Image: Princess Elizabeth (Elizabeth of Bohemia, 'The Winter Queen'), 1596–1662, aged seven RMG BHC4237f

Description: Princess Elizabeth (Elizabeth of Bohemia, 'The Winter Queen'), 1596–1662, aged seven This masterpiece of early English portraiture was painted only months after the death of Elizabeth I in March 1603, when Elizabeth’s father, James (BHC2796), succeeded to the English throne. Following the death of Elizabeth I (Princess Elizabeth’s sole godmother), James immediately set off for London. His queen, Anne of Denmark (BHC4251), with her two elder children, Princes Elizabeth and Prince Henry (BHC4181), did not leave until June, arriving in London in time for the coronation in July. In October of that year Elizabeth was placed under the guardianship of Lord Harington at Combe Abbey, Warwickshire. It seems probable that this portrait and its companion, the portrait of Elizabeth’s brother, Henry Prince of Wales with John Harington beside a dead stag (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) were both commissioned by Harington, and are set in the grounds of his house, Combe Abbey in Warwickshire. Together the pair convey something of the novelty of a ‘new’ royal family’s arrival in England. Elizabeth’s age, 7, is inscribed on the fan which she holds in her left hand, while the date, 1603, is inscribed on the bridge in the right background. Beyond this is a hunting scene, presumably representing Prince Henry and his friend John Harington, which links the portraits of Elizabeth and Henry. As Elizabeth’s birthday was in August it seems very likely that the portrait was painted almost very soon after her arrival in England. Ten years later in 1613, Elizabeth married Frederick, Elector Palatine (see BHC2696, and for their journey to Heidelberg BHC0266 and BHC4176). Princess Elizabeth (Elizabeth of Bohemia, The Winter Queen)
Title: Princess Elizabeth (Elizabeth of Bohemia, 'The Winter Queen'), 1596–1662, aged seven title QS:P1476,en:"Princess Elizabeth (Elizabeth of Bohemia, 'The Winter Queen'), 1596–1662, aged seven " label QS:Len,"Princess Elizabeth (Elizabeth of Bohemia, 'The Winter Queen'), 1596–1662, aged seven " label QS:Les,"Princesa Isabel (Isabel de Bohemia, 'Reina de invierno'), 1596-1662, de siete años." label QS:Lfr,"Princess Élisabeth (Élisabeth de Bohême, 'La Reine d'hiver'), 1596-1662, sept ans." label QS:Lnl,"Prinses Elizabeth (Elizabeth van Bohemen, 'de Winterkoningin'), 1596-1662, zeven jaar oud."
Credit: http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/15650
Author: Robert Peake the elder
Permission: The original artefact or artwork has been assessed as public domain by age, and faithful reproductions of the two dimensional work are also public domain. No permission is required for reuse for any purpose. The text of this image record has been derived from the Royal Museums Greenwich catalogue and image metadata. Individual data and facts such as date, author and title are not copyrightable, but reuse of longer descriptive text from the catalogue may not be considered fair use. Reuse of the text must be attributed to the "National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London" and a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA-3.0 license may apply if not rewritten. Refer to Royal Museums Greenwich copyright.
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License: Public domain
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