- The Ballad of Queen Elizabeth at Tilbury (1588).
- Replenishing The English Fleet: August 22 -23, 1588.
- Excerpts from Dispatches About the State of the Spanish Armada, October – November, 1588.
- Elizabeth Celebrates the Victory Over the Armada. November 24, 1588.
On November 3, the first order went out to prepared for a victory celebration in London. The city would be decked out for a grand procession of the Queen and nobles of the realm. They would process to St. Paul’s to attend a mass of thanksgiving for the nation’s delivery.
The intended date had been Sunday, November 17, it being also the anniversary of her accession to the throne, but the Queen postponed for some reason until the 24th.
On the 17th of November, was another day of joy celebrated, as well for the Queen's Accession to the Throne, as also for the said Victory; when Cooper, a very learned and worthy Bishop of Winchester, was appointed then the preacher at the Cross. At which assembly her Majesty was to have been present; but upon some occasion she came not; and so her coming was deferred till the Sunday following.
So then, Londoners, unwilling to stop once they’d started, went ahead with a pre-celebration. It included another sermon at St. Paul’s Cross, the platform for preaching outside the cathedral.
The 19th day, being Tuesday, was kept holyday throughout the Realm, with sermons, singing of psalms, bonfires, &c. for joy, and thanksgiving unto God for the overthrow of the Spaniards. And the Citizens of London then appearing in their liveries, had another Sermon at St. Paul's Cross.[1]
Numerous descriptions of the day of the 24th have survived. We learn the appearance of the parade route from William Segar:
Against her Highnes coming in the morning, the streets were railed and hung with Blew broad clothes for the seueral Companies in their Liueries to stand, & euery Company distinguished by Banners, Standards, and Penons of their Armes richly painted, and illumined. The Gentlemen of the Innes of Court likewise (being placed nere Temple Bar) stood orderly within their railes. All the fronts of houses were couered with rich Arras and Tapistry, and the windowes and streets replenished with all sorts of people innumerable, who with great applause, and ioyful acclamations, both graced, and honoured her Maiesties most Royall proceeding.[2]
William Camden adds another key detail. Elizabeth was:
carried in a Chariot drawn with two Horses… to Paul's Church where the Banners taken from the Enemy were hung up to be seen,[3]
Stowe’s description, for all it lacks some details, is overall the most complete. He describes the chariot in much greater detail
a chariot-throne made with foure pillars behind to have a canopie, on the toppe whereof was made a crowne imperiall, and two lower pillars before, whereon stood a lyon and a dragon, supporters of the armes of England, drawne by two white horses from Sommerset-house to the Cathedrall Church of St. Paul, her footemen and pensioners about her: next after rode the Earle of Essex, Master of the Horse, leading her Majestie's horse of estate richly furnished: after him a great number of Ladies of Honor; on each side of them the guarde on foote in their rich coats, and halbards in their hands.[4]
By some accounts the chariot was drawn by pure white horses. By at least one other, grey. An anonymous balladeer presents the minutia that is so much more than minutia.
The Earl of Essex after her did ride the next indeed
Which by a costly silken rein did lead her Grace’s steed.[5]
Elizabeth’s majestic “horse of estate” had silk reigns.
Before her rode the Marquess of Winchester, bare-headed and carrying the Great Sword of State. Next
The noble earle of oxford then
Heighe chamberlain of England
Rodde Ryght before hyr majestye
Hys bonnet in hys hand[6]
It was a grand affair.
As the Queen stepped from her chariot before the doors of St. Paul’s, two noblemen took up the foremost staves[7] of her “rich canapy,”[8] holding it over her head, as she gave a public prayer of thanks to God crediting Him alone for the glorious victory over her enemies. With that she proceeded up the west isle of the cathedral, toward her private box, the canopy borne over her head as she solemnly walked.
The government, on the other hand, spent all of the week busily dispatching help to the Low Countries in order for them to keep the remnants of the intended Catholic invasion forces occupied in ground combat and to scatter them entirely. It was daily juggling bills it owed to various citizens who had provided supplies, experienced ship damage, etc., and to pay the ship crews and land forces. On the positive side of the ledger, the booty recovered from the many captured Armada ships would offset a good deal of the expense and provide a large cache of doubloons and hundreds of new cannon into the bargain.
[1] Nichols, John. Progresses, Public Processions, &c. of Queen Elizabeth (1828), II. 538.
[2] Segar, William. Honor Military, and Civill (1602), 245.
[3] Camden, William. History of the Most Renowned and Victorious Princess Elizabeth (1688, 4th ed.). 418.
[4] Nichols, II. 538-9.
[5] Ward, Bernard Mordaunt. The Seventeenth Earl of Oxford (1928). Citing Stirling, A.W.M. Life’s Little Day (1924), pp. 277-281. “A joyful ballad of the Royal entrance of Queen Elizabeth into the City of London,…”
[6] Anonymous ballad. British Library Additional MS 82370. Presumably a close variation of the same “A joyful ballad of the Royal entrance of Queen Elizabeth into the City of London…” quoted above.
[7] Ward, 294.
[8] Ibid.
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