Here we see Queen Elizabeth being carried on the shoulders of some of the most important men in the kingdom. It's possible to see this action as a political statement. Throughout her reign Elizabeth had a number of favorites whom she favored and advanced. The problem she faced was that these relationships always had a political aspect. Just the fact that she might relent and marry her current favorite caused all kinds of problems. Perhaps one of the reasons she sought out the companionship of many men was that it was a way of counterbalancing the previous favorite. From Robert Cecil to Philip Raleigh to the Earl of Essex, Elizabeth continued to attract the attention of the rich and famous all her life. Occasionally she would grant a special advancement to one of her favorites, such as Raleigh's attempts at colonizing in the New World or the army Essex was given to invade Ireland. Woe betide the man who failed to accomplish what he had promised the queen! In the case of Essex he attempted a coup to oust Elizabeth after his Irish campaign ended in disaster.

Elizabeth was always on the lookout for rich, powerful men who might pose problems for her throne with a private army or with bribes to court officials. Once a year she would take an official tour of inspection around her kingdom. If there were someone threatening to upset the political balance of the country, Elizabeth would make it a point to pay a lengthy visit with her entire entourage of thousands. The upstart would be saddled with housing, feeding and entertaining the entire court for as long as the queen wished to stay. Using this more subtle and passive kind of resistance, she managed to drive a number of ambitious nobles into bankruptcy.