The child of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I (1533–1603) was England’s ‘Gloriana’. The last Tudor monarch was a virgin queen who saw herself as being married to her country, and who; after the chaos of her siblings’ brief reigns, brought England almost half a century of prosperity and stability.
Flame-haired, white-faced, and often lavishly dressed, Elizabeth possessed the innate charm of her father, Henry VIII, and was the beloved of her people. Her finest hour came in 1588 when she beat the Spanish Armada, propelling her to legendary status.
Elizabeth was never meant to be queen
She was the most influential monarch in British history, making England a major European power in politics, commerce, and the arts. She had a rough path to the throne, and legally she would never have been allowed to rule; both because she was a female and because her mother was Anne Boleyn, the much-hated ex-wife of Henry VIII.
“Though the sex to which I belong is considered weak you will nevertheless find me a rock that bends to no wind.” – Queen Elizabeth I.
At the time of Henry VIII ‘s death, Elizabeth was third on the throne after her younger brother Edward and her elder sister Mary. This is one of the biggest ironies in history that Henry VIII was so obsessed with having a son; except his beloved child had only reigned for six years, dying of tuberculosis at the age of 15.
The second in line, Mary, wasn’t faring much better. Her brief, catastrophic reign ended only five years later. It was up to Elizabeth to show them how it was supposed to be done.
Ties and relationship with the Church
The appreciation of Elizabeth I has a lot to do with her talents as a rhetorician and an image-maker; that she used to portray herself as a noble female authority symbol committed to the well-being of England and her subjects above all else. However, she wasn’t popular with everyone.
The Catholics were not pleased that she had converted Britain to Protestantism; although some Protestants thought that she had not gone far enough to remove the Catholic aspects of the Church of England ‘s doctrine. Her public image also deteriorated in the last decade of her rule, when England was pressured by problems such as poor harvests, unemployment, and economic inflation.
However, Elizabeth I proved that all the naysayers were wrong and became one of the greatest female leaders. Popular for her intellect, astute and hot-temperate, ‘The Virgin Queen’ was undoubtedly one of the greatest women in history.
Reference:
https://www.marieclaire.com.au/famous-women-in-history
https://www.historyextra.com/period/elizabethan/7-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-elizabeth-i/
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