On This Day in 1559, Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England.
Elizabeth’s coronation was a magnificent occasion, and volumes could and have been written on the subject. Here are several accounts of the day:
Henry Machyn, a London clothier whose wonderful diary provides a unique insight into 16th century life, wrote this account of the day:
‘The xv day was the crounasyon of quen Elsabeth at Westmynster abbay, and theyr all the trumpettes, and knyghtes, and lordes, and haroldes of armes in ther cotte armurs; and after all they in ther skarlett, and all the bysshopes in skarlett, and the Quen, and all the fottmen waytyng a-pone the quene, to Westmynster hall; ther mett all the byshoppes, and all the chapell with iij crosses, and in ther copes, the byshops mytered, and syngyng Salve festa dyes; and all the strett led with gravell, and bluw cloth unto the abbay, and raylled on evere syd, and so to the abbay to masse, and ther her grasse was crounyd; and evere offeser rede a against she shuld go to dener to Westmynster hall, and evere offeser to take ys offes at serves a-pone ther landes ; and my lord mare and the althermen.’
The Holinshed Chronicle records:
‘Sunday the .xv. of Ianuarie, hir Maieſtie was with great ſolemnitie crowned at Weſt|minſter in the Abbey Church there, by doctor Oglthorpe Biſhop of Carleil. Shee dined in Weſtminſter hall, which was richly beinng, and euerie thing ordered in ſuche royall maner as to ſuche a regall and moſt ſolemne feaſt apperteyned.’
As well as a prayer Elizabeth supposedly said on her way to her coronation:
‘O Lord almightie and euerlasting God, I giue thee most hartie thanks, that thou hast beene so mercifull vnto me, as to spare me to behold this ioifull daie. And I acknowledge that thou hast delt as woonderfullie and as mercifullie with me, as thou did|dest with thy true and faithfull seruant Daniell thy prophet; whome thou deliueredst out of the den from the crueltie of the greedie and raging lions: euen so was I ouerwhelmed, and onlie by thee deliuered. To thee therefore onlie be thankes, honor, and praise, for euer: Amen’
Top image: Queen Elizabeth I” by an unknown English artist, c.1600, copied from a lost contemporary original
