In January 2006 a new BBC costume drama ‘The Virgin Queen’ began starring Anne-Marie Duff. Only last autumn ITV also broadcast a programme about Queen Elizabeth 1 starring Helen Mirren. Elizabeth has long been a glamorous royal superstar, an image she cultivated in her own time, but recent exposure has been strong. So why has this lady who died over 400 years ago currently receiving so much media attention and are there any connections between Elizabeth’s chart and the actors chosen to play her?
Elizabeth was born on 7th September 1533 OS at 15.00 in Greenwich. She was an immediate disappointment to her parents, King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who desperately wanted a boy to secure the succession to the throne (ascendant ruled by Saturn in detriment). Her father had moved political mountains to divorce his Spanish wife and made himself Head of the English Catholic Church in defiance of the Pope in order to marry his pregnant mistress Anne and gain a legitimate heir. This is perhaps indicated by Elizabeth’s south node in the political sign of Aquarius ruled by Saturn in the sign of the family.
Elizabeth survived a difficult early life which included the execution of her mother and imprisonment by her half sister Mary. Yet she went on to reign over England, Wales and Ireland for 45 years. A triple earth she used careful housekeeping, good advisers (Jupiter in rulership in 11th) and diplomatic skills (Mercury and Menus in Libra) to restore peace to her realm and see off both assassins and invaders (sun in 8th, ruler the 8th). Female rulers were not common or valued in the sixteenth century but this monarch made a virtue of her femininity (Venus in rulership and exalted moon). She never married and built for herself a cult image as the Virgin Queen (north node in Leo ruled by sun in Virgo). Her Saturn ruled ascendant is evident in her tight control of her image, only allowing personally approved portraits to be seen; ‘bootleg’ pictures being banned.
Her single state was a political necessity and no doubt involved some personal sacrifice (sun opposed to Neptune) and denial of her romantic, passionate nature (Venus in Libra trine to Pluto and opposed to Neptune). Love for her was not without its complications. Robert Dudley, a man she loved deeply, was married and when his wife Amy was found dead at the bottom of some stairs there was a huge scandal of the ‘did she fall or was she pushed?’ variety. Another favourite the Earl of Essex lead a futile rebellion and she had to have him executed. Royal suitors, like the Duke of Anjou were unacceptable to the people, being foreigners. With sexy Mars in her 5th house aspecting Jupiter she could have had a lot of fun had she not been Queen. However, marriage would have meant encountering Saturn and Uranus in her 7th house. It may have been best avoided.
During 2005-6, transiting Pluto squared Elizabeth's Virgo sun and both TV programmes have focussed on her virgin status. Has this happened before and what of the women who have reincarnated her? In recent years, Elizabeth has been played on the screen by a number of illustrious actors, each giving her their own special spin. Do their charts 'sing' together? They do indeed, very much so. Here is a small selection of observations from the many synastries between actors and Queen. If all birth times were known there are probably even more connections.
 | Glenda Jackson (born 8.00am 9 May 1936, Birkenhead) starred as the Queen in a 1971 TV series. Transiting Pluto conjuncted Elizabeth’s Virgo sun in 1969 when it was in production. Glenda’s portrayal of her was as a trail blazing feminist, picking up on the politics of the early 1970s (Uranus/Venus conjunct Elizabeth’s moon). She shaved her hair to emulate the Queen’s high forehead (her descendant and north node conjunct Elizabeth’s ascendant). Her moon and Jupiter square Elizabeth’s sun and her Saturn opposes it. Their Jupiters are conjunct and Glenda’s Sagittarian moon conjuncts Elizabeth’s Jupiter. It was a big production about a great career woman. Glenda’s sun squares the Queen’s nodal axis. With Glenda’s help she was Queen once more (north node in Leo). Elizabeth’s Venus squares Jackson’ nodal axis. |
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Cate Blanchett (born 14 May 1969 Melbourne,) starred in the 1998 film ‘Elizabeth’, which was more of a political thriller than a costume drama. It chillingly depicted the mortal danger the Queen was in during the early years of her reign from plots and intrigue and how fragile was her hold on power amid a nation torn by religious strife. Cate’s Uranus, south node, Jupiter and Pluto all conjunct Elizabeth’s sun and her Saturn squares Elizabeth’s Pluto. Their suns and Neptunes are in trine and Cate’s Mars/Mercury opposition lies across Elizabeth’s Jupiter/ Mars opposition. Elizabeth’s Jupiter squares Cate’s nodal axis. |
 | Judi Dench (born 9 December 1934, York) won an Oscar for her portrayal of Elizabeth as the ‘Grande dame’ in the lavish 1999 cinema film ‘Shakespeare in Love’. Her screen time was less than 15 minutes, so it was a powerful performance! Dench’s sun and Venus straddle Elizabeth’s powerful Jupiter. Their suns are in square, Judi’s Saturn conjuncts Elizabeth’s south node and Elizabeth’s Pluto conjuncts Judi’s north node. |
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By contrast, Miranda Richardson’s brilliantly funny portrayal of the Queen in the BBC’s ‘Blackadder II’ was of a fickle, spoilt, childish monarch who used her power to play silly games on her subjects. Miranda was born on 3 March 1958 in Southport. Her mid-day chart gives moon in Leo conjunct Uranus, perfect for playing an unpredictable queen! Like Dench, Elizabeth’s Pluto square’s Miranda’s nodal axis. |
 | Helen Mirren (born 26 July 1945 in Chiswick,) has the sun in Leo conjunct Pluto so was born destined to play a powerful queen. As her south node conjuncts Elizabeth’s ascendant it had to be that particular Tudor monarch. Helen’s Neptune conjuncts Elizabeth’s Venus and she gave the part both romance and glamour. Mirren, who has sun in Leo and moon in Aquarius portrayed Elizabeth as a woman torn between her heart and the dictates of state, picking up the Leo -Aquarius theme of the Queen’s nodal axis. Helen’s moon conjuncts Elizabeth’s south node and their Saturns are conjunct. Elizabeth’s Venus and Mercury square Helen’s nodal axis. |
 | Anne-Marie Duff (born 1 January 1970 in Southall) is the latest screen Queen. This production was billed in the Radio Times as ‘Sex and the Single Monarch’ and Duff is quoted as saying ‘Elizabeth’s virginity was a kind of challenge to every man in the kingdom’. As Anne-Marie’s Pluto conjuncts that royal Virgoan sun she is perhaps obsessed with that ‘did she or didn’t she?’ question, but it also mirrors the public’s prurient interest in the private lives of celebrities. The focus seems to be Elizabeth’s troubled love life again and the challenges of being a flesh and blood woman in a political role. Anne-Marie’s sun and Venus conjunct Elizabeth’s ascendant, and their Neptunes are in trine. Her Uranus conjuncts Elizabeth’s Venus, Jupiter squares her moon, and Saturn conjuncts it. Like Cate, Elizabeth’s powerful Jupiter squares Duff’s nodal axis. She still has the ability to rise people up even though she died in 1603. |
Are there any common themes? Well all 6 actresses have at least one planet in Virgo and all have nodal connections with Elizabeth’s chart as well as aspects to the royal Virgo sun. Jupiter connections are also strong. Well the screen is larger than life!
So the conclusions seem to be that on two occasions a Pluto transit to the chart of a long dead person brought her back to life and that casting directors obviously feel the mysterious connection between the real woman and those whom they choose to play her.
Note Chris would be interested in the birth times of these actors if anyone has them. (cogilvie@aol.com)