As we approach the two year anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, I wanted to take time to explore the impact of England’s most famous historical queen, who Elizabeth II shares a name with. September 7th marks the 491st birthday of Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, born in 1533.
At the age of two, Elizabeth’s mother was executed, taking her from Lady Princess to Lady Elizabeth. Her father disinherited her until 1543, making her third in line for the throne. Elizabeth was well educated, speaking seven or eight languages including Greek, Latin, and Spanish. A few months after her thirteenth birthday, Henry VIII died, making her brother King of England. She was put in the care of her stepmother, Catherine Parr. Catherine’s new husband Thomas Seymour took an interest in young Elizabeth. Catherine had her sent away for her protection, but it wasn’t quite enough. Her husband was arrested for plotting against the King and Elizabeth was also arrested. She narrowly escaped being executed alongside Thomas.
When her brother died in 1553, Elizabeth was once again in danger. Her sister, Mary I, was Catholic and made that the religion of England, after several decades of Protestantism. Elizabeth was a Protestant and a direct threat to Mary if she didn’t have a son. In her short five year reign, multiple rebellions were made in the name of Elizabeth.
On November 17, 1558, Elizabeth became Queen upon her sister's death and was crowned on January 15th of the following year. She officially declared England a Protestant nation, but wasn’t as strict as her sister. All she required was for her subjects to declare that they were Protestant, but she did not enforce it.
Elizabeth made it clear from the beginning that she would remain unmarried. While no one believed her, Elizabeth stuck with it, earning her the name the “Virgin Queen”. Rumors did circulate of potential relations with friend Robert Dudley, though nothing has ever been truly confirmed. Famously, Philip II attempted to marry Elizabeth, but she rejected his proposal. This led to Elizabeth’s famous defeat of the Spanish Armada, solidifying England’s title as the most powerful navy.
Elizabeth led England through the height of the English renaissance. Shakespeare was inspired by the Queen and her reign, using it as inspiration for several of his plays.
Elizabeth’s forty year reign cemented her as one of England’s greatest monarchs. Her reign was referred to as a Golden Age. This was a very brief glance at the life and contributions she made to England after the turmoil caused by her father and siblings. I implore you to look into this more if it’s something that interests you. The YouTube channel History With Hilbert has a ten minute overview of Elizabeth’s reign, including more of the political side of what she did. It’s a great compact overview of her reign if you’re looking for a little more information.
All Information From: The Royal Family Website, Greenwich Museum, Hampton Court, and Royalty TV.
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