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Signature of Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I of England

The personal signature of Elizabeth I, used on official state documents during her reign.

Her own personal signature, used to authorise official state documents throughout her reign.

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Black ink line drawing of a stylized handwritten signature with a large looping capital E, flourishes and underlines on a white background.
Signature of Elizabeth I of England.

About this source

What it is

This is the handwritten signature of Elizabeth I, shown here as a line drawing reproducing her distinctive 'Elizabeth R' sign manual, with a large looping capital E and flourishes.

Why it matters

Monarchs signed official papers themselves to show their personal authority stood behind laws, letters and decisions. Elizabeth's elaborate signature, used throughout her long reign, appeared on countless state documents and is one of the few things we can be certain came directly from her own hand.

Look closer

  • What does the elaborate style of the signature suggest about how Elizabeth wanted to present herself?
  • Why might a ruler's signature need to be hard to copy or forge?
  • What is the difference between a signature and other sources that describe or depict a historical figure?

This document 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.

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