14th September Queen Elizabeth I's wardrobe
For our September meeting, Jacqueline Norman made a return visit to bring more history to life. This time to reveal details of the elaborate wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth I.
On January 15th, 1559, Elizabeth, aged 25, arrived at her coronation in a gown made from cloth of gold and tissue of silver, with a mantle fully lined with ermine. The 4yds of cloth of gold & silver tissue for the bodice & sleeves alone would have cost £24, that’s £9,742.69 today!
Although Elizabeth was Queen, she was a woman in a man’s world, therefore she presented her wealth and position at court through the clothes and jewels that she wore.
An inventory of her clothes in 1600, stored at the Wardrobe of Robes within the Tower, included:
99 Robes for special occasions, 178 French Gowns, 81 Round Gowns, 137 Cloaks, 96 mantels & veils, as well as numerous petticoats & accessories. Elizabeth certainly ‘dressed to impress’ quite literally!!
Unable to show signs of weakness or sickness, especially during the later years of her reign, her finery became more elaborate to detract from her thinning hair and the pallor of her skin.
It was said Elizabeth believed “that the people would be diverted by the glitter of her jewels from noticing the decay of her personal attractions” (Francis Bacon)
Her annual wardrobe expenses during the last 4years of her reign were £9, 535, which equates to £2,399.072.32. By comparison, wardrobe costs for the first 5years of James I’s reign were £36,377, that’s £7,036,883.55.
