The Golden Age

Welcome readers to my first RafflesTravels experience which I will use to share knowledge and experiences with fellow travellers.

On a grey Saturday morning I was tasked with marking my sons attempt at a History GCSE paper. One of the questions was around Elisabethan exploration. This simple question opened up a world of facts about Queen Elisabeth and the so called “Golden Age”.

With a healthy mark achieved in the test, a renewed exuberance for English history, and a bit of free time before F’s science tutor, I was determined to use the time wisely. Confidently, I demanded that it would be a good idea to solidify F’s knowledge by a quick trip to the National Portrait Gallery. Reluctantly, F agreed, knowing that it is never quick going to central London on a Saturday afternoon. Gaming was the sacrifice.

After a brisk 5km walk from Hyde Park Corner, we reached our destination. We snuck in via the cafe entrance avoiding the queue at the main entrance. Feeling smug, we went straight to the fourth floor where our target was to be found - the Tudor section. 

We made straight for the famous portrait that graced the front of F’s history text book - the paintings of young 25 year old Elisabeth I at her coronation

Juxtaposed to this was a portrait of her foe, the Catholic Queen that never was - Mary Queen of Scots (by yet another Unknown artist!). This rivalry acted as a catalyst to the age of exploration via wars with the Spanish who wanted Catholic Mary to take over the English crown at the expense of the Protestant Elisabeth.

After achieving our main goal we started to tick off some of the other characters of the time:

Francis Walsingham, the so called “Spy Master”, who formed the original secret service of the time, and who ultimately caused Mary’s downfall after proving Mary was part of the Babington Plot to assassinate Elisabeth. 

Francis Drake, the Sailor who gained a night hood after sailing around the world in three years, allowing trade routes and boosting the English coffers to pay for their conflict with the Spanish. The first terrestrial globe was made by Emery Moleneux on the same voyage. War & new global trade sparked greater innovations in sailing and discovery which enabled the Golden Age.

Walter Raleigh was another explorer and sailor who set up colonies on foreign shores that boosted the power of England during the Elisabethan Period.

As we wrapped up our mini excursion, we concluded, over a coffee, that the Golden Age of exploration, technological advancement, and trade that came with it, was built off conflict, hostility, suspicions, slavery and exploitation….Some things never change.