even in death, they shared an unbreakable bond. Perhaps nowhere is more evocative …