Elizabethan England Topic Summaries

Propaganda and royal image

GCSE > History > WJEC > GCSE History: Elizabethan England (1558-1603) > Elizabeth’s accession > Propaganda and royal image
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Key terms
  • Elizabeth carefully controlled her public image.
  • Gloriana was a symbolic image of Elizabeth I as an ideal, semi-divine monarch.The term originates from Edmund Spenser’s poem ‘The Faerie Queene’ (1590), in which the character of Gloriana represents Elizabeth as a virtuous, heroic, and almost supernatural ruler.
  • Gloriana propaganda was central to reinforcing Elizabeth’s authority, portraying her as the embodiment of national pride, moral purity, and divine favour.
  • Portraits showed her as youthful, powerful, and divinely chosen.
  • Symbols such as the crown, globe, and Virgin Mary imagery reinforced her legitimacy, influence, and purity.
  • Coins and medals spread her image across the country.
  • Public pageants celebrated her rule during royal progresses.
  • The defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) was used to present Elizabeth as God’s chosen ruler.

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