Queen Elizabeth I ‘Armada’ portrait secured for the nation

The iconic painting has been acquired by the Royal Museums Greenwich, London, supported by grants and donations in excess of £10 million from, among others, the Art Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and over 8,000 donations from members of the public. The occasion marks the first time the painting will enter public ownership in its 425-year history.
Painted circa 1590, the work commemorates the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English in 1588, remembered as the most famous conflict of Elizabeth I’s 45-year reign (1558-1603). The inspiration for countless portrayals of Elizabeth I in film and on stage, it is one of the most famous images in British history, capturing a vital moment in the English Renaissance.
When she sat for the portrait, Elizabeth I was in her late 50s, and at the height of her power. Immediately prior to the Armada victory, in August 1588, she had given a speech that would come to be the most famous of her tenure, telling her troops at Tilbury: ‘I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too…’
Unusual for its horizontal format and large size (110.5 x 125 cm), the portrait is thought to have been commissioned by Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral of the English Fleet against the Spanish Armada, and one of the great heroes of Queen Elizabeth’s court. It is one of three surviving versions of the Armada portrait, together with those currently on display at Woburn Abbey and the National Portrait Gallery in London.
The work had been held by descendants of Drake since at least 1775, when it was first recorded, and was offered from the collection of the Tyrwhitt-Drake family estate. It hung in the family home, though had also been featured in public exhibitions at institutions including The National Portrait Gallery, Tate and The National Maritime Museum in London, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond.
A representative of the Tyrwhitt-Drake family commented: ‘On behalf of the Tyrwhitt-Drake’s, I am delighted that this exceptional work has been safeguarded for future generations to be admired by all in Royal Museums Greenwich, a public institution where it can be viewed for generations to come. The significance of the work can be seen in the context of our nation’s great history and I would like to thank Christie’s for furthering the relationship with the museum and all partners who have made this possible.’
The Armada Portrait has been on view in Greenwich since the fundraising campaign began on 23 May, and will now officially enter the collection of The National Maritime Museum Greenwich. The acquisition takes place in the 90th birthday year of Queen Elizabeth II, and the work is set to hang in the newly-renovated Queen’s House, on the site of the original Greenwich Palace, where Elizabeth I was born.
The acquisition of the work by the Royal Museums Greenwich follows the Christie’s-facilitated private sale of Rembrandt’s portraits of Maerten Soolmans and his wife Oopjen Coppit to the French and Dutch states in February 2016.
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