In this episode of All Things Tudor, author, historian and Hampton Court Palace expert Siobhan Clarke examines how Elizabeth I wielded power with a sublimely crafted image. The 'Cult of Gloriana' was a movement in which authors, musicians, and artists - among them Shakespeare and Spenser - helped exalt the queen to the status of a virgin goddess.

Her image was widely owned and distributed, thanks to the expansion of printing. The English excelled in miniature painting which allowed courtiers to carry a likeness of their sovereign.

Ms Clarke's book, Gloriana: Elizabeth I and the Art of Queenship written with Linda Collins, tells the story of Elizabethan art as a powerful device for royal magnificence and propaganda.

***This episode is sponsored by the Tennessee Performing Arts Center***

Produced by Rokkwood Audio, U.K. This episode was produced by Ben Williams. Music developed by Rokkwood. Cover art by The Happy Colour Studio, U.K. Written by Deb Hunter and Siobhan Clarke.

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E49: The Cult of Gloriana