Theatre Thursday: A Review of 'King Elizabeth'

Advertisement for the Gamm Theatre's production of 'King Elizabeth'. © Gamm Theatre

This week, I went to see a play at the Gamm Theatre, centered on the rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I. The play was called King Elizabeth, a new version of Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart, which was adapted and directed by Tony Estrella. Previously, I had seen Howard Brenton's fantastic Anne Boleyn play at the theatre, and had had the privilege of interviewing the director of the play for this blog. I already knew the theatre did good work and had an interest in representing powerful Tudor women on their stage. The show did not disappoint.

Many of the most familiar faces of the Elizabethan court were present in the cast of characters, and each character was brought to life by a gifted actor or actress. The show did make some interesting choices when casting their roles, like having Master Davison, the man Elizabeth entrusted with the signed death warrant of Mary, Queen of Scots, portrayed by a woman. As the characters in King Elizabeth all wore modern clothes, this gender reversal did not seem inappropriate, although it would have been inaccurate to have a woman serve as a personal secretary in the sixteenth century.

As a historian, I relished all of the historical details included in the script, and was delighted to find that real quotes said by Queen Elizabeth I were included in the dialogue, as were the contents of real letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots. These details gave the show credibility, and added to the emotionally compelling scenes. 

History tells us that Queen Elizabeth I never met her cousin, Mary Stuart, face-to-face, although they did write many letters to one another throughout their lifetimes. But King Elizabeth, like so many other movies and shows examining the rivalry of these two great queens, shows us what might have passed between them, if they ever had the opportunity to meet in secret. The confrontational scene in King Elizabeth takes place when Mary, Queen of Scots is given access to the grounds outside of her jailer Amyas Paulet's home, just as Elizabeth I's hunting party is passing through. Here, the two queens face one another in the woods. Where Queen Elizabeth is level-headed and unforgiving, Mary is defiant and hysterical. Their differing personalities make for an electrifying clash on stage.

A picture of the stage. © BeingBess/A.Jensen

Overall, I enjoyed the play. But there were some things that bothered me, because they were either inaccurate or confusing. 

The modern costuming used in the play didn't add any special significance to the story adaptation. The men were dressed in either modern military wear or formal wear, while Elizabeth I wore power suits. If the ensemble was trying to send a message to the audience through their modern clothing, it was unclear to me what that message might have been. Oddly, Elizabeth finally did don a period dress when she addressed the troops at Tilbury at the end, but the play failed to explain why the Spanish Armada was invading England and who Elizabeth I was addressing in her speech. If you didn't know your Elizabethan history, you might have left the theatre feeling confused by this scene.

Although the Babington Plot is mentioned at the beginning of the play, it is never explained how Mary Stuart was involved with the conspirators, sending them damning letters snuck out of her place of imprisonment in wine barrels. Because it is not explained how complicit she was in authorizing the plans, it appears to an audience that may not know enough background, that Mary is innocent and unjustly imprisoned. Instead of having the portrayals of the two queens more balanced in this adaptation, as was apparently the goal with the re-write, Mary Stuart is portrayed once again as a tragic victim, as she was in Schiller's version of the play.

Finally, the most jarring inaccuracy that stuck out is that the theatre used a picture of Queen Mary I to represent Mary, Queen of Scots on the stage. This was the first thing I noticed when I walked into the little black-box theatre, and the last thing I saw on my way out, and it really bothered me!

If you have an opportunity to see King Elizabeth, I hope that you do. It covers a fascinating period in history, and there is nothing quite like being able to be a fly on the wall, watching the show-down between these two queenly cousins, Elizabeth Tudor and Mary Stuart.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: The Death of Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester

A portrait of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester from 1564, the same year Queen Elizabeth granted him his earldom. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

 "A personage so dear unto us."

-Queen Elizabeth describing the Earl of Leicester in a letter to the Earl of Shrewsbury, 1588.

 

On this day in Elizabethan history, 1588, Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester died. While the earl had been unwell for quite some time, nobody expected his illness to be fatal, least of all Queen Elizabeth (ODNB). 

Dudley's unexpected death occurred when he was on the road to "take the waters" in Buxton, Derbyshire. A few miles after stopping to write the Queen a letter at Rycote in Oxfordshire on August 29th, Leicester grew gravely ill and took shelter at the nearby manor of Cornbury. It is there that he died in the early morning hours of September 4th (Gristwood, 334).

Only a week earlier Leicester had bid the Queen farewell after she had ordered him to go on retreat and tend to his health. The letter that Leicester had sent her from Rycote became her most prized possession; on it she scrawled, "His last letter", and she kept it in a private box in her closet. The letter now resides in the National Archives.

"His last letter", in the National Archives in England. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Leicester had been in physical anguish following his role as the Queen's Lieutenant General at Tilbury, a position that he had welcomed and a duty that he had been honored to fulfill. But  the work had been stressful none the less. Leicester had been in charge of between 12,000-17,000 men at Tilbury fort, and another 6,000 were under his command in Sandwich (Gristwood, 328). The Earl of Leicester had urged his Queen to visit her troops at Tilbury, writing to her that, "you shall comfort not only these thousands, but many more that shall hear of it" (quoted in Gristwood, 330).

Indeed, once a chaplain in Leicester's service recorded Queen Elizabeth's "excellent oration", which he wrote that she delivered dressed like an "armed Pallas", (Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and war) the speech was printed and circulated throughout Europe within the week (Gristwood, 329-30). The English people were inspired by the Queen's Tilbury Speech, which they could now hold in their hands, and the rest of the world knew from the pamphlet that the English were not to be intimidated.

A painting of Queen Elizabeth at Tilbury, courtesy of Anniina Jokinen. Image public domain.

Leicester and Elizabeth's collaboration at Tilbury would be their last; yet their romantic and political partnership had spanned almost 30 years. Leicester was the Queen's emotional support, and sometimes her stand-in an state functions. Theirs was a bond unlike any other; it survived imprisonment, threat of execution, a mysterious death, rejections, indiscretions, marriage, and the threat of assassination and war.

A composite image of a pair of portrait miniatures of Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Painted c.1575, by Nicholas Hilliard. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

According to the antiquarian William Camden, (the author of the invaluable primary source, The Annals of Queen Elizabeth) after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Queen Elizabeth was having papers drawn up to make Leicester the permanent Lieutenant Governor of England. Camden claimed that the Queen was only dissuaded from putting this plan into action by William Cecil, Lord Burghley and Sir Christopher Hatton.

A detail of a portrait of Sir Christopher Hatton, c.1575. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Perhaps this was true; Camden was working from many primary sources now lost to us, and his work is largely accurate and free of the religious bias that permeated most works of the 16th and 17th century. Certainly Elizabeth was starting to think about what would happen to England upon her death, even if she refused to speak of the succession aloud.

The frontispiece and title-page of the 1575 edition of The Annals of Queen Elizabeth, by William Camden. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Leicester dined every day in the Queen's apartments before he left for Buxton (Gristwood, 333). We can hope that Queen Elizabeth found comfort in her memories of their last days together, after she had recovered from the initial shock of Leicester's unexpected death.

A miniature of the Earl of Leicester, c.1572-76. By Hilliard. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

The Earl of Leicester's demise was probably caused by stomach cancer, which his persistent gastric symptoms seem to suggest, or complications caused by chronic malaria (Gristwood, 333-34). Malaria was rampant in England in the 16th century and had claimed the lives of many, including prominent members of the royal family, like Arthur Tudor. We do know that Leicester had complained of "the stone", which was a colloquialism for any intestinal problem (Gristwood, 334).

A miniature of Queen Elizabeth, c.1572-76. By Hilliard. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

 The juxtaposition of England's celebration over the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and the death of her oldest and dearest friend was almost too much for Queen Elizabeth to bear:

"Elizabeth was condemned to an extraordinary conjunction of public rejoicing and private agony. This was her own personal sorrow-it would be folly to try to damper the mood of he country-and against a background of the national victory celebrations she shut herself into her own chamber to grieve." (Gristwood, 334-365)

Many contemporary reports confirm that Queen Elizabeth locked herself away in her apartments. Sir Francis Walsingham lamented that he could not get the Queen to attend to state business at this time, "by reason that she will not suffer anybody to have access to her" (quoted in Gristwood, 335).

Sketch of Queen Elizabeth I from life. By Zuccaro, 1575.

This tells us how profound Queen Elizabeth's grief was. Here is a woman who relished her role in government and never shirked her public responsibilities because of her private feelings, save for this one instance. Elizabeth's life experiences had caused her to develop a hard, protective exterior, which rarely cracked to reveal signs of affection or vulnerability; Robert Dudley had always been the only exception.

Sketch of the Earl of Leicester from life. By Zuccaro, 1575.

Yet, however much the Queen of England mourned her "Sweet Robin", his death barely registered with the rest of England in comparison to the victory over Spain. The antiquarian John Stow, who himself admitted that he owed his career to Leicester, wrote: "All men, so far as they durst, rejoiced no less outwardly at his death than for the victory lately obtained against the Spaniard." 

Still, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester left this life having accomplished a great deal for Queen and Country, and should be remembered for it. I think William Camden's epitaph of the earl conveys many of the aspects of his character; this is fitting since the way the earl was thought of differed so greatly from person to person. 

"He was reputed a complete courtier, magnificent, liberal, a protector and benefactor of soldiers and scholars...very officious, and cunning toward his ill-willers; for a time much given to women...to say the truth, he was openly held to be in the rank of those which were worthy of praise, but the things which he secretly plotted displeased many."

We do not know how Robert's widow, Lettice Knollys dealt with the loss of her husband. Let it be said that we should not for a minute entertain the idea that she and her second-cousin, the Queen, would have commiserated over their mutual loss. Lettice's greatest testament to her husband may have been their joint tomb. Elizabeth's may have in fact been her relationship with Leicester's step-son, Essex.

The tomb of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and his wife, Lettice Knollys in Beauchamp Chapel in the Collegiate Church of St.Mary, Warwickshire. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Historian Sarah Gristwood explains the significance of Queen Elizabeth's relationship with the Earl of Essex:

"Perhaps it is to the years ahead (of Leicester's death) that we should look for Elizabeth's last (and almost disastrous) great loving gesture towards her lost companion to her relationship with Leicester's stepson and surrogate, Essex. Leicester had brought Essex to court as he himself began to tire and age, willing still to perform necessary duties, but unable any longer to flatter Elizabeth with the conviction he once has; unable to provide the energetic, exciting pageant of eager masculinity. Elizabeth obediently would follow his programme almost to her destruction; would try to believe Essex was another Leicester. The Queen's long, her extraordinary, indulgence towards Robert Devereux was her long lament for Robert Dudley."

(Gristwood, 337)

When Elizabeth whispered the name "Robert" on her deathbed in 1603, there can be no doubt to which earl she was referring.

A portrait of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester circa 1560-65. Attributed to Steven van der Muelen. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Sources

Gristwood, Sarah. Elizabeth and Leicester: Power, Passion, Politics. New York: Viking, 2007. Print.

"Dudley, Robert, earl of Leicester (1532/3–1588)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online edition. Retrieved 09-02-2012

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Queen Elizabeth I Arrives at Tilbury

A portrait of Queen Elizabeth visiting her troops at Tilbury. Image acquired from Luminarium.org, courtesy of Aniina Jokinen.

On this day in Elizabethan history 1588, Queen Elizabeth I arrived at Tilbury to begin her visit with her troops. Tilbury, which had been built by Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, was England's foremost center of defense (Mattingly, 44). On the 18th, which was a Thursday in 1588, Queen Elizabeth departed London from St. James's via her royal barge, accompanied by her gentlemen pensioners and yeomen of the guard. Elizabeth's subjects watched their beloved Queen and her fully armored retinue from the embankment along the Thames, and from higher vantage points, hanging out of shoppe windows, and the windows above London Bridge (Mattingly, 342-43). 

As Queen Elizabeth had hoped, the conflict with Spain had unified the English people in a way they had not been before. There was a feeling of English nationalism against the "other"; matters of religion seemed trivial when the threat of invasion was very real indeed. Petruccio Ubaldini, an Italian Protestant living in England at the time observed that, "it is easier to find flocks of white crows than one Englishman (and let him believe what he will about religion) who loves a foreigner." (quoted in Mattingly, 344)

Queen Elizabeth's lifelong favorite, Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, was supervising the encampment at Tilbury as acting Lieutenant and Captain General. He was eager for his Queen to come and visit, but also nervous that the other competent officers who were supposed to assist him had yet to arrive (Mattingly, 343). Leicester spent his final hours trying to complete a "bridge" of boats that would connect Tilbury Fort with Gravesend; Gravesend was where the Duke of Parma and his troops were anticipated to arrive in the event that the English navy was unable to engage and defeat the Armada at sea.

A 16th century portrait of Alexandre Farnese, the Duke of Parma. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Queen Elizabeth understood the importance of appearing to these brave men, many of them mere foot soldiers or members of trained bands; she thought it essential to express her gratitude for their loyalty and for their readiness to lay down their lives for the preservation of her kingdom. Queen Elizabeth herself "was easy to upset but hard to frighten" and she found new purpose in the crisis with Spain (Mattingly, 347). 

Many historians have argued, with much merit, that this was the defining moment of Elizabeth's career, and it was her conduct during this crisis and the peace that followed after that give us the legend of the illustrious Gloriana and Good Queen Bess that we remember  today. "It is a comfort to see how great magnanimity Her Majesty shows, who is not a whit dismayed" wrote Robert Cecil of the Queen's behavior during this time (quoted in Mattingly, 347).

A portrait of Robert Cecil by John de Critz, circa 1608, when he was Earl of Salisbury. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

The number of men that stood ready to greet the arrival of the Queen at Tilbury is debated; it was probably more than five or six thousand, but less than the twenty-three thousand reported by the usually reliable antiquarian William Camden, who wrote The Annals of Queen Elizabeth. When the Queen arrived in all her glory she proclaimed her intentions to Leicester: she did not just wish to merely inspect the camp, she wanted to interact with the troops on a personal level. She had no desire to have armed guards about her, since she needn't fear her own people. As Elizabeth would proudly proclaim the following day, she had been advised to "take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes for fear of treachery" but that she did not distrust her "faithful and loving people."  This could not have been a surprise to Leicester or anyone who was close to the Queen, since she had always maintained a level of visibility and accessibility with her subjects, a practice that her predecessors had more or less avoided.

Walking before her in the procession into the encampment was the Earl of Ormonde, who bore the Sword of State, followed by two pages. Next came the Queen on horseback, riding with the Earl of Leicester. Following behind them on foot was Sir John Norris (Mattingly, 348). 

A 16th century depiction of Queen Elizabeth I, preceded by a Sword of State. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

While contemporary accounts of the Queen's appearance are scare and may be subject to a certain amount of poetic license, it appears Elizabeth was clad in white velvet, wearing an armored cuirass embossed with mythical creatures (Mattingly, 349). Once in the thick of the soldiers, Elizabeth dismounted and explored every inch of Tilbury, speaking with the men. The Queen was cheered and praised wherever she went, and the experience was no doubt an affirmation of the role she had dedicated her life and soul to. As the 18th drew to a close, Queen Elizabeth decided she would visit Tilbury again the next day.

An representation of Queen Elizabeth I greeting her troops at Tilbury, clad in white velvet and wearing an armored breastplate. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

The Queen and her yeomen and pensioners retired to a manor house four miles off, returning to the encampment on the 19th to see a demonstration of cavalry drills and to dine in Leicester's pavilion.  It is on this day that Queen Elizabeth saw fit to deliver one of her most famous, and certainly her most inspirational speech. Perhaps she had thought over exactly what she wanted to say the night before, but perhaps she spoke completely off the cuff. Either way, the "Tilbury Speech" is remembered, revered, and recited to this day.

My loving people,we have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes for fear of treachery; but I assure you, I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. 

Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safe guard in the loyal hearts and good will of my subjects, and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all, to lay down my life for my God and for my kingdom and for my people, my honour, and my blood, even in the dust. 

I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm; the which, rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know, already for your forwardness, you have deserved rewards and crowns; and we do assure you, in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. 

In the meantime my lieutenant-general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject, not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.

When word reached the camp that the Duke of Parma was getting ready to march on Tilbury, Queen Elizabeth asserted that she would indeed "live and die" alongside her men, like she had so boldly asserted. It took a great deal of effort from her advisers to convince her that she would be of more use to her people and the English cause against Spain if she were to remain alive, and it would not be considered cowardly for her to retreat to saftey (Mattingly, 351). After all, she had done far more than most monarchs would have been willing to do, putting in face time with the common soldiers and living amongst them for several days. 

In the end, the brave men at Tilbury never had to fight since the Armada was vanquished entirely at sea. The English did indeed have their "famous victory", which ushered England into a new era, The Golden Age.

The Armada Portrait, attributed to George Gower. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Source

Mattingly, Garrett. The Armada. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1959. Print.

A Great Day for Bess-Teaching & Learning at the Museum

UPDATE: We received this heartwarming message and photo on the museum's Facebook page:

“How my girls spent the morning. I think they're going to be talking about yesterday's audience with Queen Elizabeth for a long time. Her majesty was wonderful -- and so patient with 45 minutes of incessant questioning from her under-5 subjects. Thanks for another great day.”

A depiction of Gloriana at Tilbury. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

 As many of you know, today I ran two programs as Queen Elizabeth I at the museum where I work. I look forward to March all year, not only because it is Women in Armor month where I work, but because I get to run my first person interpretation program, Queen Elizabeth Addresses the Troops at Tilbury. This year I was also fortunate enough to be asked to run a bonus program, An Audience with the Queen, where (again, in first-person) I shared with museum visitors the story of my struggle for the throne and my accomplishments as queen. At the conclusion of the program, I delivered excepts from The Golden Speech and answered questions.


The Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, attributed to George Gower. This portrait was painted to commemorate the English Navy's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the 30th year of Elizabeth's reign. Image public domain.


I have always maintained that if I can get just one child, one little girl, as captivated by Queen Elizabeth I and her legacy as I have been, then I can die someday knowing that I have accomplished what I feel I have been put on this earth to do. An equally important mission of mine would be to inspire children, specifically young girls, to look outside of their history textbooks to find out more about the incredible women who changed history. What Elizabeth means to me may be what Katerina von Bora means to someone else, or what Matilda of Tuscany is to another, etc.

Today I had remarkable visitor interactions with not one but many enthusiastic, interested children. I taught them all about Elizabeth and her reign, they asked me great questions, and I gave them information on different resources that would enable them to know more about her life.

But while I felt I gave a lot to the people I talked with, I truly felt that I received a lot myself as well.  I met children who I was a fan of (and I told them so!); kids who were so bright, and so talented, and they didn't even seem to know it yet! I hope these children never loose their thirst for knowledge and their impressive sense of self. I was humbled to be in their presence!

I also spoke with many wonderful adults who had either recently visited England, or who were currently reading books on Elizabeth herself. These people also asked thought provoking questions, and I enjoyed conversing with them as well. It is always a well rounded day when you can discuss history with children and adults!

I had one lady tell me twice that I had so much knowledge, and that she hoped I would find a way to share it; she said she considered herself an authority on several subjects, but she had never taken the time to get her projects just right, so she had never completed them. This moved me greatly; I consider this website and my interpretations my avenue for sharing my knowledge of Elizabeth, but this visitor certainly gave me some food for thought, and I do plan on sharing Queen Elizabeth's story through other mediums as well in the near future.

As is always the case, first person interpretation allows me to explore what works and what doesn't: what educational materials (books, portraits, replica jewelry) do people respond to best? What stories leave them wanting more? How can I improve? For instance, last year a woman told me that she really felt the black riding gloves I was wearing for my Tilbury show did a disservice to the palette of the white dress, and she suggested that I wear white gloves instead. This year, I wore white gloves! Every year, through my audience's help, I know my interpretations can only improve!

Eliza Triumphans, from 1589, by William Rogers. This was a print made to commemorate the English's defeat of the Spanish Armada. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

 Also, it should be said that answering questions (and you can never predict what people will ask, so you always have to be prepared!) helps me to learn more about Elizabeth herself: how would she answer this question? Would she be offended? Would she make a joke? What words would she use? It also helps me to understand her choices. Speaking to the children today who followed me throughout the museum called to mind the stories I have read of Elizabeth stopping on progresses to speak with farmers and tradespeople, and to accept nosegays and other trinkets from the peasant children. I understood how she must have felt in these moments: the warm heart, the gratitude, and pride in her people.

And I also was reminded of how difficult it was for Elizabeth to have any time for herself; she usually the early mornings riding with her Master of the Horse, Robert Dudley and her evenings writing, composing, or playing cards-but every other part of her day was for her people. I took my lunch 2 hours late because it took that long to make my way to my lunch through the people who wanted to stop and chat; and I would not have had it any other way, and I know Elizabeth would not have, either!

I want to personally thank all who came "specifically to see Elizabeth" as those people  who had come to the museum after seeing the article on my programs told me. I want to thank the Worcester Telegram & Gazette  for interviewing me in the first place. My programs, this website, everything I do has never once been about fame for me, but only about Glory for Elizabeth. I want everyone who I come in contact with to become inspired by Elizabeth Tudor and her legacy.

SEMPER EADEM,

Ashlie

P.S. Next weekend I play Grania O'Malley, the 16th century Irish Pirate Queen!  I will be posting an article on her and her life next week, which will also explain her special connection to Elizabeth I.

BeingBess Featured in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette! (Article & Video)

At the museum where I work, it is currently our annual Women in Armor month, coinciding with Women's History Month. My fantastic boss arranged for the city paper to come and visit the museum and learn about this months exciting programming. He thoughtfully arranged for me to be interviewed, filmed, and photographed for an article about my Elizabeth I programs, Queen Elizabeth I Addresses the Troops at Tilbury, and An Audience with the Queen, both of which are running this weekend.


I would like to share the online article link with you all, and if you are compelled to do so you can click on it and read more about what I do and why. I also hope you will click on the embedded video (in the upper right hand side of this blog's homepage!) or the direct link below to view the video that accompanies the article, featuring an interview with my boss, myself as Elizabeth I, and some clips of the museum . It also includes a brief clip of me delivering the Tilbury speech.

Article link.




Video link.


Please comment and let me know what you all think!


SEMPER EADEM,


Ashlie

Greetings, Valued Readers!

As I officially launch Being Bess today, I feel it is necessary to write an introductory post to orient the reader with the who, why, and how of this project.

I appreciate all who visit this site, and I look forward to your faithful reading. Most especially, I want to extend a thank you to my “built in audience”-my Twitter followers-I am humbled and honored by the fascinating array of individuals who choose to follow me, and partake in my mission of honoring Elizabeth.

            Nothing delights me more than having an array of published writers, re-enactors, politicians, hard-working college students, teachers, housewives, Tudor enthusiasts and travel guides following my queenly persona.

            Being Bess is as much your site as it is mine. In addition to my regular articles, I will be looking to you to submit articles for a “guest author” spotlight every couple of months.

            Semper Eadem

“Always the Same”

- Ashlie R. Jensen, A.K.A. ERITudor

Who: Recently graduated in May with a Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude, Ashlie R. Jensen is committed to making European history interesting and accessible to the public. Employed in museum education, her areas of expertise are the 11^th through 14^th centuries in medieval Europe, and the Tudor Dynasty, specifically the Elizabethan era. In love with modern British culture as well, all the evidence suggests that Ashlie has a British soul trapped in an American body!

Passionate about the Tudors, Ashlie became powerfully drawn to Elizabeth Tudor, initially relating to her tumultuous childhood and formative adolescent years. Ashlie was fascinated by Elizabeth’s survival in the fickle Tudor court, her struggle to remain relevant once written out of the succession by her brother Edward, and her close calls with death in the reign of her sister Mary. She then became overwhelmingly inspired by Elizabeth’s unlikely ascension to the throne, and her subsequent successful nearly 45 year reign.

Ashlie has independently researched every aspect of Elizabeth’s life. While Ashlie relies on primary documents first and foremost, she also values the informed opinions of David Starkey, David Loades, Eric Ives, Alison Weir, Tracey Boreman, Sarah Gristwood, Garret Mattingly, Giles Tremlett, Leanda de Lisle, and more.

Ashlie historically interprets Queen Elizabeth I in first person perspective, dressed in fully researched and accurate Elizabethan garb. Ashlie garb are based on the patterns by Margo Anderson, and lovingly sewn by her mother, to whom she is eternally indebted! Ashlie Elizabeth I presentations vary in content, but always include a first-person monologue and conclude with an in-character question and answer session.

Ashlie at the end of her original program, Elizabeth Addresses the Troops at Tilbury presented in March at her work for Women in Armor month.

Ashlie next to a 3 Quarter Armor suit of armor, belonging to Elizabeth I's contemporary Henry Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. This armor is in the collection at the Museum where she works. 



A work in progress, this entirely accurate (authentic fabric and construction) gown is based on what sparse references we have on what Elizabeth I wore on her visit to Tilbury in 1588.

While I prefer to don my Elizabeth wig for program appearances, Elizabeth supposedly wore her hair loose on this occasion in history, so I went without.

I have since added a hand-embroidered Pelican in Her Piety badge to the dress, and plan on adding two Phoenix rising, one on each bell sleeve!

ERITudor plans to continue her education as time (and money!) allow. In the meantime, she will continue to work at her fulfilling job, and lovingly tend to http://BeingBess.blogspot.com !

What: If you ask most people who the most famous queen of England was, most likely they will say Queen Elizabeth I. But beyond the name, many struggle to recall why she is so famous.

For me, Elizabeth I is not merely a name, or an iconic image of a red-haired, bejeweled monarch in a lace ruff collar-she is the most inspirational, empowering and moving historical figure I know of.  She has always personally touched my soul, and driven me to become better than my surroundings and achieve my potential.

But she is not just a personal icon- I believe she is a relevant historical figure for today’s tumultuous times. Modern women (and men, too) can learn much from Elizabeth’s financial strategy and economic stimulus. Religious radicals could learn from Elizabeth’s moderate religious stance, and more tolerant views (in comparison to her three immediate predecessors, excluding the “reign” of Jane Grey). Diplomats could draw ideas from her foreign policy.

I am committed to highlighting Elizabeth’s seemingly divine strengths, as well as her human weaknesses. Her groundbreaking reign brought economic stability, peace and abundance to a previously bankrupt, weak and fearful nation. In conjunction with my articles on Elizabeth, all properly annotated for those who want further reference, you can also look forward to articles on her “supporting cast”-Influential confidantes and courtiers such as Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, Sir Francis Walsingham, William Cecil, Edward De Vere, Katherine Ashley, Katherine Parr, Anne of Cleves and many others.

How: Through this blog, my historical interpreting work, and my various side-writing projects, I aim to bring Elizabeth, her world, and her legacy to the masses. Regular articles will be posted on Elizabeth’s childhood, (i.e. education, parental relationships, sibling relationships) her adolescence, (i.e. care under Katherine Parr and the Thomas Seymour scandal, and her persecution during her sister Mary’s reign) and her adult life, ( ascension, early founding years of Elizabethan policy, religious tensions, relations with Spain, and the Spanish Armada,  Mary the Queen of Scots, her lifelong partnership with Robert Dudley, the  “marriage question”) and much, much more!

    While I have a general idea of what order I will be writing and posting theses topics, I will occasionally ask you, my faithful readers, to submit a topic you would like me to research and divulge to you next. I want my readers to be involved and engaged in Elizabeth’s fascinating history with me.

Also, I will periodically appeal to my readers to submit a potential article of their own that they would like to see featured on this site. Of course, their will be certain criteria, chief among them properly documented references to ensure accuracy, but I want to highlight the knowledge and creative talent of my fellow amateur historians.

Thank you for reading this introductory. I look forward to the growth of this site and my friendships with you all! Keep checking back frequently!

Also, you can follow me on Twitter:

@ERITudor