Artist: Nicholas Hilliard · about 1596-1600Princess Elizabeth, later Queen of Bohemia (1596-1662)
After Elizabeth I’s death, Hilliard continued to receive commissions from the court and worked for James I of England (VI of Scotland). He had to adapt to a new taste and style, which meant introducing more elaborate backgrounds, such as a sumptuous red velvet curtain draped behind his sitters instead of the previous blue one. Although supported by other patrons from the Elizabethan court after the Queen’s death, Hilliard lost his primary position as court painter. His pupil, Isaac Oliver, became more fashionable in the Jacobean Court.
Who is the Sitter?
Born in 1596, Elizabeth Stuart was the second child and only daughter of James I of England and Queen Anne of Denmark. King James was very keen on presenting his lineage and exerted control over royal portraits. The choice of his daughter’s name, as well as having Elizabeth I as godmother to her niece, were the first nods he made towards claiming the English crown.
Since childhood, Elizabeth Stuart’s image was altered to resemble that of her aunt. Her hairline was plucked and she was dressed in similar clothes, a common practice among women in court.
Relationship to Power
When political influence depends on visibility, who controls the narrative? Elizabeth Stuart was far from passive in shaping her public image. She did not just follow the fashion of the late Queen. She even learned to imitate Elizabeth I’s signature, deliberately strengthening symbolic associations with her aunt.
These connections became particularly significant after the death of her elder brother, Prince Henry, in 1612. Amid concerns over her younger brother Charles’ fragile health due to chronic childhood illness, Elizabeth emerged as a plausible option within ongoing succession debates.
Comparing this portrait miniature to that of Elizabeth I, reveals the deliberate visual elements that enhance their resemblance. Thomas Coryate even stated that ‘me thinks I see our great Queene Elizabeth revived and resuscitated unto life from the very bowles of her grave’.