Elizabethan symbolism was very important. In all of Queen Elizabeth's portraits, she was shown with various different objects or animals that represented different ideas and meanings. Below is a list of the most frequently portrayed symbols in the queens portraits and their meanings.
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ROSE - a rose was the Tudor dynasty, it also represented the idea of the Virgin Mary, or in Elizabeth's case, the Virgin Queen.
PELICAN - pelicans symbolise the idea of motherly love, charity and selflessness
PHOENIX - a phoenix is the symbol of endurance, uniqueness and longevity
ERMINE - an ermine is a small rat like mammal that symbolises purity and royalty
SIEVE - representing virginity and purity and also associated with the Roman Empire
MOONS and PEARLS - these represent purity and also show wealth
CELESTIAL GLOBE - this shows wisdom and power
DOGS - a dog symbolises faithfulness
These symbols were important to Queen Elizabeth, as they reflected different elements of her personality that she wanted to portray to her country.
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