Her father was England’s King Henry VIII; her mother was the king’s second wife,

Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth had an older half-sister, Mary, who was the daughter of the

King’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon. As Henry VIII’s second eldest child, pushed back to third in line for the throne by the complex politics of the period, Elizabeth was a master of political science. According to “Elizabeth I (1558-1603AD)” from Britannia Online, she had a very practical education in political intrigue – and the fine art of political survival. She came in 1558 to the royal throne and inherited her father’s supremacist view of the monarchy, but showed great wisdom by refusing to directly provoke Parliament. Elizabeth acquired undying devotion from her advisement council, who were constantly puzzled by her habit of waiting till the last minute to make decisions. She proceeded to give England 45 years of strong government, moderate religious policies, and unexplained prosperity (“Elizabeth I (1558-1603)”). Elizabeth was glorified by poets and artists as Gloriana, the Virgin Queen. With the help of fine clothes, jewels and cosmetics, t

Cosmetics were also widely used. Elizabeth I was an avid user of cosmetics. Richard Corson claims that she can take credit for the prominent use of paint, powder, and patches. She applied both red and white paint to her skin. Patches were small black beauty spots, which were influenced by the use of rich black fabrics such as taffeta and velvet. The idea was that the dark patch or spot would further emphasize her pale complexion – the feminine ideal of the time. (Cosgrave, p. 139). The Queen had a special cream with almond base whose secret was sought in Italy and other distant lands, and the fame of the whiteness of her skin had traveled as far as the Near East. The secret was never revealed. Elizabeth I’s attention to personal cleanliness set her apart from most of her generation, who satisfied themselves with a few baths a year. Frequent changing of linen undergarments and the washing of the face and hands produced a socially acceptable level of hygiene (Payne, p. 309).

There are surprisingly not many descriptions of Queen Elizabeth I. There was however, in 1557, a description given by Giovanni Michiel in his report to the Venetian Doge and the Senate on Queen Elizabeth’s features when she was Princess at the age of twenty-three. He stated that, “her face is comely rather than handsome, but she is tall and well formed, with good skin, although swarthy; she has fine eyes” (Strong, pg.19). It was not until 1596, forty years later, when an Italian visitor, Francesco Gardening, described her as “short, and ruddy in complexion; very strong built” (Strong, pg. 19). An agent of Henry IV’s, referred to her in 1597 as looking old, her face being long and thin, her teeth yellow and decayed, but her figure being fair, tall and graceful in whatever she does. In 1598, Paul Hentzner’s description of the Queen at Greenwich remains the most detailed existing description, “her face oblong, fair but wrinkled; her eyes small, yet black and pleasant; her nose a little hooked, her lips narrow….her hair….an auburn colour, but false….” (Strong, p. 19).

Wool, linen, and cotton were the main fabrics used for everyday garments. England became Europe’s wool supplier. The West Country, East Anglia, and west Yorkshire all produced wool of different weights, types and colors. Around 1560, Elizabeth I supported a band of refugees, fleeing from the Low Countries because of religious persecution, to settle in East Anglia, where they produced the finest yarn – light, soft wool which became known as the New Drapery. (Cosgrave, p. 132).

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