as a spontaneous one, when actually “the cult of Elizabeth as the Virgin Queen wedded to her kingdom was a gradual creation that unfolded over many years”(Britannica). She was always careful in cultivating her public image, but “it is not until about twenty years into her reign, when it is certain she would not marry, that the legend of the Virgin Queen really begins to emerge”(Thomas). While the film “Elizabeth” fails to follow a completely accurate historical timeline, it accurately portrays Queen Elizabeth II as a strong female ruler who bypassed the stereotypes of women and successfully ruled over England from 1558 to her death. In her lifetime, she “made herself a powerful image of female authority, regal magnificence and national pride”(Jagger). It also shows how Elizabeth assumed the role of a “Virgin Queen” to legitimate her status as an independent ruler. She took control of the representations of herself, especially in art, and had herself cast as a supernatural being that he subjects would worship, almost like the Virgin Mary. The film also shows that although Elizabeth was overall a successful ruler, she did have some drawbacks. After her first meetings with Parliament, Elizabeth questions her ability to rule. The Bishops were against her because they were strongly Catholic, and the strong Catholic minority concerned her. She had to rule over a country with no powerful central state, no army, no police, and not a good financial base. She was also unable to make quick decisions. Her advisors had to pressure her into war, because she was against it, stating that “wars have uncertain outcomes.” Her lack of state power made her nervous and politically paralyzed, reluctant to offend the divided kingdom that she ruled. Her servants “by no means always trusted her judgment and often despaired at her political behavior”(Ridley). However,...
