She shall be to the happiness of England An agèd princess: many days shall see her, And yet no day without a deed to crown it. William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, Henry VIII,  Act 5, Scene 4, lines 61 – 3 Music, masques, pageants and plays were all enjoyed at the court of Elizabeth I, and particularly over the winter months the great acting companies of the time would be invited to perform for the Queen. Included were the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the company to which Shakespeare belonged. The influence of Elizabeth pervades many of Shakespeare’s works.