Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Elizabeth I's Letters: Secretaries May Have Amplified Her Temper

New research suggests Elizabeth I's male secretaries, particularly Francis Walsingham, may have influenced and amplified the emotional tone of her correspondence, contrary to the assumption that such expressions were solely the Queen's own.

Analysis of over 500 of Elizabeth I's letters indicates that the expression of emotion was often carefully constructed, not always originating from the Queen. Historians have neglected the majority of 'scribal letters' which were products of collaboration.

Research aimed to distinguish authorial and scribal contributions in early modern manuscripts. While personal emotions might be assumed to belong to the monarch, archival evidence reveals a more complex reality.

A letter from Elizabeth to George Talbot in 1584, rebuking Mary, Queen of Scots, was substantially edited by Walsingham. His revisions intensified criticisms, suggesting his voice and emotion were present.

Similarly, a more conciliatory letter to Ralph Sadler showed Walsingham's emendations adding expressions of goodwill. The researcher argues Walsingham's alterations were strategic, aiming to manipulate Mary's perception.

By crafting an 'angry' Elizabeth for Talbot and a 'nostalgic' one for Sadler, Walsingham sought to influence Mary's actions. This suggests the Queen's reputation for temper might stem partly from her secretaries' editorial choices.

The findings challenge the notion of Elizabeth's emotional outbursts as female irrationality. It suggests she strategically deployed emotion through collaboration with secretaries like Walsingham, who played a significant role in constructing her letters.

Her voice in letters is seen as a collaboratively constructed rhetorical performance, highlighting her political savvy and willingness to incorporate advisers' suggestions.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.