California City Renaissance Festival
Contact: John Bloom, Entertainment Coordinator
Cell Phone: (951) 750-9021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Email: info@guildeofsaintemarie.org
QUEEN MARY I HAS
DIED
Princess Elizabeth Tudor to Assume Throne
California City, CA January 1, 2009 - The Guilde of Sainte Marie, with assistance from the House of Tudor, will present the historical reenactment of Princess Elizabeth’s struggle and ascension to the throne, culminating in a magnificent and grand royal coronation not to be missed.
The year is 1559. Queen Mary, abandoned by her husband King Philip of Spain, has succumbed to a uterine tumor and has died. Queen Mary never acquiesced to her half-sister Elizabeth taking the throne, nor did she ever deny it. The Catholic nobles are in a flurry – who will lead them now? Elizabeth’s Protestant allies already return from their exile, and according to the stipulations of Henry VIII’s will Elizabeth is next to assume the throne of England. While some may question her legitimacy, most are willing to watch this young Queen either sink or swim in this disenchanted realm of court intrigue and politics. “Elizabeth favored a moderate policy in terms of religion, one that blended the pomp and circumstance of the Catholic faith with the simplicity of the English Protestant doctrine,” says John Bloom, co-guildmaster of Sainte Marie and Entertainment Coordinator of the Festival, “She also hated extremism in any form, so hard-line Catholics and Puritans did not find favor in her Court.” History shows that this policy of moderation served Elizabeth well, as she governed England for 46 years successfully.
April Bloom, a resident of the city of Perris and assistant guildmistress of Sainte Marie’s returns again as the enigmatic Elizabeth. She is pleased to bring to California City a facet of this character rarely seen. “Elizabeth was a hardened politician at 25 when she inherited her throne. She went from being first princess of her realm to a mere lady with the stroke of a pen – almost regularly. What I admire most about her is that she was able to balance her strong desire to rule her country as well as maintain her femininity,” says April about her heroine, “She reminds me of Princess Diana in that she was also her people’s Queen. I love that she regularly stopped and interacted with her people, something that monarchs of the time rarely did.”
Roughly 2,000-3,000 people attend this yearly event. Cost of admission is only $3.00, with $1.00 off the admission if you bring a canned food item (to be donated to the local food bank). Gates will open at 11:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 PM on Saturday and 5:00 PM on Sunday. Tickets to the Queen’s Banquet are available pre-sale for $25.00 per person; the banquet will run Saturday evening from 6:30PM until 9:00PM. For more information, please contact Michelle Hornback at (760) 373-3530 or via email at parksandrec@ccis.com. Further information and directions can also be found on the event website: www.calcityrenfair.org.
The Guilde of Sainte Marie, based in Perris, CA, is a
not-for-profit historical reenactment society dedicated to the portrayal of
noble class life in the 16th Century during the height of the Renaissance
Period, with membership concentrated in Southern California. The Guilde
offers classes in renaissance dance, costuming, life style and song, and
performs at about 12-15 different shows per year. For more information
about the guild or the entertainment of the Festival, please contact John Bloom
at (951) 750-9021 or via email at info@guildeofsaintemarie.org. More information can be found at the guild’s
website: www.guildeofsaintemarie.org.
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