The illegitimate girl who became the longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor (1558 – 1603) – and whose fashions and culture gave birth to ‘The Elizabethan Era’.
Painted in 1546, this portrait of ‘Elizabeth I When a Princess’ is said to be a rare example portraying the young princess at age 13 – some 12 years before she ascended the English throne.
Born in 1533, Elizabeth was the only surviving child of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Declared illegitimate at just 2 years old – after her mother was executed and her parents’ marriage was annulled – Elizabeth’s early life was one of both privilege and peril. Later restored to the line of succession at the age of 10, Elizabeth grew up in a court defined by her father’s famous obsession with wives – but also with power, religion and notably jewellery!
Henry VIII (reigned 1509 – 1547) was reputedly obsessed with jewellery – and his lifetime aim was to expand the royal collection initially acquired by his rich father, Henry VII (born 1457 – 1509). Henry VIII gave gifts of jewellery to all six of his wives – demanding them back at the end of each marriage – and this set the trends for women’s jewellery dating from his first marriage in the early 1530’s.
In this highly renowned 1546 portrait, we see the young princess Elizabeth – at the age of 13 – heavily adorned with jewellery. Elizabeth’s French hood (fashionable head-dress dating from the 1540’s) and the low neckline (16th century female fashion) of her luxurious red dress are trimmed with clusters of pearls and jewelled gems, the style of which matches the waistband of her girdle that extends to the floor in a single string of jewelled vases.
Around the young princess’s neck is a choker of large pearl beads alternating with smaller gold ones, and a similar long strand disappears behind the neckline of her dress. From the pearl choker hangs a jewelled gold pendant with three pearl-drops, and below this, pinned to the bodice of her dress, is a large jewelled ‘double’ cross enclosed within a diamond-shaped mount of gold filigree knot-work hung with three pendant pearls.
The slashes on Elizabeth’s sleeves are clasped with gold mounted gems, and on her fingers she wears several jewelled gold rings. Elizabeth’s pearl necklaces follow closely to the fashions worn by adults – as the 16th century was a time for single or double pearl chokers with large jewelled pendants, as well as dress jewels, girdles and rings.
Only a year after this portrait was painted, Henry VIII died, leaving the throne to Elizabeth’s younger half-brother Edward VI – Henry VIII’s only male heir to his 3rd wife Jane Seymour – who was next in line to the throne.
In fact this portrait of Elizabth is said to be ‘paired’ to one of her brother Edward VI, painted in a similar style – and both thought to be the work of the Netherlandish artist, William Scrots, who was employed by Henry VIII from 1545. These 1546 portraits of Edward and Elizabeth not only show that King Henry VIII of England lavished his children with jewellery, but indicate that although men’s jewellery was initially more popular, extravagant jewels were increasingly being worn by female children during this time.
Edward was the first English monarch to have been raised as a protestant, but his reign was short – as a few years later Edward fell ill and died young at the age of only 16 (reigned 1547 – 1553). What followed was a series of tumultuous accessions to the throne as Edward had ‘bequeathed’ the crown to his Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey – ignoring the claims of his two half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth.
Jane was soon deposed by Mary, the elder of the two half-sisters, only 9 days after becoming queen – and Mary, a Catholic, reversed Edward’s Protestant reforms. In fact during Mary’s reign (1553 – 1558), Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of rebellion. But it was Elizabth who ultimately prevailed.
Upon Mary’s death in 1558, Elizabeth ascended the English throne, restored Protestant reforms, became the longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor and ushered in what would become known as ‘The Elizabethan Era’. Said to have been a ‘golden age’ in British history – this period was marked by flourishing arts (think William Shapespeare), a rise in the English naval power (like the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588) and significant ‘voyages of discovery’ (led by people like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh).
In terms of jewellery – by the second half of the 16th century, women became the dominant jewellery wearers in England (men’s jewellery had initially been more popular) – an evolution owed largely to Elizabeth herself. Elizabeth’s love of sumptuous jewels was paramount, and her vast wealth allowed her to continue to increase the royal collection.
As with all monarchs, it was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir – but she never did. She is famed for saying she was ‘bound unto a husband which is the Kingdom of England’ – a decision which is thought to have helped her maintain her political power – and resulted in her being known as the ‘Virgin Queen’.
Elizabeth used portraits of herself to showcase her power and stability as a ruler as well as to provide an ‘ageless’ and idealised image of herself. Later she commissioned the ‘Darnley Portrait’ in 1575 – and insisted all portraits henceforth would copy this specific version of her face to prevent ‘her image’ showing signs of aging. During her long reign from 1558 – 1603 (45 years), this famed figure-head set the trends for female fashions – and portraits portray women and young girls adorned in multitudes of elaborate jewels. Her image is said to have set the standards for female adornment across Europe – transforming royal attire into political fashion statements.
References:
Fig 204: 1546
Portrait ‘Elizabeth I as a Young Princess’ depicting the thirteen year old daughter of King Henry VIII of England: pearls and gems adorn the edges of her head-dress and neckline; a jewelled gold pendant with three hanging pearls is suspended from a beaded necklace of gold and pearls; a diamond-shaped brooch set with gems in a cross motif and three hanging pearls is pinned to her bodice; gems pin the slashes of her dress; an elaborate girdle of pearls, gems and gold adorns her waist; she wears several gem-set gold rings on each hand
Attributed to William Scrots, Flemish
The Royal Collection, England
Image available via:
The Royal Collection Trust (England), Accession no. 404444
https://www.rct.uk/collection/404444/elizabeth-i-when-a-princess
Wikimedia Commons:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_I_when_a_Princess.jpg
Selected literature:
McAleer: Children’s Jewellery In Europe: Traditions And Contemporaneity: PhD Diss Royal College of Art, 2003: pp370-372 fig 204
Scarisbrick: Tudor and Jacobean Jewellery: 1995: p43 fig 28
