Coronation of Elizabeth I

On 13th January 1559 two new peerages were created...

Henry Carey 1st Baron Hunsdon (age 32) was created 1st Baron Hunsdon. Anne Morgan Baroness Hunsdon (age 30) by marriage Baroness Hunsdon.

Oliver St John 1st Baron St John (age 37) was created 1st Baron St John of Bletso. Agnes Fisher Baroness St John Bletso (age 33) by marriage Baroness St John of Bletso.

On 15th January 1559 Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland (age 25) was crowned I Queen of England by Bishop Owen Oglethorpe (age 52) at Westminster Abbey [Map].

Margaret Audley Duchess Norfolk (age 19) carried the train. Archbishop Nicholas Heath (age 58) censed. Edward Dymoke (age 51) attended as the Queen's Champion. Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk (age 22), Francis Talbot 5th Earl of Shrewsbury (age 59), Henry Fitzalan 12th or 19th Earl of Arundel (age 46), Thomas Cecil 1st Earl Exeter (age 16) and William Herbert 1st Earl Pembroke (age 58) attended.

Henry Machyn's Diary. January 1559. The (blank) day in Crystynmas weyke they begane [to build] skayffold(s) in dyvers plasses in London for pa[geants] agaynst the crounassyon of quen Elesabetth, that [is to be the] xv day of January, and the condut nuw paynted.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 12th January 1559. The xij day the Qwen('s) (age 25) grace toke her barge at Whytt-halle toward the Towre, and shott the bryge, and my lord mare (age 50) and the althermen, and all the craftes, in barges with stremars and baners of ther armes.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 14th January 1559. [The xiv day of January the Queen (age 25) came in a chariot from] the Towre [Map], with all the lordes and ladies [in crimson] velvet, and ther horses trapyd with the sam, and [trumpeters in] red gownes blohyng, and all the haroldes in ther cottes armur, and all the strettes stroyd with gravell; and at Grasyus strett [Map] a goodly pagantt of kyng [Henry] the viij and quen Ane ys wyff and of ther lenege, and in Cornelle [Map] a-nodur goodly pagantt of kyng Henry and kyng Edward the vjth; and be-syd Soper lane in [Cheap a]nodur goodly pagantt, and the condyth pentyd; [and] at the lytylle condutt a-nodur goodly pagant of a qwyke tre and a ded, and the quen had a boke gyffyn her ther; and ther the recorder of London and the chamburlayn (age 38) delevered unto the quen a purse of gold fulle to the waluw of (blank); and so to the Flett strett to the condyt, and ther was a-nodur goodly pagantt of the ij chyrchys; and at Tempylle bare was ij grett gyanttes, the one name was Goott-magott [Gogmagog] a Albaon and the thodur Co(rineus.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 15th January 1559. The xv day was the crounasyon of quen Elsabeth (age 25) at Westmynster abbay [Map], and theyr all the trumpettes, and knyghtes, and lordes, and haroldes of armes in ther cotte armurs; and after all they in ther skarlett, and all the bysshopes in skarlett, and the Quen, and all the fottmen waytyng a-pone the quene, to Westmynster hall; ther mett all the byshoppes, and all the chapell with iij crosses, and in ther copes, the byshoppes mytered, and syngyng Salve festa dyes; and all the strett led with gravell, and bluw cloth unto the abbay, and raylled on evere syd, and so to the abbay to masse, and ther her grasse was crounyd; and evere offeser rede against she shuld go to dener to Westmynster hall [Map], and evere offeser to take ys offes at serves a-pone ther landes; and my lord mare (age 50) and the althermen.

Archives of Venice. On Sunday, 15th January [1559], mass was sung for the coronation in Westminster Abbey, which was decorated with the handsomest and most precious tapestries that were ever seen, they having been purchased by Henry VIII., representing on one side the whole of Genesis, and on the other the Acts of the Apostles, from a design by Raffael d'Urbino; and the chambers were hung with the history of Cæsar and Pompey. At one of the sides the buffet was prepared with its raised steps, on which were seen 140 gold and silver drinking cups, besides others which were below for the service. The Queen was received under the canopy by the Archbishop (age 58) and another Bishop, they having previously perfumed her with incense, giving her the holy water and the pax, the choristers singing; then the Earl of Rutland (age 9) followed her Majesty with a plain naked sword without any point, signifying Ireland, which has never been conquered; then came the Earl of Exeter with the second sword; the third was borne by Viscount Montagu; the Earl of Arundel (age 46), having been made Lord Steward and High Constable for that day, carried the fourth (sword) of royal justice, with its gilt scabbard loaded with pearls. The orb was carried by the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Marshal, and in advance were knights clad in the ducal fashion, carrying the three crowns, they being the three Kings-at-arms; they bore the three sceptres, with their three crowns of iron, of silver, and of gold on their heads, and in their hands three naked iron swords, signifying the three titles of England, France, and Ireland.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 16th January 1559. The xvj day of [January] was gret justes at the tylt-[yard], iiij chalengers, the duke of Northfoke (age 22) and (unfinished)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 17th January 1559. The xvij day of January was tornayhyng at the barears at Whythalle.