QUEEN ELIZABETH I

Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17th November, 1558, until her death on 24th March, 1603. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the last Monarch of the House of Tudor. (All information is from Wikipedia.)

"I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a King, and a King of England too."(A quote from Elizabeth I)


Elizabeth was the only daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his second wife, who was executed two and a half years after Elizabeth was born. The marriage between Henry and Anne was annulled and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate.

During her step-sister's, Mary I's, reign, Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.

In 1558, Elizabeth succeeded her step-sister to the throne and set out to rule by counsel. One of her first actions was the establishment of an English Protestant Church, of which she became Supreme Governor. In religion, Elizabeth was relatively tolerant and avoided systematic persecution. England's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 associated Elizabeth with one of the greatest military victories in English history.

Elizabeth's reign is known as the Elizabethan Era, the Era famous for the flourishing of English drama and English adventurers. Elizabeth herself was a charismatic performer and a survivor. Mary, Queen of Scots, who was Elizabeth's rival, was imprisoned in 1568 and was executed in 1587.
Elizabeth's reign of 44 years was welcomed as it stabilized the country and helped forge a sense of national identity.