An auction house in London, Timeline Auctions, is selling some of Elizabeth I’s jewelry. The site now lists a ring owned by Elizabeth I and given to a naval officer after England defeated the Spanish Armada. Want to own it? It goes on sale on September 5, for £50,000 – 70,000.
The ring contains a portrait of Elizabeth on the front, and it was likely covered with an enamel to protect it. Naval imagery fills the jewelry, including a carving of Neptune holding his trident. And on the other side there’s a figure of Britannia seated within a shell. There’s also an engraving of a fighting ship that dates from the period of Elizabeth I, probably one that took part in the battle against the Spanish.
It’s likely that the ring was a gift to congratulate the commanders who defeated the Spanish. The auction house supposes that Elizabeth gave it to Sir Francis Drake or Sir Walter Raleigh. Elizabeth would often commission pieces of jewelry as gifts, and she gave Vice Admiral Drake a locket in 1588 after the invasion.
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast, the original Tudor history podcast, started in 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. In 2019 she created Tudorcon, which is now a yearly event, in addition to writing books, and running TudorFair.com - a whimsical Tudor Merch shop.
She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 30 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history (how exciting when she got to interview Alison for the first time!). In addition to history, she is passionate about travel, and has lived in 3 countries and 4 states (not counting her perpetual state of confusion), and her family (who help her host her YouTube channel occasionally).
