Cult of Gloriana

History: Edexcel A Level England, 1509-1603, topic 4.3.5

The Cult of Gloriana

Historians have argued over whether Elizabeth I had a cult of personality.

In 1977, Roy Strong argued that Elizabeth deliberately cultivated a certain image to enforce her power. He argued that a cult was developed. According to Strong, Elizabeth was an object of veneration and devotion.
Yates (1947): “The startling suggestion makes one begin to ask oneself whether the cult of the virgin queen, was, perhaps half-unconsciously, intended to take the place of the cult of the Virgin”.

Strong argues that Elizabeth constructed an image which rested on her virginity. Through presenting her own body as impenetrable, so was the body politic.
This, Strong suggests, inspired loyalty and helped Elizabeth secure control.
Efforts to control Elizabeth’s image can be seen in censorship of portraits which did not have the ‘mask of youth’. This was a standard visage based on the Darnley portrait. It stressed stability even though Elizabeth I was growing old. In 1596, the privy council ordered that the sergeant painter (George Gower) should destroy any ‘offensive’ portraits (i.e. did not conform to the standardised visage).

Strong’s thesis has been met with criticism and been revised.
Given Elizabeth’s disinterest in patronising the arts, it is difficult to argue that she was the sole architect of her image.
Elizabeth I’s image emerged through the interactions of Elizabeth and those around her.
Doran (2003): Elizabeth was an agent but not the sole author of her image.
Doran has argued that Elizabeth wanted to emphasise her position as a Protestant Queen. However, others stressed her virginity.
The struggle between Elizabeth’s gender and her position of authority is at the heart of her image.

When did the Privy Council order the sergeant painter to help destroy offensive portraits?