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The Elizabethan Era
The era called the Elizabethan England was a time of many developments and was considered as the Golden Age in English history. This era was led by Queen Elizabeth I, the sixth and the last ruler of Tudor. The great developments and advancements that happened during this time can be partly attributed to the leadership of the Queen. For many, Queen Elizabeth I was England’s best monarch. Many considered the Queen as a wise and just Queen and chose the right advisers and never let her get dominated by these advisers. She ruled the era for 45 years. The Elizabethan era which Queen Elizabeth I ruled and led for 45 years were the height of the English Renaissance and the time of the development of English poetry and literature.
The Elizabethan period in England had a daily life based on social order: the monarch as the highest, the nobility as second rank, the gentry as third, merchants as fourth, and labourers as fifth. The queen was believed to be God’s representation here on Earth. They also believed that God had formed these social ranks and had showered blessings on each rank. Their Parliament had also regulated the clothes that can only be worn by each rank.
On Sunday 7th August 1588 the fleet of the Spanish Armada lay in the English Channel, close to the cliffs of Calais. The Spanish fleet intended to mount the invasion and conquest of England by the Catholic King Philip II of Spain. The success of the Spanish Armada would mean that Queen Elizabeth, viewed as a Protestant heretic, would be deposed and the English people subjugated to Spanish rule and forcibly converted to Catholicism. The English were fighting for their lives, their freedom and their way of life.
Clothing wasn’t just merely an insignificant thing in the days of Elizabethan England. In fact it is quite significant that there is even a law related to it. These laws stated the colours as well as the type of clothing an individual was allowed to own and wear. These laws were called ‘Statutes of Apparel” and was enforced by the Queen herself in Greenwich on June 1574. The intent was to maintain social structure as well as to keep a firm restrain on the people’s expenditure towards clothing.
The food and the presentation of it that was served and consumed during the time of Elizabethan England can be viewed as varied, and the variations of the food was due to differentiation in social standing and wealth. Meat was the primary food consumed by most people that are considered to be part of the wealthy and privileged class. But meat wasn’t just the type of food consumed by people during those times. Agricultural products were also widely consumed, thanks partly to the introduction of agricultural techniques during those times. Elizabethan England laws that were created during these times needed the approval and the consent of Queen Elizabeth I. Though the Queen can make laws like the Royal Proclamations, other laws cannot be passed just by the lone intention of the Queen. In order for the law to be passed, the Queen needed to craft a Bill and the Bill should be forwarded to the Parliament. The Parliament was also the body that was tasked to pass laws. For the duration of the era, the Elizabethan Parliament composed of the House of Lords and the House of Commons passed 438 laws in all.
By Wesley Chong
