Elizabeth was the last monarch of the House of Tudor and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".[1]. Many of them are missing, so that one cannot understand her easily when she speaks quickly." For other uses, see, "I mean to direct all my actions by good advice and counsel.". Ask a parent or guardian to check it out first and remember to stay safe online. When Elizabeth was crowned monarch in 1558, her lack of a husband and heir became one of the defining issues for the remainder of her rule. Elizabeth considered marriage to two French Valois princes in turn, first Henry, Duke of Anjou, and then from 1572 to 1581 his brother Francis, Duke of Anjou, formerly Duke of Alenon. [53], Elizabeth's foreign policy was largely defensive. In 1561, she was mysteriously bedridden with an illness that caused her body to swell. Gilbert's half-brother Walter Raleigh explored the Atlantic Coast and claimed the territory of Virginia, perhaps named in honour of Elizabeth, the "Virgin Queen". In 1601, near the end of her reign, Elizabethgave what is known as the Golden Speech to her politicians. Henry's succession was strongly contested by the Catholic League and by Philip II, and Elizabeth feared a Spanish takeover of the channel ports. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Godfrey Goodman, Bishop of Gloucester, recalled: "When we had experience of a Scottish government, the Queen did seem to revive. [164] In one correspondence, Murad entertained the notion that Protestantism and Islam had "much more in common than either did with Roman Catholicism, as both rejected the worship of idols", and argued for an alliance between England and the Ottoman Empire. [95], A central issue, when it comes to the question of Elizabeth's virginity, was whether the queen ever consummated her love affair with Robert Dudley. [81] In the years around 1559 a Dano-English Protestant alliance was considered,[82] and to counter Sweden's proposal, King Frederick II proposed to Elizabeth in late 1559. Many Protestants and Roman Catholics alike assumed that her self-presentation was deceptive, but Elizabeth managed to keep her inward convictions to herself, and in religion as in much else they have remained something of a mystery. Then was her memory much magnified. In his absence, a Catholic League army almost destroyed the remains of his army at Craon, north-west France, in May 1591. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Letter to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, 10 February 1586, delivered by. As for all such expeditions, Elizabeth was unwilling to invest in the supplies and reinforcements requested by the commanders. Church bells were rung and bonfires were lit, and thousands of people gathered to drink and make merry. [167] To the dismay of Catholic Europe, England exported tin and lead (for cannon-casting) and ammunitions to the Ottoman Empire, and Elizabeth seriously discussed joint military operations with Murad III during the outbreak of war with Spain in 1585, as Francis Walsingham was lobbying for a direct Ottoman military involvement against the common Spanish enemy. [220], Recent historians, however, have taken a more complicated view of Elizabeth. Religious upheaval in Continental Europe and Henry's dispute with the pope over his marital difficulties led Henry to break from the Roman Catholic Church and to establish the Church of England. [211][232][233] Elizabeth was the first Tudor to recognise that a monarch ruled by popular consent. [t] One task he addressed was to prepare the way for a smooth succession. [87], By 1570, senior figures in the government privately accepted that Elizabeth would never marry or name a successor. Elizabeth's ambassador in France was actively misleading her as to the true intentions of the Spanish king, who only tried to buy time for his great assault upon England. Sept. 8, 2022 Among those who taught her was her father, along with a senior teacher at Eton College, several French and Belgian governesses who taught her French, and the archbishop of Canterbury,. When in 1537 Henrys third wife, Jane Seymour, gave birth to a son, Edward, Elizabeth receded still further into relative obscurity, but she was not neglected. Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17th November 1558 to 24th March 1603. [54] As a result, the Parliament of 1559 started to legislate for a church based on the Protestant settlement of Edward VI, with the monarch as its head, but with many Catholic elements, such as vestments. This meant she could get the support she needed from them and keep them loyal, too! [113][114] Catholics who obeyed her orders were threatened with excommunication. Her unwillingness to commit herself to the cause, Leicester's own shortcomings as a political and military leader, and the faction-ridden and chaotic situation of Dutch politics led to the failure of the campaign. [73] She raised Dudley to the peerage as Earl of Leicester in 1564. She was born at Greenwich Palace, the daughter of the Tudor king Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. [185] In her famous "Golden Speech" of 30 November 1601 at Whitehall Palace to a deputation of 140 members, Elizabeth professed ignorance of the abuses, and won the members over with promises and her usual appeal to the emotions:[186], Who keeps their sovereign from the lapse of error, in which, by ignorance and not by intent they might have fallen, what thank they deserve, we know, though you may guess. Many men proposed but Elizabeth always kept them waiting. Her advisors thought she needed a husband to support her and an heir to succeed her. Some historians have called her lucky;[231] she believed that God was protecting her. His political mantle passed to his son Robert, who soon became the leader of the government. After the pope declared her illegitimate in 1570 and released her subjects from obedience to her, several conspiracies threatened her life, all of which were defeated with the help of her ministers' secret service, run by Francis Walsingham. "[99] The king agreed, and Arthur was never heard from again. In government, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been. Mary recognised Elizabeth as her heir on 6 November 1558,[43] and Elizabeth became queen when Mary died on 17 November. [182], During the last years of her reign, Elizabeth came to rely on the granting of monopolies as a cost-free system of patronage, rather than asking Parliament for more subsidies in a time of war. Catholics accused Elizabeth of engaging in "filthy lust" that symbolically defiled the nation along with her body. The Company eventually controlled half of world trade and substantial territory in India in the 18th and 19th centuries. "[214] Elizabeth's reign became idealised as a time when crown, church and parliament had worked in constitutional balance. But what. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Many people in the 16th century believed that a woman wasnt fit to rule, but Elizabeth was quick to prove them wrong! [219] Neale and Rowse also idealised the Queen personally: she always did everything right; her more unpleasant traits were ignored or explained as signs of stress. View history Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 - 24 March 1603) [a] was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. [u] He therefore entered into a coded negotiation with James VI of Scotland, who had a strong but unrecognised claim. [114] Many suffered execution, engendering a cult of martyrdom. [100] Modern scholarship dismisses the story's basic premise as "impossible",[99] and asserts that Elizabeth's life was so closely observed by contemporaries that she could not have hidden a pregnancy. Menu Elizabeth I (r.1558-1603) Elizabeth I - the last Tudor monarch - was born at Greenwich on 7 September 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. [164] Discussions, however, remained inconclusive, and both rulers died within two years of the embassy. In 1566, Parliament even tried to force Elizabeths hand by refusing to give her any more money until she married. [170], The period after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 brought new difficulties for Elizabeth that lasted until the end of her reign. An element of piracy and self-enrichment drove Elizabethan seafarers, over whom the queen had little control.[122][123]. While she did not wield the absolute power of which Renaissance rulers dreamed, she tenaciously upheld her authority to make critical decisions and to set the central policies of both state and church. After the short reigns of her half-siblings, her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped to forge a sense of national identity. Costly wars against Spain and the Irish, involvement in the Netherlands, socio-economic distress, and an authoritarian turn by the regime all cast a pall over Gloriana's final years, underpinning a weariness with the queen's rule and open criticism of her government and its failures.". In 1569 there was a major Catholic rising in the North; the goal was to free Mary, marry her to Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, and put her on the English throne. [113] The papal bull provoked legislative initiatives against Catholics by Parliament, which were, however, mitigated by Elizabeth's intervention. The love of my people hath appeared firm, and the devices of my enemies frustrate. Born7th September 1533,Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife,Anne Boleyn. [13] Catherine Champernowne, better known by her later, married name of Catherine "Kat" Ashley, was appointed as Elizabeth's governess in 1537, and she remained Elizabeth's friend until her death in 1565. ", Woolf, D. R. "Two Elizabeths? "Teaching Elizabeth Tudor with Movies: Film, Historical Thinking, and the Classroom,", Collinson, Patrick. Elizabeth's intention had been to exchange Le Havre for Calais, lost to France in January 1558. [12], Elizabeth's first governess, Margaret Bryan, wrote that she was "as toward a child and as gentle of conditions as ever I knew any in my life". Elizabeth is acknowledged as a charismatic performer ("Gloriana") and a dogged survivor ("Good Queen Bess") in an era when government was ramshackle and limited, and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardised their thrones. But I assure you, I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. The English fleet suffered a catastrophic defeat with 11,00015,000 killed, wounded or died of disease[144][145][146] and 40 ships sunk or captured. Mary was the granddaughter of Margaret, the older sister of Henry VIII. During a revolt in Munster led by Gerald FitzGerald, in 1582, an estimated 30,000 Irish people starved to death. Her father, King Henry VIII, had Parliament annul his marriage to Elizabeths motherhis second wife, Anne Boleynthus making Elizabeth an illegitimate child and removing her from the line of succession (although a later parliamentary act would return her to it). Table of Contents Listen to article Elizabeth II See all media Born: April 21, 1926 London England Died: September 8, 2022 (aged 96) Balmoral Castle Scotland House / Dynasty: house of Windsor Notable Family Members: [130] This public humiliation of her "Lieutenant-General" combined with her continued talks for a separate peace with Spain[k] irreversibly undermined Leicester's standing among the Dutch. James I and the Late Queen's Famous Memory,", This page was last edited on 24 June 2023, at 16:01. Elizabeth sent a new ambassador, Dr. Giles Fletcher, to demand from the regent Boris Godunov that he convince the Tsar to reconsider. [148] Peregrine Bertie, largely ignoring Elizabeth's orders, roamed northern France to little effect, with an army of 4,000 men. And as I am but one body naturally considered, though by His permission a body politic to govern, so shall I desire you all to be assistant to me, that I with my ruling and you with your service may make a good account to Almighty God and leave some comfort to our posterity on earth. Mary's initial popularity ebbed away in 1554 when she announced plans to marry Philip of Spain, the son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and an active Catholic. Recently saved for the nation, the Armada Portrait commemorates the most famous conflict of Elizabeth I's reign - the failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in summer 1588. [149] As usual, Elizabeth lacked control over her commanders once they were abroad. James was depicted as a Catholic sympathiser, presiding over a corrupt court. Last updated 2011-02-17 Elizabeth I is considered one of the country's most successful and popular monarchs. All public officials were to swear an oath of loyalty to the monarch as the supreme governor or risk disqualification from office; the heresy laws were repealed, to avoid a repeat of the persecution of dissenters practised by Mary. Her elder half-sister Mary had lost her position as a legitimate heir when Henry annulled his marriage to Mary's mother, Catherine of Aragon, to marry Anne, with the intent to sire a male heir and ensure the Tudor succession. Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. [159][160] England established a trading relationship with Morocco in opposition to Spain, selling armour, ammunition, timber, and metal in exchange for Moroccan sugar, in spite of a papal ban. Henry already had a daughter, Mary Elizabeths half-sister with his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Elizabeth gave Edmund Spenser a pension; as this was unusual for her, it indicates that she liked his work. When it became clear that Mary was not pregnant, no one believed any longer that she could have a child. Her. [210] Expectations of King James started high but then declined. Find out more and visit The Armada Portrait. [217] In the Victorian era, the Elizabethan legend was adapted to the imperial ideology of the day,[210][w] and in the mid-20th century, Elizabeth was a romantic symbol of the national resistance to foreign threat. [106] Mary refused to ratify the treaty.[107]. Her policy there was to grant land to her courtiers and prevent the rebels from giving Spain a base from which to attack England. In 1588, Philip sent a fleet of 130 ships, known as the Spanish Armada,to England. The adulation bestowed upon her both in her lifetime and in the ensuing centuries was not altogether a spontaneous effusion. Oil on panel, after 1620 Elizabeth I and Shakespeare When Shakespeare was born in 1564, Elizabeth had been Queen of England for just 5 years. Queen Jane died the next year shortly after the birth of their son, Edward, who was undisputed heir apparent to the throne. [50] Although Elizabeth was welcomed as queen in England, the country was still in a state of anxiety over the perceived Catholic threat at home and overseas, as well as the choice of whom she would marry. Observers were repeatedly tantalized with what they thought was a glimpse of the interior, only to find that they had been shown another facet of the surface. It was the result of a carefully crafted, brilliantly executed campaign in which the queen fashioned herself as the glittering symbol of the nations destiny. [84] This last proposal was tied to a planned alliance against Spanish control of the Southern Netherlands. If she married an Englishman, it may have caused conflict between her ministers and advisors. She was balding, had bad breath due to her rotting teeth eww! Two months later, after extensive interrogation and spying had revealed no conclusive evidence of treason on her part, she was released from the Tower and placed in close custody for a year at Woodstock. Still, she never married, perhaps because she preferred to keep power to herself. This broke with the policy of her predecessor and half-sister, Queen Mary I, a Catholic monarch who ruthlessly tried to eliminate Protestantism from English society. A forged letter from Elizabeth to the playwright, Shakespeare in Love and Charles Beauclerk's assertion that Shakespeare was the Queen's illegitimate son are examples of our endless. In 1587 he made a successful raid on Cdiz, destroying the Spanish fleet of war ships intended for the Enterprise of England,[134] as Philip II had decided to take the war to England.[135]. [103] She feared that the French planned to invade England and put her Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, on the throne. [77] For her failure to marry, Elizabeth was often accused of irresponsibility. The sincerity of Elizabeth's remorse and whether or not she wanted to delay the warrant have been called into question both by her contemporaries and later historians. She often wrote to Tsar Ivan the Terrible on amicable terms, though the Tsar was often annoyed by her focus on commerce rather than on the possibility of a military alliance. The Armada Portrait, which Elizabeth I had painted after her victory over the Spanish. [111] After the rebels' defeat, over 750 of them were executed on Elizabeth's orders. [19] Current knowledge of Elizabeth's schooling and precocity comes largely from Ascham's memoirs. It also extended Spanish influence along the channel coast of France, where the Catholic League was strong, and exposed England to invasion. [208], Elizabeth was lamented by many of her subjects, but others were relieved at her death. For though, as her sister demanded, she conformed outwardly to official Catholic observance, she inevitably became the focus and the obvious beneficiary of plots to overthrow the government and restore Protestantism. However, the war against Spain was far from over, and would last for another 19 years. Elizabeth's famous attachment to Pembroke . Members urged the queen to marry or nominate an heir, to prevent a civil war upon her death. She was the Queen of Scotland from 1543until1567, when she became very unpopular and was forced to abdicate (give up the throne). Elizabeth continued to appeal to Feodor in half appealing, half reproachful letters. However, things changed when Francis Walsingham one of Elizabeths most important ministers uncovered a plot to overthrow Elizabeth in 1686. In it she expressed her love for her country and subjects, and said, There is no jewel, be it of never so high a price, which I set before this jewel; I mean your love.. They landed on Roanoke Island, off present-day North Carolina. But Elizabeth didnt let that stop her! Ivan even proposed to her once, and during his later reign, asked for a guarantee to be granted asylum in England should his rule be jeopardised. But instead, she received a rather frosty reception, to say the least. [6] She was the second child of Henry VIII of England born in wedlock to survive infancy. Lastly, she is arguably the most famous child of Henry VIII. [192] Her love of sweets and fear of dentists contributed to severe tooth decay and loss to such an extent that foreign ambassadors had a hard time understanding her speech. Published: 02 February 2022 Posted by: Dr Tracy Borman Category: History In-depth When Elizabeth I became queen upon the death of her half-sister 'Bloody' Mary on 17 November 1558, there was great rejoicing across the kingdom. [119] After the execution, Elizabeth claimed that she had not intended for the signed execution warrant to be dispatched, and blamed her secretary, William Davison, for implementing it without her knowledge. This was a great triumph for Elizabeth she even commissioned a portrait of her celebrating the victory (above). [f][g] This enabled supporters amongst peers to outvote the bishops and conservative peers. Desperate for a male heir, Henry disowned Elizabeth as a child and beheaded her mother and in the process, hugely underestimated his daughters potential to become one of the most influential queens in British history. [169], The East India Company was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region and China, and received its charter from Queen Elizabeth on 31 December 1600. After Henry, Elizabeth's half-brother Edward VI, ruled until his own death in 1553, bequeathing the crown to a cousin, Lady Jane Grey and ignoring the claims of his two half-sisters, the Catholic Mary and the younger Elizabeth, in spite of a statute to the contrary. Elizabeth did, however, have a weakness for flattery and she could be extremely vain every portrait was carefully inspected to make sure she looked her absolute best! The need for circumspection, self-control, and political acumen became even greater after the death of the Protestant Edward in 1553 and the accession of Elizabeths older half sister Mary, a religious zealot set on returning England, by force if necessary, to the Roman Catholic faith. Religious questions and the fate of Mary, Queen of Scots, Fit for a King (or Queen): the British Royalty Quiz, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-I, Ancient Origins - Queen Elizabeth I: The Controversies and the Accomplishments, The National Archives - Elizabeth I's "Golden Speech", Spartacus Educational - Biography of Queen Elizabeth I, World History Encyclopedia - Elizabeth I of England, Poetry Foundation - Biography of Queen Elizabeth I, History Learning Site - Biography of Elizabeth I, The Home of the Royal Family - Biography of Elizabeth I, Royal Museum Greenwich - Queen Elizabeth I's speech to the troops at Tilbury, Heritage History - Biography of Elizabeth I, Elizabeth I - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Elizabeth I - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Queen Elizabeth I inherited several issues from the reign of her predecessor, Queen, The threat posed by the former subsided with the 1562 outbreak of the. Walsinghams spies discovered that Mary was sending messages to Catholic plotters. [] todays History lesson I have made a quiz on kahoot! After the failure of the first colony, Raleigh recruited another group and put John White in command. In 1559, she had Dudley's bedchambers moved next to her own apartments. In reality, Elizabeth wasnt interested in catering to either Protestantism or Catholicism, the zeal of both having the potential to disrupt the kind of law and order she was trying to establish. [221] Rather than as a brave defender of the Protestant nations against Spain and the Habsburgs, she is more often regarded as cautious in her foreign policies. Her refusal to marry lead to her being remembered as the Virgin Queen. She knew that marriage would mean sharing power with her husband, and even becoming the less powerful of the two. Leicester invited Elizabeth to inspect her troops at Tilbury in Essex on 8 August. She wrote to Leicester: We could never have imagined (had we not seen it fall out in experience) that a man raised up by ourself and extraordinarily favoured by us, above any other subject of this land, would have in so contemptible a sort broken our commandment in a cause that so greatly touches us in honour And therefore our express pleasure and commandment is that, all delays and excuses laid apart, you do presently upon the duty of your allegiance obey and fulfill whatsoever the bearer hereof shall direct you to do in our name. [201] The advice worked. The negotiations failed, due to Fletcher addressing Feodor with two of his many titles omitted. One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the supreme governor. Her arrival was a disappointment for her father: Henry VIII craved a son and heir to ensure the future of the Tudor dynasty. The Elizabethan era is named for her.. Famous British People Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I was a long-ruling queen of England, governing with relative stability and prosperity for 44 years. Henry abandoned the siege in April. The future Queen Elizabeth I was born at Greenwich Palace on 7 September 1533. Cecil wrote to James, "The subject itself is so perilous to touch amongst us as it setteth a mark upon his head forever that hatcheth such a bird". View history John Dee (13 July 1527 - 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. She was then presented for the people's acceptance, amidst a deafening noise of organs, fifes, trumpets, drums, and bells. [135] Walter Raleigh claimed after her death that Elizabeth's caution had impeded the war against Spain: If the late queen would have believed her men of war as she did her scribes, we had in her time beaten that great empire in pieces and made their kings of figs and oranges as in old times. Why? What were the biggest issues facing England during Queen Elizabeth Is reign? Prices rose and the standard of living fell. The modern convention is to use the old style calendar for the day and month while using the new style calendar for the year.[206]. [88] Her silence, however, strengthened her own political security: she knew that if she named an heir, her throne would be vulnerable to a coup; she remembered the way that "a second person, as I have been" had been used as the focus of plots against her predecessor. [120] Only through the activities of her fleets did Elizabeth pursue an aggressive policy. Following her death, Mary, Queen of Scots son James VI of Scotland was named King James I of England. De Maisse: a journal of all that was accomplished by Monsieur De Maisse, ambassador in England from King Henri IV to Queen Elizabeth, anno domini 1597, Nonesuch Press, 1931, pp. [114], Regnans in Excelsis gave English Catholics a strong incentive to look to Mary as the legitimate sovereign of England. [205], While it has become normative to record Elizabeth's death as occurring in 1603, following English calendar reform in the 1750s, at the time England observed New Year's Day on 25 March, commonly known as Lady Day. Queen Elizabeth I. [33] Discontent spread rapidly through the country, and many looked to Elizabeth as a focus for their opposition to Mary's religious policies. At birth, Elizabeth was the heir presumptive to the English throne. [168], In 1583, Humphrey Gilbert sailed west to establish a colony in Newfoundland. He intended to seize the queen but few rallied to his support, and he was beheaded on 25 February. The ensuing naval battle would go down as one of the most famous ones ever and ended with Englands defeat of the. When he was wrongly accused by the Earl of Essex of treason out of personal pique, she could not prevent the doctor's execution, although she had been angry about his arrest and seems not to have believed in his guilt. This attempt, along with her unpopular marriage to the ardently Catholic king Philip II of Spain, aroused bitter Protestant opposition. [191] Her painted portraits became less realistic and more a set of enigmatic icons that made her look much younger than she was. Frail and melancholy over the deaths of many of her close friends and advisors, she would stand for hours, refusing to rest. Elizabeth, aware that she could be a threat to her throne, kept Mary prisoner for 19 years. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The exception was the English occupation of Le Havre from October 1562 to June 1563, which ended in failure when Elizabeth's Huguenot allies joined with the Catholics to retake the port. [195], The more Elizabeth's beauty faded, the more her courtiers praised it. [63] It was said that his wife Amy was suffering from a "malady in one of her breasts" and that the queen would like to marry Robert if his wife should die. The result was just as dismal. James was taken to Stirling Castle to be raised as a Protestant. The wrecked Spanish fleet can be seen in the window behind her. By the terms of the treaty, both English and French troops withdrew from Scotland. [188] The first signs of a new literary movement had appeared at the end of the second decade of Elizabeth's reign, with John Lyly's Euphues and Edmund Spenser's The Shepheardes Calender in 1578. The marriage was the first of a series of errors of judgement by Mary that handed the victory to the Scottish Protestants and to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his second wife, who was executed when Elizabeth was two years old. A Woman Ruler in a Patriarchal World Elizabeth I Photos.com/Thinkstock Elizabeth's refusal to marry was the cause of great national and international discussion. "Elizabeth I: a sense of place in stone, print and paint", Rowse, A. L. "Queen Elizabeth and the Historians. [143], In 1589, the year after the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth sent to Spain the English Armada or Counter Armada with 23,375 men and 150 ships, led by Francis Drake as admiral and John Norreys as general.
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