Rare portrait of 'England’s lost queen' discovered

Lady Arbella Stuart was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I and a potential heir to her throne

A rare portrait of Lady Arbella Stuart - often described as England's lost Queen - has been found by art historians at the University of Warwick.

The painting depicts the 16th Century noblewoman who was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, and a potential heir to her throne.

In the artwork, she is shown wearing lavish court dress and standing in a garden at Greenwich Palace.

It was painted in 1592 by Nicholas Hilliard and is a cabinet miniature, measuring only 21.1cm (8.3in) by 17.6cm (6.9in).

Born in 1575, Lady Arbella Stuart was a descendant of Henry VII, and was viewed in the 1590s as a successor to the childless and ageing Elizabeth.

In 1610, Lady Arbella defied King James I to marry her choice of husband, William Seymour, another claimant to the English throne.

Seymour was imprisoned and Lady Arbella placed under house arrest. During a failed attempt to escape England, she was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London, where she died five years later, in 1615, at the age of 39.

The cabinet miniature, in which she is depicted at the age of 16, was discovered in a private collection by art historians from the university, Dr Elizabeth Goldring and Emma Rutherford.

'Complex political landscape'

Dr Goldring said: “Hilliard’s cabinet miniature of Arbella enriches our understanding not just of his artistic output, but also of the complex political landscape and visual culture of late Elizabethan England.”

Ms Rutherford added: “Arbella's life was steeped in intrigue and political strategy. Hilliard's portrayal of Arbella captures her regal stature and potential as a future queen, offering a glimpse into the world of Elizabethan court politics.”