The Tudor Queen Elizabeth I has been stated as being one of the greatest to ever rule
over England.
She was the queen that her father Henry VIII would have been greaty proud of, and she dealt
with a huge number of obstacles during her life.
She managed to defeat the Spanish Armada the biggest military threat to her reign, and
then she even ordered the execution of her biggest domestic threat Mary Queen of Scots.
Mary was Elizbaeth’s catholic cousin, and many catholics across the country wanted her
to be Queen over Elizabeth.
But Mary would lose her head inside of the walls of Fotheringhay Castle, for being part
of the plots that planned Elizabeth’s death and downfall.
But in her final months, Elizabeth I became very sick and the one strong and dominant
monarch was a shadow of herself.
Her final days were spent in depression and in pain, and after her death there was a death
mask cast of her face showing the Queen’s look as she passed away.
But what is the story of the death mask of Elizabeth I, to support our channel please
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Elizabeth I reigned as the Queen of England for almost 45 years, and she was the final
Tudor Queen as she did not have any children or heir.
With her, the Tudor reign died out and it was a period which was a golden age with a
huge birth of Theatre with writers such as Shakespeare showcasing his talents with his
works being performed in theatres around London.
But in her final years, Elizabeth was not very well at all and over time she got more
ill and deteriorated.
Her close friends also got sick themselves, and people she had known for decades and most
of her life passed away which had a huge impact on her.
Her closest ladies that had been with her for some time were slowly dwindling in their
numbers as they got old and died.
In 1590, Blanche Parry one of Elizabeth’s closest died and she had known Elizabeth since
she was a princess, and Blanche was a Chief gentlewoman of the privy chamber and the Keeper
of the Queen’s jewels.
Such a trusted woman, Blanche’s death caused a huge degree of upset and then 8 years later
William Cecil her close advisor died.
Cecil had been a strong ally of Elizabeth for years, and she lost one of her most trustworthy
friends and companions, but with this she then began to retire from court life and she
became more isolated and alone.
She drifted from the court she once presided over with confidence, but she still remained
as ruthless as ever, as she would order the execution of her one time favourite, Robert
Devereux the Earl of Essex.
He had been accused of trying to plan a rebellion which would have kidnapped the Queen, but
with this he went to his execution on Tower Hill.
As the year 1603 came around though the Queen was not a very well lady.
She had fallen into a deep depression ad she then travelled to one of her favourite residences,
Richmond Palace.
She loved this palace, and she saw it as a good place to retire to in her final years.
But she was still attended on by her loyal ladies, but in January 1603 she refused to
eat and drink, and lost a significant amount of weight and because of this many people
became worried by her.
She became indignant, and the doctors came to visit her but they were not allowed entry
to the Queen.
Katherine Howard the countess of Nottingham another one of her close friends also had
died, and she served the Queen for around 45 years and this then pushed the Queen over
the edge.
It was said that the, ‘Queen loved the countess well, and hath much lamented her death, remaining
ever since in a deep melancholy that she must seemeth be overtaken.’
Elizabeth at the time was very frail and was almost 70 years old, which was a significant
age for a woman of the Tudor period.
However until her final moments she was the boss and was in charge.
But she continued to refuse to eat, and she would have periods of contemplation where
she was stood for a long period of time.
She became very guilty for the executions that she had ordered, and in particular was
plagued by the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, and it was said ‘She shed many tears
and sighs, manifesting her innocents that she never gave consent to the death of that
Queen.’
It’s possible she believed that Mary’s execution would prevent her going to heaven
in death, and she must have worried about this.
But her mind and health was failing, and she then made a decision to retire to bed for
good.
The Archbishop of Canterbury was summoned to come to her side and to pray for her soul,
and he informed Elizabeth than she would be a queen in heaven and not just on earth, saying
she had lived a great life.
But on the 24th March 1603, Elizabeth I died and her remains were then taken from Richmond
Palace to Whitehall where it was watched by attendants for 3 years.
Elizabeth had stated specifically that following her death she did not want to be embalmed,
but this was not adhered to and these wishes were ignored.
But at some point a death mask of Elizabeth was cast and was taken of the final Tudor
Monarch.
Questions in England persisted about the new King and how the King of Scotland would also
govern and rule England a larger kingdom.
But the mould of Elizabeth’s face was taken and was cast, and it shows the aged Queen
looking different to the portraits that were taken of her during her life.
Elizabeth in portraits would hide behind the mask of youth, but her death mask was true
and it showed the elderly queen for who she was.
She had a pensive countenance and the effigy which was later made of her had a ruff and
jewels added to her.
It was common for Kings and Queens to have death masks taken, as these were used in making
the effigy’s for their tombs, but they also were a reminder of the person who died.
Elizabeth was old in her death mask, and this would be the truest image of her which had
been made for many years.
She was later buried inside of a huge ornate vault in Westminster Abbey which is marked
by a tomb that shows Elizabeth I in her grandeur and opulence, and this was made using her
death mask it was said.
The Queen has a crown and head-dress on her head, showing her wealth.
It isn’t known for certain what killed Elizabeth I as many historians have debated causes from
lead poisoning to heard failure.
Some claim that the lead makeup she wore heavily through her life had a detrimental effect
on her health, and others have stated that the Tudor Queen had cancer or had some sort
of infection that caused her to grow weaker and contract pneumonia.
But following her death it would have been the best doctors and physicians that embalmed
her and also doctors would have been the ones who made the death mask, after they made her
look more comfortable and relaxed.
But Elizabeth I is total buried in a huge and ornate tomb inside Westminster Abbey.
To begin with she was buried in a vault with her grandfather the founder of the Tudor dynasty
Henry VIII.
But then she was moved as James I her successor was placed inside there and he would order
the huge tomb to be made for Elizabeth showing her importance.
She was buried with her half sister Mary, but there is little to commemorate Mary who
was also a Tudor Monarch, showing how more significant Elizabeth I was during her reign.
But her death mask is a poignant reminder of the Queen who changed the face of England
forever and had a huge impact on history.
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