To What Extent Are the Portraits of Elizabeth I Blatant Attempts at Propaganda to Reinforce the Cult of Personality?

All portraits of Elizabeth had to be approved of by Parliament before they could be circulated around her subjects. This clearly shows that the portraits were intended to be used as a form of propaganda, as they wouldn't let just any portrait of Elizabeth be shown to her public. All approved portraits had to look a certain, desirable, way and show Elizabeth in the best light possible to showcase her ability as Queen, which is clearly propaganda. If any portrait did not meet the requirements it would not be circulated around the public, as it gave an undesirable image of the Queen, which was not wanted. The fact that such paintings were not wanted showed that paintings of the Queen, which the public got to see, were intended to be used as propaganda. Strongly suggesting that the portraits of Elizabeth were, to a great extent, blatant attempts at propaganda to reinforce the cult of personality.

Linked to the above point; Parliament deciding which portraits were suitable or not also adds an element of consistency to the portraits, as they would all have to look a certain way and showcase certain desirable and royal personality traits, which would make Elizabeth herself seem consistent and as a result reliable and dependable, as her public would be able to see she wasn't constantly changing, she was always consistent in her appearance. This consistency would benefit Elizabeth greatly in building up the loyalty of her subjects, as they would believe Elizabeth was trustworthy, dependable, reliable, a true leader and a strong character as she was consistently shown in such a desirable way in her portraits which her public were able to see. This shows that the portraits were definitely, to a great extent, blatant attempts at propaganda to reinforce the cult of personality.

In almost all of Elizabeth's portraits her head is held high and she is looking straight at the painter, showing her to be proud and confident. Her head is not tilted downwards (which could be interpreted as defeated), or on a slant (which could be interpreted as confused or worried), it is always held high, looking straight forwards to show her confidence and pride. Confidence and pride are key aspects of a monarchs' personality, as they have to be confident to successfully rule over their country and they have to have pride in the country they rule and in the position and power they hold to gain their publics respect. If this message of pride and confidence was not meant to be used as a form of propaganda to make her subjects adore her more, due to her personality and appearance, then any head position could have been painted and it could have changed in every painting, however it wasn't, therefore I strongly believe, to a great extent, that the portraits of Elizabeth were blatant attempts at propaganda to reinforce the cult of personality.

The clothes Elizabeth are painted in, which are shown in her portraits, are also clear attempts at propaganda, as they showcase certain desirable aspects of Elizabeth's personality, for example: her wisdom. Black and white on a monarch are meant to be the colours of wisdom, as they show both ends of the colour spectrum, indicating that they are extremely knowledgeable and wise as they know everything there is to know from start to finish (like knowing everything from white, all the way through the spectrum, to black). If wisdom was not a particular trait which was intended to be showcased to Elizabeth's people, then in her portraits she would not have been painted in such colours, as it wouldn't have mattered which colours she was painted in, as they wouldn't have been trying to portray a message. Therefore I strongly believe the clothes Elizabeth was painted in are clear and blatant attempts at propaganda to reinforce the cult of personality.

Another aspect of Elizabeth's personality portrayed through the colour choices of her clothing was her purity. In certain portraits Elizabeth is painted in white elaborate clothing, showing her to be pure and virginal, as well as regal; a strong royal individual devoted and 'married' to her country. This would have provoked feelings of loyalty and adoration from her subjects. These desirable traits would not have been portrayed through the colour of her clothing had the portraits not been intended to be used as propaganda to reinforce the cult of personality. Therefore, the portraits of Elizabeth were, to a great extent, blatant attempts at propaganda to reinforce the cult