I am Elizabeth
Elizabeth's Coronation Procession
Ascension to the Throne
17 November 1558; coronation 15 January 1589
On 17 November 1558, a day celebrated each year now during my reign, "the lords of Council came and knelt before [me] in the park, saluting [me] as their sovereign lady, [I] was for a few moments speechless" (Weir, Life, 1). I finally caught my tongue and gave thanks to God by uttering in Latin, "a Domino factum est istud et hoc mirabile in oculis nostris"; that is to say in English, "This is the Lord's doing, it is marvelous in our eyes". At least that is what I am told I said! As the moment was so emotional, so wonderful, I cannot be sure any longer.
On the afternoon of 20 November 1558, I made my first speeches as Queen Elizabeth; these speeches were as nothing compared to the rallying cry at Tilbury before the invasion of the Spanish Armada in 1588, but they were my first as queen and I treasure them as such. In my first speech, I charge William Cecil to be my councilor, first among the men of my Council. I begged him to be honest with me always, regardless of my personal desires and I promised him to respect secrecy when he told me anything he deemed worthy of it. In the second, I addressed those Lords on the Council who had come to tell me of my accession; some of these Lords, being of high rank, would remain on my Council, regardless of their religion. It is in this speech that I first set forth my intention to truly rule, and to be guided by those of long experience.
On the afternoon of 20 November 1558, I made my first speeches as Queen Elizabeth; these speeches were as nothing compared to the rallying cry at Tilbury before the invasion of the Spanish Armada in 1588, but they were my first as queen and I treasure them as such. In my first speech, I charge William Cecil to be my councilor, first among the men of my Council. I begged him to be honest with me always, regardless of my personal desires and I promised him to respect secrecy when he told me anything he deemed worthy of it. In the second, I addressed those Lords on the Council who had come to tell me of my accession; some of these Lords, being of high rank, would remain on my Council, regardless of their religion. It is in this speech that I first set forth my intention to truly rule, and to be guided by those of long experience.
© 2011 Karen S. Palmer
Template design by Andreas Viklund
Template design by Andreas Viklund
Entries
Comments
I consulted my astrologer, Dr. John Dee, who studied his charts and determined that "if [I] were crowned on 15 January, [my] reign would be glorious and prosperous" (Weir, Life, 33). On 12 January 1559, a Thursday, I boarded a barge to travel along the Thames to the Tower; to be going back to that place where I'd been imprisoned only five years previous, but now as the Queen, awaiting her coronation, was as God intended. I was "formally welcomed by [my] chief officers of state, and entered the royal apartments to a great and pleasant melody of instruments, which played in most sweet and heavenly manner" (Weir, Life, 34). In what a gratifyingly different situation I now found myself!
Then, on the morning of the eve of my Coronation, I "was attired in a robe made from twenty-three yards of cloth of gold and silver, trimmed wtih ermine and overlaid with gold lace" (Weir, Life, 35) as I left the Tower in magnificent procession. How well I remember the prayer I spoke as I entered the beautiful litter that was to bear me through the streets of London. I prayed, "O Almighty and Everlasting God, I give Thee most hearty thanks that Thou hast been so merciful unto me to spare me to behold this joyful day. Thou hast dealt as wonderfully and as mercifully with me as Thou didst with Daniel, whom Thou delivered out of the den from the cruelty of the raging lions. Even so was I overwhelmed, and only by Thee delivered" (Weir, Life, 35).
This was the moment of truest joy in my life.
Then, on the morning of the eve of my Coronation, I "was attired in a robe made from twenty-three yards of cloth of gold and silver, trimmed wtih ermine and overlaid with gold lace" (Weir, Life, 35) as I left the Tower in magnificent procession. How well I remember the prayer I spoke as I entered the beautiful litter that was to bear me through the streets of London. I prayed, "O Almighty and Everlasting God, I give Thee most hearty thanks that Thou hast been so merciful unto me to spare me to behold this joyful day. Thou hast dealt as wonderfully and as mercifully with me as Thou didst with Daniel, whom Thou delivered out of the den from the cruelty of the raging lions. Even so was I overwhelmed, and only by Thee delivered" (Weir, Life, 35).
This was the moment of truest joy in my life.
Navigation menu