Queen Elizabeth I's locket ring

Short video on a ring believed to have been owned by Elizabeth I that contains an image of herself and Anne Boleyn. The ring appears to have passed into the possession of Elizabeth's successor, James I, who in turn gave it to the Home family. The ring is often referred to as the 'Chequers ring' because it belongs to the Trustees of Chequers. Chequers is the official country residence of the prime minister. They also possess a love trinket said to have been once owned by Henry VIII and given by him to Anne Boleyn. The ring dates to the Elizabethan period and the image of Elizabeth dates to c.1575. The ring itself is mother-of-pearl; the shank is set with rubies and the bezel carries the monogram 'E' in diamonds. Within there are portraits of two women which come face to face when the ring is closed. The figure on the bottom is undoubtedly Elizabeth. The other woman is not specifically named -- there is for example no 'B' pendant that would give the identify away without question. However it is almost certain that Anne is the other woman. Firstly the woman conforms to the traditional representation of Anne found in other images of her dating to Elizabeth's reign. For example she is depicted with an oval face, similar high cheek bones, a similar pursed pretty mouth; she is depicted in similar dress of the c.1520s-1530s. In addition because it was worn by Elizabeth it makes sense that it is her mother than another woman who incidentally matches images of Anne. Some people may find it odd that Elizabeth would chose to wear an image of a person she knew little about and who she rarely mentioned in public. However judging by the limited references to Anne made by Elizabeth it seems that Elizabeth thought well of her mother and viewed her in a respectful fashion. For example she had a statue of Anne at her coronation procession in 1559; she adopted her mother's badge; she asked her Archbishop of Canterbury (Matthew Parker) to find evidence to prove that her parents had been lawfully married. According to one story she is believed to have told the Venetian ambassador during the reign of her sister Mary I, that she believed her mother would not have slept with her father before marrying him indicating that she viewed her mother in a respectful and favourable way. And most notably she wore an image of her mother which was highly intimate. So it seems that Elizabeth formed her own perception of her mother and this opinion was a favourable one. However it was a very private opinion which did not need to be enforced in public. Whilst she could show some signs of public favour towards her mother's memory this was ultimately limited and this ring highlights how, in general, the memory of her mother was an incredibly private and controversial matter. Some people may wonder why Elizabeth didn't do more for her mother's memory; why for example she did not build her mother a grand tomb or pay more tribute to her. Yet perhaps Elizabeth derived enough comfort and maybe closure from her private opinion of her mother. In addition she must have known how Anne, even though dead, was still a controversial figure, and any attempt to rectify her image would have resulted in disputes. Nevertheless it is notable how Elizabeth did not object when various reformers wrote well of Anne during her reign and allowed their praise to continue.

YouTube | August 5, 2008