The “Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I,” which was sold by the descendants of Sir Francis Drake, has been saved for the British nation thanks to a major fundraising campaign by the Art Fund and Royal Museums Greenwich.The addition of a major grant of £7.4m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to a £1m grant from Art Fund, a £400k contribution from the Royal Museums Greenwich, and the £1.5m raised by the public appeal has ensured that the painting will remain in Britain.The masterpiece of the English Renaissance commemorates the failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in the summer of 1588. It will go on display in the Queen’s House on the site of the original Greenwich Palace when it reopens following a major restoration on October 11.“The Armada portrait is a compelling historic icon, illustrating as it does a decisive conflict, inspiring female leadership, maritime power and the emergence of the Elizabethan ‘Golden Age’,” said Sir Peter Luff, Chair of HLF“This image has shaped our understanding of ‘Gloriana,’ the Virgin Queen, for over four hundred years and I am delighted that it will now have such an appropriate permanent home in Greenwich.”
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