Queen Elizabeth I is perhaps one of the most well-known rulers in English history, with her brilliant red lips and delicate, porcelain skin. But her renowned style, particularly her white makeup, concealed a dark and deadly secret, which historians believe contributed to her death at the age of 69. Continue reading to find out the truth.
Queen Elizabeth I Needed To Look Good
Elizabeth I believed that in order to maintain control of the English monarchy, she needed to remain as young and beautiful as possible. Beauty was defined at the time by certain features of a person’s appearance. You’ll have to keep reading to find out what they were!
Queen Elizabeth I Needed To Look Good
Renaissance Beauty Inspired Her
Queen Elizabeth I was heavily reliant on a beauty ritual, which she became famous for in numerous media depictions. When it comes to her personal style, the queen was a bit of a romantic, having been heavily influenced by art, literature, and the Renaissance. It was all about bringing the era’s beauty ideals to life, which required a very specific style, makeup palette, skin tone, and hair color.
Renaissance Beauty Inspired Her
Pale Skin, Red Lips, And Lighter-Colored Hair
A woman with exceptionally pale skin, lighter-colored hair, bright eyes, and flaming red lips was thought lovely during the Renaissance. While the criteria may appear to be realistic in this day and age, they were very impossible to keep during the time. It was the 1550s, and sickness was so prevalent that a mere infection could disfigure a person. There was no such thing as modern medicine at the time.
Pale Skin, Red Lips, And Lighter Colored Hair
The Iconic Status Of White Makeup
So, how did Queen Elizabeth I keep her amazing beauty and appearance? The solution is simple: the classic white cosmetics she applied to her face every morning. Her regimen would become more and more prevalent as she grew older. However, while Queen Elizabeth I’s friends, family, and subjects grew accustomed to seeing their ruler in white face makeup, no one was aware of the sad truth hidden beneath the mask.
The Iconic Status Of White Makeup
It Was A Male-Dominated World
Elizabeth I succeeded her sister on the throne when she was only 25 years old. Queen Elizabeth had to stand her ground in a male-dominated realm as the second-ever female in the court. That meant keeping her beauty and freshness as long as possible; back then, men were more likely to speak with her if she could keep their attention. Her unmarried status made her job considerably more difficult.
It Was A Male Dominated World
Unmarried Women Were Considered Bothersome
Living and reigning in a male-dominated society meant Queen Elizabeth I had to work considerably harder to establish herself as the country’s ruler. Women were still considered the property of their husbands at the time. Unmarried women were regarded as little more than a nuisance. Even though she reigned on the throne of England, Queen Elizabeth I had a lot more to prove as an unmarried lady.
Unmarried Women Were Considered Bothersome
Despite The Fact That She Had Several Suitors, She Never Married
Elizabeth I was reported to be attractive as a young queen who used her feminine charms to advance in the court. The fact is, beauty and youth fade with time, as Queen Elizabeth I discovered. Despite this, many men came to the palace to court her majesty during a time when her beauty was widely discussed. She never married and only brought good-looking guys into her court.
Despite The Fact That She Had Several Suitors, She Never Married
Beauty Equaled Power
Beauty represented power at the time. As a result, Queen Elizabeth I was determined to maintain her youthful appearance for as long as possible. Dr. Anna Whitelock, a British historian, highlighted the late queen in an interview with the BBC, saying, “Elizabeth’s contemporaries believed that beauty amplified female power, and so they regarded the queen’s splendor as confirmation of her claim to the throne.” If that’s the case, it’s no surprise Elizabeth wanted to preserve her appearance.
Beauty Equaled Power
Pale White Skin Was The Epitome Of Beauty
With people assuming that beauty meant power, Queen Elizabeth I worked hard to maintain her attractiveness, especially as she became older. It played a significant role in her achievement. Elizabeth’s famous white skin was a huge element of her beauty. Porcelain skin was thought to be the ideal of elegance, grace, and beauty at the time, as it reflected innocence, fertility, and belonging to the upper class.
Pale White Skin Was The Epitome Of Beauty
Queen Elizabeth Painted Her Face With A Special Concoction
Some considered Queen Elizabeth I’s use of white paint on her complexion to be the pinnacle of beauty. It meant she worked inside, was upper-class, and, because of how pale she was able to get the hue, appeared to be a young girl. As a result, Queen Elizabeth I made it a point to have her face painted with a particular concoction every day, something that would be illegal on the market today.
Queen Elizabeth Painted Her Face With A Special Concoction
The White Paint’s Compounds Were Toxic
Venetian ceruse was the name given to the paint used by Queen Elizabeth to achieve her famous white face. This substance was made up of lead and white vinegar. And, as one might anticipate with lead present, the paint was exceedingly hazardous. Given that Queen Elizabeth I painted her face with the deadly material every morning and wore it all day, it’s reasonable to say she wasn’t in the best of health.
The White Paint’s Compounds Were Toxic
Women Would Wear The Lead-Laced Paint For Days
It was the 16th century, so people weren’t too concerned about a minor ailment known as lead poisoning. They didn’t even have a name for the health problem at the time! Women would go about their daily lives while wearing lead-laced white paint on their faces for days at a time! Even Queen Elizabeth I died with at least an inch of white cosmetics on her face!
Women Would Wear The Lead Laced Paint For Days
The White Paint Was Far Worse Than They Had Feared
Not only was the white paint packed with poisonous lead, but it was also extremely harmful to anyone’s skin. In fact, the paint ended up leaving a person’s complexion with discolored lines, which is not exactly the look people want during a time when beauty was everything. Not only that, but when the ladies took the time to remove their white makeup, they were spreading even more pollutants on their faces!
The White Paint Was Far Worse Than They Had Feared
The “Remover” Was Laced With Mercury
Venetian ceruse was terrible enough without the addition of deadly lead to the mix. The folks wearing the white paint had no notion they were putting harmful substances on their faces. The paint mixture wasn’t the only toxic component of their cosmetic routines. Queen Elizabeth I and everyone else supposedly used a remover that was loaded with mercury! Everything about the makeup was hazardous to one’s health.
The Remover Was Laced With Mercury
Many Toxic Chemicals Were Used In The Name Of Beauty
Queen Elizabeth I and other high society ladies had no idea that although they were enhancing their beauty, they were poisoning their skin, causing it to look old and discolored. However, unusual methods such as employing lead and mercury-laced items were not unheard of at the time. In reality, many women would employ harmful compounds like sulfur and turpentine to erase what they saw as flaws on their skin, such as freckles.
Many Toxic Chemicals Were Used In The Name Of Beauty
Black Kohl Wasn’t Doing Queen Elizabeth Any Favors
Queen Elizabeth I employed more harmful makeup than just the white lead-laced paint and the mercury-laced remover. Her Majesty is also claimed to have applied black kohl liner to add intensity to her makeup. Beauticians still debate the long-term health consequences of utilizing such a drug in the 16th century. Given that Queen Elizabeth was already using lead and mercury on a daily basis, the kohl was probably ineffective.
Black Kohl Wasn’t Doing Queen Elizabeth Any Favors
A Toxic Element Was Used In The Production Of Kohl
Black kohl was not always manufactured of non-toxic materials. Queen Elizabeth I used a preparation made of powdered antimony in the 1550s, a metallic chemical element known to produce rashes if skin is exposed for an extended period of time. And that’s only the start! Her Majesty would also apply nightshade eyedrops to enlarge her pupils and give her eyes a dewy appearance. Unfortunately, nightshade is toxic!
A Toxic Element Was Used In The Production Of Kohl
There Was One Thing That Wasn’t Toxic
Fortunately, Queen Elizabeth I’s beauty regimen did not always include hazardous chemicals that were slowly aging her. She also like very thin and arched brows, which she plucks to achieve the ideal look. Her signature ruby-red lips and cheeks were made from plant dye and beeswax, a long cry from the lead, mercury, and kohl she employed on her eyes and face. But, with her beautiful white paint and scarlet lips, Queen Elizabeth became quite the fashion icon!
There Was One Thing That Wasn’t Toxic
Black Teeth Became In Vouge
Queen Elizabeth was a fashion pioneer. Women aspired to look like her majesty since she was a revered and beautiful monarch. So much so that when her teeth started to rot later in life, black teeth became fashionable! While Queen Elizabeth I didn’t necessarily hide her failing teeth, which were caused by a love of sweet pastries and a lack of oral hygiene, there was one feature of her majesty that she didn’t want others to notice.
Black Teeth Became In Vouge
Queen Elizabeth I Contracted Smallpox
Queen Elizabeth I suffered the terrible disease smallpox while she was only 29 years old. Smallpox was widely feared because there was no treatment or vaccine. In fact, when her doctor, Dr. Burcot, initially informed Queen Elizabeth I of her condition, she assumed he was lying. The Queen of England was not infected with smallpox! Her high temperature, however, told a different story: her majesty was gravely unwell.
Queen Elizabeth I Contracted Smallpox
Smallpox Killed A Large Proportion Of The European Population
Smallpox was the most feared contagion in Europe since there was no cure or vaccination. And quite rightly so! At the time, around one-third of those diagnosed with the condition perished. It’s no surprise that Queen Elizabeth I refused to accept her physician’s diagnosis. This was especially true given that one of the stages of smallpox was about to damage her beauty. Disfiguring lesions were one of the symptoms of smallpox, which might scar a person if they were irritated.
Smallpox Killed A Large Proportion Of The European Population
Her Reaction Was A Bit Dramatic
Queen Elizabeth I had little choice but to believe Dr. Burcot’s diagnosis, given her fever, discomfort, and the imminent sores that would scar her skin. She had smallpox and thus would have scarring on her skin. Her Majesty, according to historical accounts, was a tad dramatic when she eventually accepted her smallpox diagnosis. According to reports, the queen shouted out, “God’s pestilence.” Which is superior? To have the pox in the hand, face, or heart and destroy the entire body?”
Her Reaction Was A Bit Dramatic
It Didn’t Look Great For The Queen
Things didn’t look good for the beloved queen for a while. The queen’s followers were concerned she wouldn’t make it as her illness worsened, to the point where her voice stopped working. There was nothing doctors could do to help her condition because there was no cure or even treatment. Of course, that didn’t stop them from doing everything they could to help the queen.
It Didn’t Look Great For The Queen
Doctors Wrapped Her In A Red Cloth
Smallpox was supposed to be contracted when a person’s body had a “imbalance of humors” at the time. In the case of Queen Elizabeth I, her doctor believed she needed to be wrapped in a red cloth to rid her body of the scarlet sores. The heat and discomfort will finally go away. The queen, on the other hand, was appalled by the prospect of being scarred and disfigured for the rest of her life.
Doctors Wrapped Her In A Red Cloth
Eventually, Queen Elizabeth I Returned To Full Health
Fortunately, Queen Elizabeth I’s ministers’ succession preparations fell through, and her majesty eventually recovered full health. Unfortunately, while her health was restored, her skin began to change. Her skin on her face was no longer smooth. It was now filled with the scars of smallpox sores, which would never go away no matter how many times her doctors wrapped her in a crimson towel.
Eventually, Queen Elizabeth I Returned To Full Health
She Couldn’t Take Advantage Of Her Beauty Any Longer
Queen Elizabeth I used her beauty to her advantage before being diagnosed with smallpox. It aided her in influencing others in a male-dominated world. She was now scarred with scars, which the queen believed would jeopardize her status as ruler. So she started applying the Venetian ceruse makeup, hoping that the white paint would cover up much of her scarring. The queen was rarely seen without her face adorned after that.
She Couldn’t Take Advantage Of Her Beauty Any Longer
The Toxins Were Taking A Toll
Only Queen Elizabeth I’s closest circle saw her without her inch-thick white mask. Nonetheless, they would never make a remark about the queen’s actual skin. But, according to history, her majesty’s skin was deteriorating rapidly. It was not only pocketed by smallpox scars, but also by lead-laced paint and mercury-laced cosmetics remover. The pollutants were prematurely aging her. It didn’t look good.
The Toxins Were Taking A Toll
She Was Getting Older And More Self Conscious
Queen Elizabeth I became increasingly concerned with her appearance as she grew older. She had always been all about her beauty, so the fact that she was getting older with wrinkles on top of her damaged skin wasn’t going to fly. She was now putting on “her face” regardless of the occasion. She even ordered the ladies of the court to dress in drab black and white gowns for a very precise reason!
She Was Getting Older And More Self Conscious
She Ordered A Dress Code
Queen Elizabeth I became more self-conscious about her appearance as she grew older. She even ordered that women of the court wear only black and white gowns while she wore extravagant garments. She desired it so that no one could take their gaze away from her. But years of rubbing chemicals on her skin were about to catch up with her. Queen Elizabeth I died when she was 69 years old.
She Ordered A Dress Code
Lead Poisoning Was Her Downfall
Queen Elizabeth I was suffering from hair loss, memory lapses, weariness, and gastric problems in her final year. These are all symptoms of lead poisoning, according to current specialists. Queen Elizabeth I appears to have taken the saying “beauty is pain” to a whole new level, since she continued to use the white lead-laced paint on her face until her death. It was even buried her. The queen’s demise was ultimately due to her vanity and desire to be the most beautiful person in the room.
Lead Poisoning Was Her Downfall