The Armada portrait painted after the defeat of the Spanish Armada is where Elizabeth goes from Virginal Maiden to Virginal goddess; no longer is Elizabeth being shown as merely a weak and feeble maid, but instead a strong and powerful Queen. This portrait presents the first time we see her image not solely focused on virginity but power as well. Similarly, the way Edmund Spencer writes in The Faerie Queen, he is not using imagery one would use to describe a feeble maid but instead evokes the image of a powerful ruler. The names of famous characters in literature became synonymous with Queen Elizabeth I, Gloriana, Belpheobe, Pandora, Astrea, Diana, Virgo, and many others to describe the Queen and promote her strength, wisdom, and capability as a ruler.
Queen Elizabeth I's reign was full of intrigue and importance. The image she created for herself of a virgin when she decided not to marry held so much weight throughout her life that it is still represented in everything left behind. Her clothing, makeup, and jewelry were all symbols reflected not only during her time but preserved in our historical memory of her. Elizabeth's legacy is alive and well, living in our legend and our fantasies, and has become something of an icon herself. It is no wonder that Elizabeth is still widely studied some 500 years later.