After the death of Elizabeth her visit to Charlecote was marked by affixing
the Tudor Royal Coat of Arms to the front of the porch . Have a look at
this on your way out. It is interesting because it does not show a Lion
and a Unicorn but a Welsh Dragon.
This is because England and Wales had become unified in 1536 (when Elizabeth
was only 3 and Anne Boleyn was executed). Today we have the Unicorn, which
represents the unification of Scotland and England in 1603 just after
the death of Elizabeth when James 1st became king.
Elizabeth slept in the Great Bed chamber at the end of the North wing
on the ground floor. Mary Elizabeth later knocked the inner wall out to
create the present Drawing room.
Did Elizabeth like Shakespeares work?
Both QE1 and King James 1 gave patronage to Shakespeare as both loved
Drama. He was enrolled as an actor and Servant to the Queen. Queen Elizabeth
was well read and educated. She studied ancient Classical texts and actually
translated the Tragedies of Euripides for her own amusement
State papers show that Shakespeare performed in a play before Queen Elizabeth
at the Royal Palace at Greenwich in 1594 but there is no record of which
play or if it was one of his. But in 1597 Loves Labours Lost was
played before the Queen in the Christmas holidays and the following year
the 1st and 2nd parts of Henry IV were performed. Elizabeth declared that
the part of Falstaff greatly amused her so Shakespeare produced the Merry
Wives of Windsor to the Queens great satisfaction.
Shakespeare played several times at Whitehall and Richmond Palace between
1600 and 1602.
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