An assemblage of rare Tudor-era portraits has been brought together by the London gallery Philip Mould & Company for the extraordinary exhibition “Elizabeth I: Queen and Court.” It’s on view through July 10, 2026. Included are portraits of important courtiers and statesmen—Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester; his stepson Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex; William Cecil, Lord Burghley; and his son Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury—as well as the contemporaneous sovereigns Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots; and King Henri III of France.
At the exhibit’s core is Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603). The presentation of four portraits, ranging from a depiction of her as a youthful princess to a Virgin Queen in the latter part of her reign, demonstrates the evolution of her public image. Elizabeth is still famous for the rich symbolism of her portraits, among the most extensive of any British ruler. She constructed strategically a symbolic persona for political purposes, which coincided with the development of portraiture as a significant art genre in Britain.
