From her first appearance, she is delicately portrayed as a graceful dancer among her ladies who seem to accentuate her stereotypical femininity. The historical Elizabeth strongly contrasts this interpretation. The queen was an avid, skillful horse rider and a thrill seeker, an aspect of her personality that often terrified her council who feared for her life. Elizabeth was also a notable hunter who frequently ventured along with her courtiers who even invited her to slash the throats of their kill. The movie does accurately portray Elizabeth's passion for music and fine arts, a characteristic leisure of the English aristocracy (Thomas). .
Elizabeth's distorted personality is most evident during her succession. The Hollywood Elizabeth exhibited apprehension and incompetence by creating a fazade of fabricated and rehearsed boldness. Within a short period of time, she acquired leadership skills for governing the country's foreign relations and developed shrewdness to deal with and eliminate potential enemies of the state. Even before her coronation, the historical Elizabeth was a mastermind politician fearless of her power over the English throne. During her childhood, it had become popular among the nobility to educate daughters; Elizabeth was no exception. She received an impressive education from the finest instructors in England who immediately recognized her keen intelligence and astuteness. As a gifted intellect, Elizabeth was especially fond of languages and became fluent in French, Italian, Greek, and Latin which was considered as the political international language (Thomas).
The succession and coronation of Elizabeth in the film is represented as a significant transformation in her persona. The incompetent, marginalized Elizabeth is replaced with a.
slightly bolder woman who projects an image of royal superiority through tactical impression management. Her first political reform involved the solidification of Protestantism in England while safeguarding her throne from Catholic opposition.
