The Hidden Meanings in the Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I 

No better proof of her success than people still discussing her 420 years later. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The attention to detail of the opulant clothing & jewels contrasts so strikingly with how little detail was applied to her face & hands in many of these portraits (with the exception of Holbein's) She was quite stunning in a stark way with her porcelein skin, aqualine nose & sharper bone structure. I wonder if the depiction of smoothe, white face & hands was chosen due to the smallpox leaving its mark on her? Losing her teeth would have also affected the appearance of the lower facial structure, particularly the jaw & mouth. She certainly wasn't the first monarch to use a stylized or idealized image of herself as propaganda. She was a sharp cookie & must have been a tremendously strong willed person to endure as long as she did as a single ruling female head of state. True, she didn't produce any heirs but she didn't take the chance of dying in childbirth either. A King can always remarry & get another queen or legitimize any bastard children he may have had. A Queen regnant did not have that option.

Tudor line ended with her. It's a good revenge to her father. Queen Elizabeth clearly hated her father by killing her mother Anne Boleyn. Imagine the pain young Elizabeth felt that her father execute her mother that's so traumatic. By not having an heir and ended the tudor line is her revenge.

Im glad I found this doc because my daughter and I have read many books about this time period and Elizabeth I. My daughter remembers everything 😄 Shes ever read about Elizabeth and her father and all his wives. Im definitely going to send this doc to her. She will love it. TY so much for this documentary. I've enjoyed it

This takes me back to being in Year 5 (age 9) and learning about the different portraits of Elizabeth I and the symbolism within them. A lot of nostalgia here! Love this video ❤

I don't blame her for not getting married to a man she didn't love and who would take away her power and agency. And I don't blame her for not having any children in a time when this was playing russian roulette - 30-50% women died in childbirth back then. And if you watch House of the Dragon, where a queen gave birth at an inconvenient moment and the men around her immediately seized power from her - this definitely would have been a weak time for a woman who had to remain strong all the time. As far as I know, she tried to raise sucessors, but they betrayed her, so she probably just gave up.

I love this docu...it has invoked so much enquiry in my heart. Upnor Castle is very close to my heart....The Tudor Rose public house, was once a favoured pub of my family! Thank you for your channel!

I love, LOVE ❤️ this channel. Well done, guys. Much appreciation from Cleveland, Ohio, 🇺🇸.

Fascinating video, and interesting analysis of the amazing Queen. Even though she did not do what monarch’s do and “ensure the lineage”, I think this woman had real balls to do things her way, break with tradition, refuse to marry or name an heir. She was her own woman, despite having so much pressure to do what kings do… well…. She was Queen.. she did things her way… and it did not mean England lost its royals…they’re still there…. the world survived even if she didn’t have heirs. I admire her. She certainly knew how to convey an image and she made her own decisions… that’s powerful!

This was incredibly enjoyable to watch! Thank you all who worked on this!

Thank you for an incisive video on the portraits of Elizabeth I. One wee suggestion: in future videos, perhaps you might dispense with background music. I had to turn the volume way up to hear the voices, as the music drowned them out. Nevertheless, this was a fascinating exploration of Renaissance 'propaganda.'

This was an excellent show! I loved it thank you so much. ❤

She is my favourite monarch. I've often wondered why she chose to remain single and I have a feeling that it was because of her father who demonstrated that men *own* you if you marry. You lose any self worth and become a possession of the man and subject to his will If he is a cruel husband, you'll have a life of misery and be powerless. Frankly, she did the right thing by not marrying.

I have always been fascinated by the Tudors and especially Elizabeth and I have read loads of books on the period as well as watching documentaries. It is obvious to me why Elizabeth avoided marriage, even though she dangled the prospect of marriage in front of the royal families of Europe as long as she could get away with it. Imagine yourself as the three year old hearing that your mother has been beheaded for adultery. Her father had her mother executed, and as she grew up she watched how other women were treated by him, including the beheading of Katherine Howard, and her beloved Katherine Parr came close to the same end but luckily for her Henry died before that could come about. Then there was the scandal of her teenage years when she had to defend herself from accusations of hanky panky between her and the Lord High Admiral of the time who was engaged to Katherine Parr before she caught the eye of the King. After Henry's death I think they, Katherine and Thomas, did finally marry, but I am not certain, my memory fails me on that point. No wonder Elizabeth could never give herself up into the power of a man and she was uniquely placed to hold onto her independence. Other women of the time were not so fortunate. I am surprised that nobody that I have come across has looked at this from a psychological perspective. Yes, as a monarch her duty was to provide an heir, but the necessary actions to bring that about were psychologically beyond her, so she shut her eyes to it and projected the idea of being young forever. I think she is to be pitied and I personally admire her courage in living her life as she did.

Thank you for this informative video.

This was interesting but the sound was terribly uneven. DA

Found this very interesting, thank you.

Thank you, that was fascinating and informative.

I really enjoyed this video Thank you 😊x

So interesting and so well presented.

Useful general introduction. Great photography of the portraits mentioned in the video, well known historians commenting. However, as a specialist of Elizabeth's portraiture and of 16th century symbolism, I regret a complete lack of even short allusions to very important symbols (the 'imperial' crown, the armillary sphere, the meaning of the left/right positions in symbolic images, the fact that some symbols also appear connected to Anne Boleyn). I also regret the repetition of incorrect old tropes ('the weather' as the only reason for the victory over the Armada - please do check out what specialists of Philip II say about the fatal mistakes he insisted on making in his plan...and his refusal to listen to experienced military chiefs such as his nephew Parma. Another trope is 'Elizabeth was negligent'. No she wasn't. She maintained the independence of her kingdom and kept her own power when any marriage would have taken both away. It is well known that she was very clear from even her childhood days, about her personal aversion to marriage. She said many things which would today be understood as evidence of asexuality. Following one's nature is not 'negligence'. It is the only thing one can do. historians should not pay lip service to prejudice. As for the idea that she died 'without naming a successor'...Robert Cecil, who was at her death bed, would have contradicted this statement. A closer look at potential other successors (from the Grey sisters to Arabella Stuart) suggest that Elizabeth looked into their claims as well as into James's. Historian John Guy believes that Arabella could well have been an initially preferred choice, but her own actions were disappointing and ruled her out. Katherine Grey also disappointed Elizabeth, who had initially shown her favour by giving her a good position among her ladies.

Thanks, I'll view portrait paintings differently in future.

What a great video!! Would love more of these- portraits through reins 🖤

This is a very interesting subject for me but this presentation is marred by intrusive, overloud and rather frenetic music which makes listening to what the speakers have to say impossibly difficult in some cases (mumbling speech), and irritatingly difficult in others (speech clear but music interferring continuously). I am very disappointed. But thank you for the effort.

This was already uploaded earlier this week

There's a you tube channel that brings historical figures back to life because I subscribed to them and she's one of them and she does a awesome job in recreation in doing so.

Great Documentary 😊👍👍 Love Elizabeth 1 ❤ but the audio of Dr. Nicola has somehow a very low quality sound , her voice resonates like talking to a tube ☺️

My vision of Elizabeth is very similar to that of Katherine Hepburn throughout her life. Hepburn was not classically beautiful at any time, but she had a constant flow of Charisma all her life. If not beautiful, Elizabeth had that about her that the sight and sound of her made those around her forget she was anything other than extraordinary, just as Ketherine did!

Is it me, or is the audio really off? Sounds very muffled at times

Thank you, ladies. This video said so much about a queen who was strong and powerful and all too human. I may have seen every video produced about this queen, but you brought her back to life for us and the strength w which she ruled and how she used propagandized messages in which to depict herself and England, both, as a ruler. (Imho)She succeeded! ❤ succeeded. ❤

Fascinating documentary

When people talk about history and use the term “it can only be….” It raises hackles. In the family portrait, since Mary was wearing a cross, could the A not refer to the Anglican Church that eschews iconography? Think about it…

tysm, I gave an exam abt Elizabeth influence and reign tomorrow.. this is soo helpful

Very good but I think you posted this last week.. 🤔😁👍

Very poor audio quality in some places.

Very interesting

Anyone know the song at 2:00 mark? or was it composed for this video alone

This explains so much

Obviously they were not "hidden". What's the point if they cannot be seen. The people of her time - who were in positions where they could see the portrait - would have been very cognisant of the symbolism and meanings. It's just that today portraiture of eminent individuals doesn't, to the same degree, serve the same purposes as portraits of Tudor monarchs, for example.

Thank you so much for this fascinating video essay. I thoroughly enjoyed learning something from each and every portrait. My only complaint is that the presenter said that Elizabeth was “reduced” to wearing wigs ( 29:50). People wear wigs for all sorts of reasons - for fun, for pleasure, for medical reasons, or hair loss due to ageing etcetera. 🙂🐿❤️🌈

I bow to you Queen Elizabeth

Amazing that 400 years after her death she still glitters and astounds us as the Great Queen she was. I can never hear enough about her, her intellect, her temper and the terrible price she paid personally to secure her throne. She was a truly fabulous Monarch and all women(and men) owe her for demonstrating the women can be just as Great and occasionally like her, outshine even the Greatest of men. That is why we are still beguiled by her persona and legacy.

By the time of Marcus Gits and Elizabeth I of her 50’s & 60’s … hadn’t she ordered all mirrors to be covered up because she didn’t like being reminded of her encroaching age and faded beauty … I don’t blame her … part of a strong confident woman’s aura of power is tied quite closely to her appearance… Elizabeth I had lost her looks … how depressing for her to have to be reminded of her impending mortality … I think …had I been her … I would have ordered mirrors throughout my residences to be either removed & replaced by lovelier times’s portraits or just, at least, ordered mirrors covered up during my visits in residency … having to face the boudoir’s mirror every morning had to be more than enough in later years !!! What monumental challenges she faced as, still, a toddler and into her teens & adulthood before Mary died … I don’t think anyone was feeling very safe & secure due Mary’s reign … well … maybe Philip of Spain was feeling pretty safe … 🤷‍♀️who knows🤷‍♀️…

I have a separate theory on the mermaid in the Armada portrait. As the great granddaughter of Elizabeth Woodville, would not the legend of Melusina have been told to Elizabeth, and used the mermaid to insinuate that she had an almost supernatural hold on the waters around England? That’s just my theory as a Grey descendant of Elizabeth Woodville.

Does anyone know why the orb in the coronation portrait is dark blue, please. Is it deterioration of the paint or gilding?

I wish that Mary had at least a sliver of the recognition that Elizabeth did. Even if Elizabeth was better known as queen, I stand with Mary and Catherine because of how Anne came to be the wife of Henry and how she further treated Mary.

I feel like the analysis is very surface level. The points seem to be like "she wears expensive things to show she is wealthy" or "she wanted to look diserable". I feel like this are true of any portrait of a monarch

The top one of last year was Anne of Cleeves

Guys, can you boost the audio please? It's very quiet compared to most videos and films at my max volume.

Only one piece of clothing though found as an altar cloth i believe. That's a shame her clothing was the epitome of Royal dress. Well at least in portraits.

This is, by far, the best ever explanation for the MEANING, of the "Virgin Queen Bess"! If only the sound wouldn't be messed up!☹️🙄 But THANK YOU ANYWAY!🌹

Whoever or whatever does the CC/subs for this program needs to learn that Henry the Eighth is Henry VIII, not VII.

For the record, the "pelican" in the pelican portrait looks a LOT more like a swan than it does a pelican

Fascinating topic... But the audio is quite appalling. I of course tried to watch it on the HH app and it was no better. The one presenter sounds as if she is speaking under water. Her volume is far too weak to overcome the unnecessary music.

12:04 Coronation 17:44 Phoenix, Pelican 22:16 Spanish Armada, Rainbow, Ditchley, old age

The portrait at 4:00 for Elizabeth's birth is actually Mary.

There are many hidden messages. I posted it knowing that only certain people would get it and I don't worry about those who don't.

Is it true Elizabeth 1 refused to spend the night at The Tower before her coronation..... and spent the night before the coronation at Charterhouse .... before starting the procession at The Tower?

noisy hard to hear

Ditto!!!

i need subtitles.

Every time I see that gorgeous coronation portrait, I think of the animated Beatles movie, 'Yellow Submarine.' She looks like like Paul. [Sorry, you probably can't un-see it now, right?]

Wow, women have relied on image filters to be liked, for way longer than I guessed.

Is there a possibility that the necklace she wore in the family portrait wasn’t even a letter at all? Perhaps it was painted at an angle which made it appear to be an “A” when in fact it was just a shaped bit of jewellery. Anne Boleyn wore a “B” necklace, so not even she wore her first initial. Just a thought of course, please no nasty replies to this.

The Tudor dynasty didn't die with her, however--it continued through James I and VI. Margaret was just as Tudor as Elizabeth was.

"I have the heart...of a PRINCE."

The politics of Elizabeth's choosing not to marry was wise from one perspective, and not from others. From one side, she would become subservient to her husband, regardless that she was Queen Regnant, and England would be subject to the politics of another country. She maintained England's sovreignty and her own independence. Unfortunately, on the other side is the fact in that time, the role of any monarch, male or female, was to create stability. A secured line of succession was part of that, and to not do this was negligent. The Wars of the Roses were (at the time of her birth) still within living memory, with all the politics of inheritance and so on. That would have influenced things like the lengths her father went to to get a male heir. Short of going back to ask her, we'll never really know why.

Interesting and informative. You would think that for a video about appearances, someone would have told her to fix her necklace though…irked me through the whole thing.

What if the necklace is the Pi symbol (16th Greek letter) maybe she was 16 years of age at the sitting? Maybe also pointing us towards the Greek Goat King? Danial 8:21 The King is the Shaggy Goat

If ever there was a chance to go back in history to one specific time period, that would be it for me. The ascension and reign of Elizabeth I was the golden age of England and to be a witness to that period of time would be a memory dearly treasured. Cate Blanchett's portrayal of her was what cemented that thought in my mind as I watched the movies. She was a woman I greatly admire. Though I must confess a great contempt for Henry VIII and his abuse of power, yet because of that she was able to rise to power in her own right and rule England for many years. This is just my reflections and thoughts and if I offend anyone else, I do apologize.

ia a way it was an attempt to try & forget all the "chopping" and changing of Henry's marriages - hahaha if pun was intentional

Playing fairly loud background music while people are talking is maddening to me! Do you not understand how hard it is to hear the curators with this music? Why do yo do this? Would you like someone to crank up a radio the minute you start talking to a group? I can't even watch. Thumbs down.

Not as in-depth as I thought.

22:50 - by the time she made this speech, to ground forces, the Armada had already been defeated by naval means. Her speech was neither here nor there as the invasion never came.

Does anyone else thknk Catherine Parr looks like Kate Middleton?

There were eyes ears and lips. Or am I seeing things. The lips are more obscure but I see lips/ mouths.

Shame as Queen she couldn’t of made it law that she was still the ruler of England and kept her family line. That way she would of married someone that actually loved her and not the throne. Unlike Harry who claims he wants to be private but seems to be in the papers at least once a month with his well tanned wife

I don't understand why no one ever acknowledges the mouths in the dress of the rainbow portrait. They always mention the eyes and the ears, but no one ever talks about the mouths. It's kinda funny, but also a bit perplexing.

How come they didn’t cover the “Pregnancy Portrait”?

We could do with her in power today. The weasels we have in Parliament and the civil service have no faith and place no value in the UK; scared to death of leaving the EU, like it was some kind of comforter for them.

We've always done better as a country under female monarchs, Kings bring periods of insecurity and uncertainty.

I like how canny she looks in the death portrait. You see mischief in her eyes as if to say you can't fool me young man. I know your tricks.

A most interesting piece ruined by the unnecessary, annoying music.

I really enjoyed this but the commentators voice was so dreadful. Perhaps it was the film. I think the last portrait of Elizabeth 1st was fine. She showed a dignity. That portrait of our late Queen should be burned. Our darling Queen was beautiful on film just 3 days before her death.

The pretty blonde with the black sweater giving us information, her microphone has been placed under her sweater, her voice is muffled, and the other young woman you can hear as clear as day!!

Ageless beauty? Seriously

As an Australian with not much royal historical knowledge as all i was taught in schools was how evil i was because i was white and how all cook and all the goonies did was pure evil... its refreshing to see these kind of documentaries. Honestly our school system here was so dissapointing i know more about aboriginal culture that they dont seem to personally care about than my own history and its sad.

Marriage was never about love for royalty had she married anyone england would belong to that country ie marry a spanish king england becomes a province of Spain as a king back then was always sovereign rather than king consort. Besides leaving no heir allowed her to name james as heir to england he was also heir to scotland uniting scotland and england and ensuring cousin queens never had to imprison and behead each other over sovereign rights again.

I don't want to be ruled by anyone. Who needs a king or a queen?

Elisabeth was not beautiful at all. But she reigned efficient.

That Elizabeth 2nd portrait is so unflattering, I’m not a fan of the modern senior royals but that is a less than kind depiction 😂

I find it interesting that the two presenters, both relatively young women, speak in slighting tones of Elizabeth I, apparently for the crime of getting old.

If she had married - surely all the power would have gone to her husband, I understood from history that she wanted to have the power herself.

Did they make her wear that collar as a punishment or to keep her from scratching something?

It's such a pity that she was associated with the slave trade, but even at this distance in time one feels a strong sense of loyalty.

why the annoying tones?

Beauty??? 🤦‍♀️

Who run the world 👂👂 😒😒😒 👸👸👸

Queen Mary should be her replacement. I don’t think she was entitled to the throne.

I find there is a tendency in most of these types of videos to overuse the word "incredible"