Skip to main content

Secondary sourcePaintingc. 1600

Procession Portrait of Elizabeth I

George Vertue · c. 1600

A painting showing Queen Elizabeth I carried in procession under a canopy, surrounded by named courtiers, near the end of her reign.

Depicts the aged Elizabeth carried in procession by her courtiers near the end of her reign.

Ask Elizabeth I about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Painting of a royal procession: a woman in a white embroidered gown and tall lace ruff sits under a canopy carried on poles, surrounded by richly dressed men in black and colored doublets with gold chains, sashes and swords. Onlookers watch from a building with arched windows; a castle and hills appear at left. Inscriptions run along the top and bottom edges.
George Vertue, Procession Portrait of Elizabeth I, c. 1600/1601.

About this source

What it is

This painting, attributed to George Vertue and dated around 1600, shows Queen Elizabeth I seated under a canopy carried by courtiers, preceded by Knights of the Garter including Edmund Sheffield, Charles Howard, George Clifford, George Carey, and Gilbert Talbot carrying the Sword of State.

Why it matters

The image is a rare depiction of Elizabeth's public spectacle and the ceremony surrounding her court near the end of her reign, showing the elaborate display that reinforced her royal authority through the nobles who surrounded her.

Look closer

  • Who surrounds the Queen in this procession, and what does their presence suggest about her court?
  • Why might Elizabeth be shown being carried rather than walking?
  • What does this painting tell us about how monarchy was displayed in public?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Elizabeth I on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Elizabeth I sources

Meet the AI Elizabeth I →
Speech

Primary source

Speech to the Troops at Tilbury

Elizabeth I of England · 1588

Engraved print of a woman in elaborate Elizabethan dress with a large ruff collar, jeweled headdress, pearl necklace, and an orb and sceptre. Below is the inscription 'ELIZABETHA REGINA' and a Latin motto.Painting

Secondary source

Queen Elizabeth I of England by Isaac Oliver

Isaac Oliver · 1620

Full-length painting of a woman in an elaborate black and gold-embroidered gown with a huge white lace ruff and pearl-studded jewelry, holding a globe with one hand. A jeweled crown sits on a table at left; a golden mermaid figure at right. Background panels show sailing ships on a calm sea and a stormy scene of ships battling waves.Painting

Primary source

Armada Portrait

Unknown English artist · 1588

Engraving of the monument to Queen Elizabeth I in Westminster Abbey: a tall arched canopy with columns, coats of arms, and a recumbent effigy of the queen on a tomb chest with lion sculptures. Latin inscriptions and a title line run along the bottom.Painting

Secondary source

Monument to Queen Elizabeth I in Westminster Abbey

Hubert Francois Bourguignon d'Anville Gravelot

Engraving of Queen Elizabeth I in a high, jeweled crown and a large lace ruff, holding a sceptre in her right hand and an orb in her left. She wears an ornate, pearl-studded gown. A dark oval frame surrounds her head and shoulders. Latin inscription below reads 'Elizabetha Regina' and two lines of Latin text.Painting

Secondary source

Queen Elizabeth I in parliamentary robes

Isaac Oliver · 1600-1699

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Elizabeth I now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions