The Lord Protector's wife: The Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth Cromwell
Meet Elizabeth Cromwell, the enigmatic wife of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. What can we learn about Elizabeth's life and reputation from contemporary sources during her husband's rise to power, whether Royalist propaganda, portraits, or her letters to her husband? Is there more to Elizabeth than meets the eye?
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Using contemporary sources, we will explore and piece together Elizabeth Cromwell's life, reputation and rise to power alongside her husband Oliver during the Civil Wars (1642-1651) and the Protectorate era (1653-1658). Our sources will include her correspondence with Oliver Cromwell; paintings; and Restoration era Royalist propaganda, notably the not very catchy titled“The Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth, Commonly Called Joan Cromwell, the Wife of the Late Usurper.”
What will we cover?
Marriage to Oliver Cromwell
Family life
Elizabeth, the Civil Wars& the Parliamentarians
Political life/diplomacy during the Protectorate era
Contemporary portraits
Propaganda
(an aside) Food & recipes from the Court and Kitchen
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Evaluate Elizabeth's significance during the Civil Wars and protectorate eras.
Assess how propaganda may have affected Elizabeth's reputation/legacy
Be able to identify the strengths and drawbacks of using different contemporary sources related to the period.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is a one off session and while everyone is welcome, for historical context it would be helpful if learners have a rudimentary working knowledge of the era or previously attended one of our courses on the 1600's to allow us to focus better on Elizabeth's place within this era. Guidance will be provided on reading and interpreting contemporary sources, and no prior knowledge of this is required.
This session is interactive and a willingness to engage with class discussions will help you to get the most from this session.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
One-off interactive session using contemporary sources. Class discussions and some group work using contemporary sources in a constructive and supportive environment.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No other costs. PowerPoint slides will be provided which can act as a substitute for notes with key points but bring a pen and paper if you wish to take additional notes. Contemporary sources will also be provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Please see our British & Irish history section. We will run a series of one-off sessions on the Civil Wars/Protectorate era in 26/27.
We’re sorry. We don’t have a bio ready for the tutor of this class at the moment, but we’re working on it! Watch this space.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/the-lord-protector-s-wife-the-court-and-kitchen-of-elizabeth-cromwell3039112The Lord Protector's wife: The Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth Cromwellhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/advanced-history-1024_1.jpg1919GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/British & Irish history22851177117816301228511771178<p>Meet Elizabeth Cromwell, the enigmatic wife of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. What can we learn about Elizabeth's life and reputation from contemporary sources during her husband's rise to power, whether Royalist propaganda, portraits, or her letters to her husband? Is there more to Elizabeth than meets the eye? </p>003039106The Lord Protector's wife: The Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth Cromwell1919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/advanced-history-1024_1.jpgInStockDaytimeThuKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekday2026-07-16T00:00:00+00:00Jul 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHBH1341919The Lord Protector's wife: The Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth Cromwell151219Ellen Carpenterthe-lord-protector-s-wife-the-court-and-kitchen-of-elizabeth-cromwell/hbh134-2526<p>Meet Elizabeth Cromwell, the enigmatic wife of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. What can we learn about Elizabeth's life and reputation from contemporary sources during her husband's rise to power, whether Royalist propaganda, portraits, or her letters to her husband? Is there more to Elizabeth than meets the eye? </p>0000-Available|2026-07-16 00:00:00<p>Using contemporary sources, we will explore and piece together Elizabeth Cromwell's life, reputation and rise to power alongside her husband Oliver during the Civil Wars (1642-1651) and the Protectorate era (1653-1658). Our sources will include her correspondence with Oliver Cromwell; paintings; and Restoration era Royalist propaganda, notably the not very catchy titled<em>“The Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth, Commonly Called Joan Cromwell, the Wife of the Late Usurper.”</em></p><p>Meet Elizabeth Cromwell, the enigmatic wife of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. What can we learn about Elizabeth's life and reputation from contemporary sources during her husband's rise to power, whether Royalist propaganda, portraits, or her letters to her husband? Is there more to Elizabeth than meets the eye? </p><ul><li>Marriage to Oliver Cromwell</li><li>Family life</li><li>Elizabeth, the Civil Wars& the Parliamentarians</li><li>Political life/diplomacy during the Protectorate era</li><li>Contemporary portraits</li><li>Propaganda</li><li>(an aside) Food & recipes from <em>the Court and Kitchen</em> </li></ul><ul><li>Evaluate Elizabeth's significance during the Civil Wars and protectorate eras.</li><li>Assess how propaganda may have affected Elizabeth's reputation/legacy</li><li>Be able to identify the strengths and drawbacks of using different contemporary sources related to the period. </li></ul><p></p><p>This is a one off session and while everyone is welcome, for historical context it would be helpful if learners have a rudimentary working knowledge of the era or previously attended one of our courses on the 1600's to allow us to focus better on Elizabeth's place within this era. Guidance will be provided on reading and interpreting contemporary sources, and no prior knowledge of this is required.</p><p>This session is interactive and a willingness to engage with class discussions will help you to get the most from this session. </p><p>One-off interactive session using contemporary sources. Class discussions and some group work using contemporary sources in a constructive and supportive environment.</p><p>No other costs. PowerPoint slides will be provided which can act as a substitute for notes with key points but bring a pen and paper if you wish to take additional notes. Contemporary sources will also be provided. </p><p>Please see our British & Irish history section. We will run a series of one-off sessions on the Civil Wars/Protectorate era in 26/27.</p>HistoryBritish & Irish historyvirtual151912HBH134NONEThu16/07/2612:45 - 14:4512:4514:451 session1One-off onlyDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetEllen CarpenterAvailable courses2026-07-16T00:00:00+00:00Jul 2026Culture, history & humanities1919The Lord Protector's wife: The Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth Cromwellthe-lord-protector-s-wife-the-court-and-kitchen-of-elizabeth-cromwell/hbh134-2526<p>Meet Elizabeth Cromwell, the enigmatic wife of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. What can we learn about Elizabeth's life and reputation from contemporary sources during her husband's rise to power, whether Royalist propaganda, portraits, or her letters to her husband? Is there more to Elizabeth than meets the eye? </p>0000-Available|2026-07-16 00:00:00<p>Using contemporary sources, we will explore and piece together Elizabeth Cromwell's life, reputation and rise to power alongside her husband Oliver during the Civil Wars (1642-1651) and the Protectorate era (1653-1658). Our sources will include her correspondence with Oliver Cromwell; paintings; and Restoration era Royalist propaganda, notably the not very catchy titled<em>“The Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth, Commonly Called Joan Cromwell, the Wife of the Late Usurper.”</em></p><p>Meet Elizabeth Cromwell, the enigmatic wife of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. What can we learn about Elizabeth's life and reputation from contemporary sources during her husband's rise to power, whether Royalist propaganda, portraits, or her letters to her husband? Is there more to Elizabeth than meets the eye? </p><ul><li>Marriage to Oliver Cromwell</li><li>Family life</li><li>Elizabeth, the Civil Wars&amp; the Parliamentarians</li><li>Political life/diplomacy during the Protectorate era</li><li>Contemporary portraits</li><li>Propaganda</li><li>(an aside) Food &amp; recipes from <em>the Court and Kitchen</em> </li></ul><ul><li>Evaluate Elizabeth's significance during the Civil Wars and protectorate eras.</li><li>Assess how propaganda may have affected Elizabeth's reputation/legacy</li><li>Be able to identify the strengths and drawbacks of using different contemporary sources related to the period. </li></ul><p></p><p>This is a one off session and while everyone is welcome, for historical context it would be helpful if learners have a rudimentary working knowledge of the era or previously attended one of our courses on the 1600's to allow us to focus better on Elizabeth's place within this era. Guidance will be provided on reading and interpreting contemporary sources, and no prior knowledge of this is required.</p><p>This session is interactive and a willingness to engage with class discussions will help you to get the most from this session. </p><p>One-off interactive session using contemporary sources. Class discussions and some group work using contemporary sources in a constructive and supportive environment.</p><p>No other costs. PowerPoint slides will be provided which can act as a substitute for notes with key points but bring a pen and paper if you wish to take additional notes. Contemporary sources will also be provided. </p><p>Please see our British &amp; Irish history section. We will run a series of one-off sessions on the Civil Wars/Protectorate era in 26/27.</p>HistoryBritish & Irish historyconfigurable
16301178British & Irish historyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/history/british-and-irish-studies1/2/285/1177/1178/16301/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/British & Irish history
