Was Elizabeth I's reign really a 'golden age'?

Summary

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Episode Summary: "Was Elizabeth I's Reign Really a 'Golden Age'?"

Podcast: HistoryExtra Podcast
Host: Rachel Dinning
Guest: Dr. Nicola Tallis (historian and author)
Date: March 29, 2026
Episode Focus: Examining the final years of Elizabeth I, the challenges she faced, the nature of her legacy, and the myth of the "Elizabethan Golden Age."

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Episode Overview

This episode concludes a four-part series on Queen Elizabeth I, centering on her twilight years, her approach to succession, and how her legacy was shaped during and after her reign. Dr. Nicola Tallis joins host Rachel Dinning to critically explore the narrative of the "Elizabethan Golden Age," unpack the realities of her rule, and discuss the myths, propaganda, and political strategies that proved pivotal in both her lifetime and the nation’s memory.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Elizabeth I’s Final Years and Pressing Challenges

[03:19]

• Domestic Hardships:
  • Late in Elizabeth’s reign, England was beset by poverty, bad harvests, inflation, unemployment, and costly ongoing warfare with Spain.
  • Rebellion at home, notably the Earl of Essex’s failed coup in 1601, signaled growing vulnerability and instability.
  • Personal loss: Elizabeth’s trusted advisors (e.g., Robert Dudley, Walsingham, Cecil) had all died, leaving her isolated.
  • Quote:

    “Elizabeth is also faced with rebellion at home. In February 1601, her one time favourite, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, stages a very ill thought out coup... it does really show Elizabeth's vulnerability.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [03:19]

• Succession Crisis:
  • Ongoing uncertainty regarding her successor was a significant and persistent issue throughout her reign.
  • No peaceful retirement in sight; her final years were marked by fraught uncertainty.

2. Image, Aging, and the Mask of Youth

[05:07]

• Elizabeth was deeply invested in carefully crafting her image as eternally youthful.
• She used makeup, wigs, and lavish garments to project strength and control.
• This image management was both personal and politically strategic, mirroring similar tendencies in her father, Henry VIII.
  • Quote:

    “Elizabeth is... Quite literally, putting a mask on and covering up the fact that she is growing older.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [05:21] “She knows how to use these tools... to create an impression of power and an impression of magnificence that is so necessary for any sovereign, but particularly a female sovereign living in a male world.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [06:45]

3. The Queen’s Decline and Death

[07:47]

• By early 1603, Elizabeth’s health rapidly declined, worsened by depression after the death of her confidante, the Countess of Nottingham.
• She refused to go to bed, reportedly stating:

  “Must isn't a word that's used to princes.” — [08:19]

• Dies peacefully in March 1603 at Richmond Palace.
  • Quote:

    “She eventually passes away... mildly like a lamb, like a ripe apple plucked from a tree.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [09:05]

4. The Funeral and End of a Dynasty

[09:22]

• Elizabeth’s funeral was a grand public spectacle, emphasizing her image as “the mother of her country.”
• The ceremony marked the end of the Tudor dynasty and was intended as a symbolic closure for an era.

5. The Succession Issue: Risk, Anxiety, and Strategy

[10:18]

• Elizabeth refused to name a successor out of fear it would make her vulnerable, as she herself had been a focus of plots in Mary I's reign by virtue of being the named heir.
  • Quote:

    “Elizabeth was absolutely terrified that the same would happen to her and that it left her vulnerable to assassination.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [10:44]

• Her refusal maintained her control but destabilized the realm.
• Several claimants, including Lady Catherine Grey, Mary, Queen of Scots, James VI of Scotland, and Arbella Stuart, were contenders at various points.
• Ultimately, James VI succeeded her, but evidence suggests she may never have formally named him as heir—possibly a later myth shaped for political convenience.
  • Quote:

    “Perhaps actually she didn't name anybody at all. And knowing what we know of Elizabeth, that doesn't surprise me one bit.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [17:24]

6. The Origins and Realities of the “Elizabethan Golden Age”

[18:14]

• Notion of the "golden age" arose soon after Elizabeth’s death, fueled by nostalgia and contrasted with James I’s troubled early reign.
• Achievements:
  • Relative stability, cultural flourishing, exploration, defeat of the Spanish Armada.
• Realities:
  • Persistent poverty, low living standards, religious persecution, and frequent fears and plots against the queen.
  • Quote:

    “It's very easy to say after the event...that oh, yes, it was all wonderful. It was a golden age. But perhaps those living through those times might not have agreed so wholeheartedly.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [19:55]

7. The Making of Myth: The Role of Literature and Theater

[20:37]

• Playwrights and poets (Shakespeare, Spenser) helped enshrine the image of Elizabeth as chaste, constant, and married to the state.
• Spenser’s The Faerie Queene directly allegorizes Elizabeth as “Gloriana.”
• This mythic depiction, begun in her lifetime, persists in later portrayals (e.g., films) and shapes historical memory.

8. Self-Image and the Cult of Gloriana

[22:14]

• Elizabeth's self-mythologizing was a highly orchestrated state project:
  • Strict control of her portraiture (with symbols like pearls for chastity and power).
  • Public progresses to physically present herself to subjects.
  • Support from arts and literature to reinforce an image of national strength and ageless authority.
  • Quote:

    “Everything serves a purpose, and it's to remind people that Elizabeth is a figure of national identity, of strength, and someone who never ages, and ultimately that she is queen of her people.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [23:58]

9. Myths and Misconceptions About Elizabeth’s Reign

[24:28]

• Persistent myths include:
  • Elizabeth personally leading the navy against the Armada (she didn’t).
  • That she had numerous lovers (little evidence; the “Virgin Queen” claim likely true).
  • Universal adoration (she was constantly under threat and not uniformly loved).
  • The “Bisley Boy” theory—that Elizabeth died young and was secretly replaced by a man—is unfounded, rooted in misogynistic disbelief at her capability.
  • Quote:

    “It's just so silly... It’s extraordinary the fact that this has sort of persisted and again that we're still talking about it.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [25:57] “I think it persists because of misogyny and this kind of idea that a woman wasn't capable of the kind of success and intelligence that Elizabeth showed...” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [26:49]

10. Legacy and Lasting Impact

[27:06]

• Elizabeth’s primary political achievements:
  • Survived and held the crown for 45 years despite extreme challenges.
  • Changed perceptions of female monarchy, proving a woman could wield power and authority effectively.
  • Her legacy is complex: revered but also mythologized beyond reality.
  • Quote:

    “Her crowning achievement is actually managing to keep her crown for 45 years despite all of the plots against her and also her ability to start to change perceptions of the concept of female rule...” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [27:13]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On aging and self-presentation:

  “Elizabeth is quite literally, putting a mask on and covering up the fact that she is growing older.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [05:21]

• On strategy and insecurity:

  “Elizabeth was absolutely terrified that... being known as the successor would leave her vulnerable to assassination.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [10:44]

• On historical mythmaking:

  “It's very easy to say after the event... that oh, yes, it was all wonderful. It was a golden age. But perhaps those living through those times might not have agreed so wholeheartedly.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [19:55]

• On the cult of Gloriana:

  “Everything serves a purpose, and it's to remind people that Elizabeth is a figure of national identity, of strength, and someone who never ages.” — Dr. Nicola Tallis [23:58]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:19] — Late reign challenges and the Earl of Essex’s rebellion
• [05:07] — Elizabeth's attitude to aging and image-masking
• [07:47] — Final months and Elizabeth’s death
• [09:22] — Funeral and its significance
• [10:18] — Succession: Elizabeth’s anxieties and strategies
• [13:01] — Candidates for succession: Grey, Mary Queen of Scots, James VI, Arbella Stuart
• [17:24] — Did Elizabeth truly name James as her successor?
• [18:44] — The birth of the “Golden Age” myth
• [20:54] — Literary portrayals; role of Spenser and Shakespeare
• [22:28] — The cult of Gloriana and self-mythologizing
• [24:32] — Myths: naval leadership, lovers, universal adoration, “Bisley Boy”
• [27:13] — Dr. Tallis on Elizabeth’s crowning achievements and enduring legacy

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Conclusion

This episode pulls back the mask from Elizabeth I’s carefully constructed legend, revealing the political acumen, existential insecurity, and deliberate myth-making that shaped both her reign and the centuries that followed. Dr. Nicola Tallis argues that while Elizabeth’s time did witness notable achievements, the “golden age” narrative is a product of nostalgia and propaganda, not universal prosperity or adulation. Elizabeth’s greatest legacy is enduring as the archetype of the powerful woman in a male-dominated world, surviving against extraordinary odds—and transforming the monarchy for those who came after.

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Transcript

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Welcome to the History Extra podcast. We've now reached the final episode of our Sunday series on the life and legacy of Elizabeth I. As historian Nicola Tallis tells Rachel Dinning about the Queen's final years and the uncertainty that followed her death. If you've enjoyed this Sunday series, check back next week for a new four part exploration of the existential threat that the Vikings pose to the Anglo Saxon kingdoms. But for now, it's over to Rachel and Nicola.

[Rachel Dinning]

Hello and welcome to the final episode of our four part series exploring the life of Elizabeth I. I'm Rachel Dinning and today I'M joined by historian and author, Dr. Nicola Tallis. Over the past three episodes, we've been tracing Elizabeth's early life, her rise to power, her enemies and the challenges she faced as Queen. And now in this concluding episode, we turn to her later years, exploring how Elizabeth confronted aging, the delicate question of succession and the legacy that would turn her into one of England's most enduring and iconic monarchs. So, Nicola, this is an episode about the final years of Elizabeth's life. To start off, what were the most pressing challenges for her as she entered old age?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

There were quite a few for poor Elizabeth, including the fact that poverty was rife. We see that there are poor harvests, inflation, unemployment. There is also continuing warfare because the war with Spain has continued past the Spanish Armada, so that had proved to be very costly. And Elizabeth is also faced with rebellion at home. In February 1601, her one time favourite, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, stages a very ill thought out coup to depose the Queen and her government. And although this is crushed, it does really show Elizabeth's vulnerability and particularly in terms of her inner circle, because she had adored the Earl of Essex and it was really sort of highlighted by the fact that by now many of her most trusted advisors had died. Elizabeth was one of the great survivors, I suppose, because Robert Dudley was dead, Walsingham was dead, Cecil was dead. So it's now a very different world from the one in which Elizabeth had begun her reign. And on a personal level, those losses were very difficult for her. And perhaps most significantly, there's also the succession crisis, which has been something that has been going on throughout Elizabeth's reign. So there are all sorts of problems and issues that Elizabeth is forced to contend with during these latter years. It's by no means time for a peaceful retirement.

[Rachel Dinning]

And one thing I'm really curious about, because we see so many paintings of Elizabeth, is how she felt about aging and how she presented herself. What can we glean from what Elizabeth felt about her self image?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Well, I think the reality is that Elizabeth ignored the fact that she was aging or tried to ignore it as much as possible. And she does try to present this mask of eternal youth. She wears a lot of makeup, she uses wigs, she ensures that she's always wearing costly garments that are covered in jewels. So physically she always tries to ensure that she doesn't look a day older than she did for from the moment of her accession. And we also see that her image is very carefully manipulated and maintained, I suppose in portraiture. And I mean, Elizabeth is Quite literally, putting a mask on and covering up the fact that she is growing older. Portraits of her that we see that were perhaps painted in the latter years of her reign show her, you know, looking very youthful. So she tries to pretend that it's not happening, really. And she looks like an ageless queen, but one who has to employ a number of tools in order to achieve that.

[Rachel Dinning]

It's easy from a modern perspective to apply your own ideas about why she would do that, but I almost wonder if it was about putting out an image of power she still needs to put out, that she's this in control, powerful woman.

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Yeah, most definitely. I think that there is something in that. Most definitely, I think, yeah. This idea of presenting yourself as someone who looks the part, even if you are aging and don't look the part physically underneath all of that is something that's very important. And we see. This is something, I suppose, that we see in a way, with her father, Henry viii, who, although we know in the latter years of his reign, his health was declining and he is wheelchair bound on occasions, all those sorts of things. He always appears dressed as a king, he looks like a king. And Elizabeth does exactly the same. She emulates all of that. She knows how to use these tools, these jewels, these clothes, to create an impression of power and an impression of magnificence that is so necessary for any sovereign, but particularly a female sovereign living in a male world.

[Rachel Dinning]

So the final months of Elizabeth's life were marked by quite significant decline. What do we know about her death?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Well, by January 1603, it had become apparent to many of Elizabeth's contemporaries that her health was failing fast. And it was really, I would say, exacerbated the following month when one of Elizabeth's favourites, the Countess of Nottingham, died. Because this really sent Elizabeth into a depression. And by now she was also becoming very physically frail. And in March 1603, she moved to Richmond, where she went downhill very, very rapidly. So she sat on cushions in her rooms with her finger in her mouth, reportedly because she was having pain in her throat and she wouldn't get into bed despite the coaxing of her advisors of her ladies. And eventually it's left to Robert Cecil to say to her, you know, you must go to bed. And she famously retorts by saying, must isn't a word that's used to princes. But she does eventually go to bed and she loses the power of speech, but she eventually passes away, so we're told by a contemporary, mildly like a lamb, like a ripe apple plucked from A tree. So it's a peaceful death eventually.

[Rachel Dinning]

And her funeral was one of the most elaborate public ceremonies of the time. What can you tell us about it?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Yeah, so it's really a huge spectacle because this is the end of the Tudor dynasty, of course, and the end of the reign of good Queen Bess. And it was very much seen that way as the end of an era, because for many people, Elizabeth was all that they had known. So this was the loss of a figure who had been a constant. And the funeral really reinforced the idea of Elizabeth as being the mother of her country. So that carefully crafted image that Elizabeth has worked on throughout her reign really came into full force here. This is definitely a spectacle that is intended to mark the end of a very significant chapter of English history.

[Rachel Dinning]

And we'll come back a little bit later in the episode to some of the myth making that sprang out of this. So, obviously with Elizabeth's death, the Tudor dynasty is at an end. The crown then passes to James VI of Scotland. And this was not a super clear cut transition. Why was the succession question so challenging for Elizabeth?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Well, I think that Elizabeth was scared, ultimately. I think she recognized early on that if she were to name a successor, she felt that that would make her vulnerable, because she'd had experience of that herself during the reign of her half sister Mary, where the fact that she was the known heir to the throne made her a figurehead for dissent. And Elizabeth was absolutely terrified that the same would happen to her and that it left her vulnerable to assassination. And she also wanted to retain power and control for as long as possible. And whilst she failed to name a successor, this gave her control. This made her sole mistress in her realm. This was nobody else's decision but hers. That's the way that she saw it anyway. So it's a way of Elizabeth maintaining her authority.

[Rachel Dinning]

So do you think that this was a shrewd political strategy designed by Elizabeth, or was it something that actually created quite a bit of instability?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Well, it definitely did create instability. There was a lot of anxiety about what was to come after her, but most definitely it was. I suppose it was a shrewd strategy on her behalf because it also kept potential successes in a position where they were continually vying for her favour in the hope that Elizabeth might possibly choose them. So it's very clever from that perspective. But it did also lead to some of the plots to depose her as well. So Elizabeth could have avoided some of that. But I think, again, Elizabeth is a bit of a control freak and that is something that we see coming into force so clearly throughout the succession crisis. I don't think she really cared a great deal about what was to come after her. I think everything that she had experienced throughout her life had taught her to trust in her own power, to be shrewd and to be careful. And I think this is an example that showcases how careful she was perfectly.

[Rachel Dinning]

And who were some of the claimants who were vying perhaps for her favour, that maybe they would be named her

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

successor at the beginning of her reign? We have Lady Catherine Grey, who is the younger sister of the executed Lady Jane Grey. And technically, by the terms of Henry VIII's will, Lady Catherine Grey would have been the next in line to the throne had Elizabeth died childless. But Catherine Grey gets on the wrong side of Elizabeth anyway and she predeceases Elizabeth by many years. Then, of course, we've got Mary, Queen of Scots, who is a constant, I suppose, until her execution, she's a constant contender for the throne. And then following Mary's execution, it is her son, James VI of Scotland, who really picks up that claim. And many consider James to be quite a strong, viable alternative because he's Protestant, he's also male. By the end of Elizabeth's life, he's also gained a lot of experience in kingship. So there is him. But James isn't the only one in the running because there is also his cousin, Arbell Stuart, who is a great niece of Henry viii and she, like James, is a Protestant. But many prefer the idea of James. Many are still at a point where they would find a male ruler preferable to a female ruler.

[Rachel Dinning]

That seems so interesting given they've just had decades of a female ruler successfully keeping the throne.

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Yeah, absolutely. But I think Arbella was quite flighty. I'm not necessarily sure how effective she would have been as a queen. And she hadn't been raised well, nor had Elizabeth, but she certainly sort of hadn't been raised in the public eye. So I think that James was perhaps seen as being a more popular candidate.

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[Rachel Dinning]

So in the end, obviously it is James. Did Elizabeth intend it to be James? Some people say that she made a last minute nomination on her deathbed where she whispered that she wanted it to be James. What do you think?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

I have to say at this point that everybody should go away and read the amazing Tracy Borman's book the Stolen Crown, which tackles this exact question and challenges everything that we thought that we knew about the succession. And there is evidence now which shows that William Camden, who was the first biographer of Elizabeth's life and reign, that he was actually put under pressure to insert or change parts of his history to look more favorably upon James. And that perhaps the fact that Elizabeth named James in the end has been a bit of a myth. Perhaps actually she didn't name anybody at all. And knowing what we know of Elizabeth, that doesn't surprise me one bit.

[Rachel Dinning]

And if people at home would like to read an article Based on her book. I'm gonna link that for you in the description because it does cover this topic in a lot more depth. Nicola. Having explored Elizabeth's final years, I now want to devote the remainder of the podcast to looking at her legacy. So we have this notion of a golden age, the Elizabethan golden age that sort of emerges after Elizabeth dies. Where does this come from?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

It's really a form of nostalgia that begins very shortly after Elizabeth's death. And it is almost like a way of comparing the reign of Gloriana with the very troublesome start of the Tudor monarchy. So we see that strife very on in James's reign when he becomes king of England, and we see people like William Camden really extolling the virtues of Elizabeth and her reign. And people do go along with this idea for a very long time. So it's something that is started almost immediately after Elizabeth dies. And I think, as with all of these things, in terms of accuracy, there's a balance to be struck between reality and myth. And we know that Elizabeth does succeed in providing some stability to the realm. And we do see the flourishing of culture. We see exploration, we see trade expand, we see the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Nobody can take those things away. But we do see things like the increase of poverty. The general living standards of the everyday person are pretty low. And we also see there's a bit of religious persecution taking place, and there's also unrest, which we see in the form of the numerous assassination attempts that are staged against Elizabeth throughout the course of her life. So I think that it's very easy to say after the event or after somebody has lived and died that, oh, yes, it was all wonderful. It was a golden age. But perhaps those living through those times might not have agreed so wholeheartedly.

[Rachel Dinning]

On that note, what about some of the writers of Elizabeth's day, like William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, who played a major role in shaping how we remember Elizabeth? How have they portrayed her and how accurate are their portrayals?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

I mean, at that time, Elizabeth was generally portrayed in a very positive way, and she was shown very much as the queen who's married to her kingdom. So she's pure, she's constant. Everything she does is for the good of her people. And this definitely had a huge impact on shaping her legacy and showing her in a positive light as a very strong, a very independent queen who ruled over a golden age. So Elizabeth is shown as an icon, and we can see this in. In Spencer's Fairy Queen, where the character of Gloriana is pretty obvious. So she's powerful, she's demanding, but she is ultimately a positive depiction. And it really shows that the idea of Elizabeth as being Gloriana, which was crafted in her lifetime, how that has sort of continued. And we see that on screen so often. I mean, like this sequel to the Cate Blanchett film is literally called the Golden Age. And this is something that has, you know, begun during Elizabeth's lifetime and that these playwrights, these poets have a huge responsibility for shaping.

[Rachel Dinning]

And I want to turn to that idea of the cult of Gloriana. We touched on it a bit already. But how did Elizabeth construct her own self image so that she was remembered as this sort of mythic figurehead of England?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Well, there's a very highly strategized and deliberate campaign behind that, and that is very much done in several ways. So we see this in portraiture, for example. I think that's probably one of the strongest elements, that Elizabeth's image was very, very strictly controlled during her lifetime. And it was very full of symbolism to depict whichever message the Queen wanted to portray. So we see quite often in her portraits, she's wearing pearls, which symbolized chastity, famously, but they also symbolized power and authority. And we see, again, we see this as something that's particularly prominent in the famous Armada portrait in particular, where Elizabeth is very much shown as the strong one, and it is her who has managed to achieve England's victory against the Spanish. So she's very much being given the credit for this. That's very, very deliberate. And then there's almost the public spectacle. So Elizabeth spent a lot of time during her reign going on progresses throughout different parts of the country so that her people could see her, so that people could meet her and so that she could be at one with her subjects. And so, again, that's all part of this very deliberate, carefully chosen strategy. And then there's the sort of support and reinforcement of these messages that we see through literature and through music. So everything serves a purpose, and it's to remind people that Elizabeth is a figure of national identity, of strength, and someone who never ages, and ultimately that she is queen of her people.

[Rachel Dinning]

What myths do we have about Elizabeth's reign still that circulates?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Well, there are loads. I mean, there is still this idea that Elizabeth personally led the English navy against the Armada. She doesn't. She takes full advantage of the Armada, as we've discussed they for propaganda purposes, but she is in no way sort of responsible for leading the forces. The one that always makes me chuckle is the idea that she had lots of male lovers, which she didn't. She definitely has a lot of male favourites and enjoyed male company. But I think probably Elizabeth's claim to be the Virgin Queen is probably quite true. And also this idea which I suppose feeds into what we've sort of been talking about in this episode, that she is universally adored and revered as Gloriana. Well, she isn't. She is somebody who is constantly under threat and who's constantly fighting for her life. So some are actually relieved when she dies. So I think that probably those are some of the most prevalent ones.

[Rachel Dinning]

One of the myths about Elizabeth that I only found out about last year, the so called Bisley Boy theory.

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Oh yeah.

[Rachel Dinning]

And this is the idea that Elizabeth was actually a man. Can you tell our listeners a bit about this?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

It's just so silly. Yeah, it's this idea that Elizabeth, I think it was in 1546 that she had fallen ill and that she had died in Bisley and that she was replaced with a boy or a man. I mean, it's just so absurd, the whole idea behind it that that would have been a thing but because basically the idea behind it was that Elizabeth's servants were too scared to tell the king that she had died. Well, yeah, it's just nonsensical. But it's extraordinary the fact that this has sort of persisted and again that we're still talking about it.

[Rachel Dinning]

I wonder if it's a testimony to people not at the time being able to believe that a woman could possibly have stayed in that position of power and maybe even behaved in certain ways that didn't seem womanly.

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

I think that's exactly it. I think it persists because of misogyny and this kind of idea that a woman wasn't capable of the kind of success and intelligence that Elizabeth showed, but I mean, just utterly extraordinary.

[Rachel Dinning]

So Nicola, on that note, how should we remember Elizabeth today and what in your view was her crowning achievement?

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

I think that we should remember Elizabeth as a woman who had been forced to be self reliant and politically astute because of what she had endured during her youth. On a human level, the trauma that she was faced with was terrible, but on a political level she managed to really turn it around to her advantage and I think it provided her with some of the key ingredients that she needed in order to become a successful queen. And she is a successful queen and I think that her crowning achievement is actually managing to keep her crown for 45 despite all of the plots against her and also her ability to start to change perceptions of the concept of female rule to show that a woman was able to bear power and authority successfully. And you know, the fact that people after her death, not all but some, were revering her as Good Queen Bess I think is a testament to the fact that she had managed to change and to shape female history in some way.

[Rachel Dinning]

I think that's a fantastic note to end this series on. Thank you Nicola so much for joining us for this four part journey through the life of Elizabeth I. It's been an absolute pleasure.

[Dr. Nicola Tallis]

Oh thank you so much for having me. I've really enjoyed it.

[Rachel Dinning]

If you've enjoyed this podcast series, please leave us a comment. And and don't forget that I've rounded up a selection of amazing content from the History Extra archive for you to explore Elizabeth's life in more detail. You can find that in the description below.

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