16th century propaganda is something I found particularly fascinating when looking at Tudor portraits as the number and complexity of different symbols used in the paintings is incredible, particularly in portraits of Elizabeth I. It is clear that through paintings of herself, Elizabeth wanted to portray certain characteristics and ideas to her people.
The Tudor Rose
The Tudor emblem is incorporated into many of Elizabeth’s portraits, in order to emphasise her right to the throne and her place in the line of Tudor monarchs.
The Sword
In the Ermine Portrait, Elizabeth is depicted with a sword lying by her arm to give the impression that, although she rules peacefully, she is prepared to defend her realm at all costs.
The Sieve
This is a symbol for virginity, deriving from the Ancient Roman story of the Vestal Tuccia, who carried water in a sieve to prove she was chaste.
Vesta, if I have always brought pure hands to your secret services, make it so now that with this sieve I shall be able to draw water from the Tiber and bring it to Your temple
The Serpent
A Serpent is embroidered on Elizabeth’s sleeve in the Rainbow Portrait, with a heart-shaped ruby in its mouth. The serpent is thought to represent wisdom and the ruby Elizabeth’s heart, implying that the Queen’s wisdom controls her emotions.
The Thornless Rose
Roses are depicted in many of her portraits, particularly here in the Pheonix Portrait. This symbol is associated with the Virgin Mary, implying that Elizabeth, as a virgin queen, was married to England, as Mary was married to the Church.
The Rainbow
Rainbows were meant to symbolise peace, with the old Latin Motto, ‘Non Sine Sole Iris’: ‘no rainbow without the sun’
The Book
This image was included in the portrait of Elizabeth aged only fourteen and the portrait was sent to her brother King Edward VI as a gift. The image of her finger marking the page of the small book demonstrates her pious protestantism, which must have pleased her brother.
‘For the face, I grant, I might well blush to offer, but the mind I shall never be ashamed to present. ….when you shall look on my picture you will witsafe to think that as you have but the outward shadow of the body before you, so my inward mind wisheth that the body itself were oftener in your presence.’
Eyes and Ears
The eyes and ears painted into the fabric of Elizabeth’s dress in the Rainbow Portrait clearly imply a sense of
omniscience; as queen, she was able to hear and see all. The addition is thought to refer to Hymns to Astraea by Sir John Davis.
The Ermine
This symbol emphasises Elizabeth’s purity and virtue as the ermine was thought to be willing to die to save its pure white coat as the queen was willing to die to protect her country and her chastity.
Lovely Old Tree 
6 comments
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September 20, 2010 at 8:08 pm
pigglywinks
This page and the part 2 page really helped me with my homework-Thanks!
November 17, 2010 at 11:48 am
Joanne
Your blog is really good and very interesting. I am teaching Year 8 History and we are looking at Tudor image and propaganda. The kids will find all this fascinating. Thank you very much for taking the time.
October 13, 2011 at 5:21 pm
Dylan
just an FYI elizabeth also wore a pelican pendant in many portaits the symbol of the pelican pecking its breast to feed its blood to its young is was very symbolic as represented elizabeth sacraficing everything for her people..
August 14, 2015 at 8:21 pm
Galyn
interesting article but there may be other explanations for all of those ‘symbols’ including Eliz asserting her claim to the throne due to ancestral ruling families in other countries. I’ll have to go back in my records and dig it all out, but I’ve already said that snake represents the Visconti/Sforza families and if you go back far enough on one of her lines you do indeed run into the Viscontis. The ideas that symbols represent things like virtue etc is a cover up but the heraldry masters knew they represented family history and family migrations, marriages etc. Break out Jasper’s name in Welsh: Sais-bar. Look at the Sais family coat of arms then look at the Boleyn coat of arms. They share the Black bull. Those eyes are all seeing eyes. They represent a tribal history.
August 14, 2015 at 8:53 pm
Galyn
she and Cecil and Dee were certainly big on propaganda and they made use of their heraldry masters to solidify her claim to the throne. A king or queen who demanded to be trained by the heraldry masters could tell at a glance at a coat of arms just who might be available to marry who, who was allied to what family-and who might have a legit claim to some throne somewhere or at least to a title– and could uncover an entire family history back into the mists of time.
May 18, 2018 at 1:04 pm
Jid
Thank you, this was really helpful as most other websites just talk about the Armada but this was understandable and detailed.