The rich escaped London’s smells and noises when they could. Queen Elizabeth was fond of escaping London and visiting different parts of the country. These tours around England were called ‘royal progresses’. The Queen and her advisers would decide where to go and who to visit. Wealthy friends and relations were then told to expect a visit from the Queen.
The tours had to be very carefully planned because the Queen travelled with her court – 300 people minimum and 1,000 horses; all had to be accommodated!
The royal progresses gave the Queen a holiday from her usual London life and allowed her to keep in touch with her people. For those she visited, however, the royal progresses meant a lot of hard work and were very expensive.
Look at the portrait of Queen Elizabeth I.
- Choose three words to describe Queen Elizabeth.
- What kind of accommodation do you think Queen Elizabeth would enjoy staying in?