Why has Elizabeth's reign been seen as a Golden Age?

About the lecture

In this module, we consider the question, ‘Why has Elizabeth's reign been seen as a Golden Age?’, focusing in particular on: (i) the ‘positioning’ of Elizabeth’s reign between the (so-called) mid-Tudor crisis (1547-58) and the early Stuarts (1603-49); (ii) the political and religious stability of Elizabeth’s reign compared to her predecessors; (iii) the resurgence of Antwerp as a centre of international trade after a mid-century slump, and the opening of new markets in the Netherlands and Germany; (iv) the importance of trading companies such as the Muscovy Company and the Levant Company in opening trading routes in Russia, the Middle East and South Asia; (v) the impact of the arrival in England of highly-skilled craftsmen from France and the Low Countries; (vi) the glitz and glamour of the Elizabethan court compared to both her predecessor and her successor; and (vii) Elizabeth’s military victories, especially the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, compared to the military setbacks of her predecessor, Mary I, and successor, James I.

About the lecturer

Susan Doran is Professor of Early Modern British History at the University of Oxford. She has a substantial publishing record which reflects a particular interest in the religious and political history of the Tudors, especially Elizabeth I. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College and Director of Studies in History at Regent’s Park College.