Tilbury speech

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The Tilbury speech is considered the most famous speech by Queen Elizabeth I of England . It is said that she addressed this in August 1588 in Tilbury to her troops who had gathered there to repel the invasion of the Spanish Armada .

At the beginning of April 1588, Philip II sent the Spanish Armada to invade England. The Armada was to escort the army of the Duke of Parma , one of Philip's best generals, across the English Channel to England. In England a land force was sent to Tilbury to resist the invasion. On August 8, Elisabeth joined her troops with her Lieutenant General, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester . She was dressed entirely in white velvet, wore a silver breastplate, and held a silver, gold-framed general's staff in her right hand when she made the famous Tilbury speech to her soldiers. When the news came later that the Armada was about to land in England, the Queen was asked to get to safety. Elisabeth announced that she wanted to stay, come what may. The English still assumed that the Spanish Armada would regroup and attack again. Nobody knew yet that it had already been crushed in the English Channel. There was never any fighting at Tilbury. When Elisabeth left the camp a few days later, the danger of an invasion was averted.

text

(in modernized English spelling):

My loving people,

We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honor and my blood, even in the dust.

I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain , or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonor shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.

I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valor in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.

translation

My beloved people,

Some people who care about our safety try to convince us to exercise caution when confronting armed masses for fear of betrayal. But I assure you that I do not want to live my life in mistrust of my loyal people. May tyrants be afraid. I have always behaved in such a way that, according to God, I have placed my main powers and my protection in the faithful hearts and good will of my subjects. Therefore, as you can see, I have not come to you for my pleasure, for my diversion, but with the determination to live or die among you in the midst of the tumult of battle. To give my honor and my blood to my God, my kingdom and my people, even be it in the dust.

I know that I have the body of a weak powerless woman, but the heart and marrow of a king, and a king of England at that, and I can only laugh at the fact that Parma or Spain or any ruler of Europe should dare to To cross the borders of my realm. Rather that dishonor comes through my country, I want to take up arms myself, want to be your general, judge and rewarder for every single one of your brave actions on the battlefield.

I know that your boldness alone deserves fame and honor, and we assure you with lordly word that it will be yours. In the meantime my lieutenant general will take my place. A prince has never commanded a nobler and more worthy subject before me. I have no doubt that thanks to your obedience to my general, your unity in the camp, and your valor in the field, we will soon have a glorious victory over the enemies of my God, my kingdom and my people.

The Tilbury speech in the film

The Tilbury speech plays a central role in the film adaptations Elizabeth I - The Virgin Queen from 2005 with Anne Marie Duff, Elizabeth: The Golden Age from 2007 with Cate Blanchett , and in the film Elizabeth I from 2006 with Helen Mirren .

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Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The tradition does not begin until 1623, that is much later, and is also a single text that was not printed until 1654; so Jürgen Müller , The Sound of Silence, HZ 292 (2011) p. 1 ff., 15.