Elizabeth I described herself as Queen, King and Prince, thriving in a male world, and saving the country from debt and wars. Self-proclaimed wife and mother to England, her virgin status was part of her myth, as she consistently refused marriage, citing herself as already taken.

In Rebecca Lenkiewicz's short play, The Lioness, Elizabeth is both a woman and a leader as she encounters John Knox, the ultimate misogynist, and Essex, her favourite.

The play was first performed at the Tricycle Theatre, London, as part of the Women, Power and Politics season in June 2010.