December 10: The Rainbow Portrait

Today, I'm sharing my very favourite portrait of Elizabeth I, the Rainbow Portrait, which I was lucky enough to see at Hatfield in 2018. It really is a beautiful portrait and it is full of symbolism:

• The rainbow – The tube Elizabeth I is holding in the painting is actually a rainbow, and it is a symbol of peace. The words on the portrait, “non sine sole iris”, mean “no rainbow without the sun”, or, as David Dimbleby explained in the TV programme “The Seven Ages of Britain”, we can read them as “no peace without Elizabeth”.
• The pearls – The pearls symbolise purity and Elizabeth’s virginity.
• The snake – There is a snake on Elizabeth’s sleeve and it is depicted with its head above a heart shaped pendant. The snake symbolises wisdom and so this is thought to mean that Elizabeth’s heart is controlled by wisdom.
• Ears and eyes – Elizabeth’s golden robe is decorated with ears and eyes, which could mean that Elizabeth, as queen, has eyes and ears everywhere, that she is a woman with far-reaching power.