Elizabeth I’s Royal Progresses – Power, Money and Pageantry

Elizabeth I’s itinerant court in the late sixteenth century was a spectacle that also served as a tool of governance, tying local gentry to the crown through lavish displays and financial obligations. Contemporary diaries and treasurer receipts reveal how hosts bore the costs of feeding thousands, hosting armed escorts and staging masques while negotiating loyalty or demanding tribute. By tracing the logistics, economics, and politics of these progresses we uncover how Elizabeth balanced image, authority and fiscal strain across England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices