Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603) is still very much alive in the popular consciousness 400 years after her death. She has been portrayed in numerous films, been the subject of countless books, and in 2002 was voted one of Britain's top ten 'Great Britons' by BBC TV viewers. In 2003 the National Maritime Museum hosted a major international exhibition to commemorate the 400th anniversary of her death and to celebrate her life.

See our Elizabeth I feature, based on this exhibition.

The Elizabeth exhibition brought together over 350 objects to explore the life and reign of this extraordinary woman, looking at aspects of Elizabeth I's life and times from her birth at Greenwich Palace in 1533 to her death at Richmond Palace in 1603.

The exhibition was sponsored by Morgan Stanley with guest curator Dr David Starkey. It opened on 1 May and closed on 14 September 2003.