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The 1998 film Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett, captivated audiences with its portrayal of the early reign of Queen Elizabeth I. While the film boasts stunning visuals and powerful performances, it takes significant liberties with historical accuracy, leaving viewers with a skewed perception of the Virgin Queen and her era. Let's delve into some of the most glaring inaccuracies presented in the film.
A Jumbled Timeline of Events
One of the most jarring aspects of the film is its blatant disregard for the chronological order of events. The movie condenses years into mere months, creating a false sense of immediacy and altering the context of historical events. For instance:
- Wyatt's Rebellion: The film wrongly implies that the Protestant uprising led by Sir Thomas Wyatt was a reaction to Queen Mary's persecution of Protestants. In reality, the rebellion was fueled by opposition to Mary's marriage to Philip of Spain, fearing Spanish dominance over England.
- Elizabeth's Arrest and Release: The film depicts Elizabeth's arrest and interrogation occurring immediately after the burning of Bishops Latimer and Ridley. However, Elizabeth's imprisonment took place in 1554, while the burnings didn't begin until 1555.
- The Duke of Norfolk's Ambitions: The film portrays the Duke of Norfolk as harboring ambitions for the throne from the outset of Elizabeth's reign. In truth, Norfolk's plotting against Elizabeth didn't begin until much later in her reign.
Fabricated Relationships and Characterizations
The film invents several relationships and character traits for dramatic effect, sacrificing historical accuracy in the process.
- Elizabeth and Robert Dudley: While the film captures the close bond between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley, it exaggerates their intimacy and invents a scandalous tryst witnessed by ladies-in-waiting. The film also falsely claims that Elizabeth was unaware of Dudley's marriage, a fact known to everyone at the time.
- Mary of Guise and the Duke of Anjou: The film fabricates a marriage proposal between Elizabeth and the Duke of Anjou, orchestrated by Mary of Guise. In reality, Mary of Guise and the Duke of Anjou were from rival French houses and would never have proposed such a union. The film also implies a sexual relationship between Mary of Guise and the Duke, a baseless claim.
- Francis Walsingham's Espionage: The film depicts Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's spymaster, as a ruthless assassin who poisons Mary of Guise in her sleep. This portrayal is entirely fictional. Walsingham, while a skilled intelligence gatherer, was not known for such brazen acts of murder.
Exaggerated Plots and Conspiracies
The film amplifies the drama surrounding real historical plots against Elizabeth, often blending them together or inventing elements for heightened tension.
- The Northern Rebellion and the Ridolfi Plot: The film combines the Duke of Norfolk's involvement in the 1569 Northern Rebellion with the 1571 Ridolfi Plot, condensing two distinct events into a single narrative.
- The Babington Plot: While not explicitly depicted in the 1998 film, the Babington Plot, a significant conspiracy against Elizabeth, is alluded to and inaccurately linked to the Duke of Norfolk. This plot is later misused in the sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
The Transformation into Gloriana
The film's portrayal of Elizabeth's transformation into the iconic
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