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You are here: UK History > Royal History > House of Tudor > Elizabeth I | Good Queen Bess
When Elizabeth was born, no one suspected that she would be one of the greatest monarchs of the Tudor dynasty, she is better remembered than either of her siblings and continues to have a cult surrounding her name.
Born: 7th September 1533, Palace of Placentia, Greenwich
Died: 24th March 1603 (aged 63), Richmond Palace, Surrey
Reign: 17th November 1558 – 24th March 1603
Parents: Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
Predecessor: Mary I (sister)
Successor: James I / VI (nephew)
Spouse: none
Children: none
Royal House: Tudor
The only surviving child of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was the last of the Tudor monarchs. She proved to be more moderate than her father or her siblings, showing tolerance and avoiding systematic persecution. She is perhaps more famous for her two nicknames; Gloriana, referring to her victories over Spain and the Virgin Queen, referring to her choice not to marry or have children.
Image: Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth was the only surviving child of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, at the time of her birth, it was erroneously reported that the queen had given birth to a boy and celebrations had to be quickly rearranged. Despite this, she was still heir presumptive and her older sister Mary was demoted. Henry remained disappointed that Anne hadn’t given him a son and by the time Elizabeth was two, her mother had been beheaded on trumped up charges and she, like her sister Mary, had her titles stripped and was deemed illegitimate.
Following the death of her mother and the birth of her younger half brother, Edward, Elizabeth became part of the his household, even performing ceremonial duties at his christening. Records show that Elizabeth spent most of her childhood under the care of her governess, Kat Ashley, who would remain her friend and part of her personal retinue until her death. Ashley is said to have taught Elizabeth four languages and contributed to her religious education. Later, she received education alongside her half-brother and by her late teens, was believed to be the best educated woman of her generation. In fact, by the end of her life, it is said that she could speak Welsh, Cornish, Scottish, Irish, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Latin and Greek fluently.
Elizabeth’s father remained largely absent in her life until he married his final wife, Catherine Parr. Parr reconciled Henry with all three of his children and they began to visit their father’s court much more often. Under her influence, Henry implemented the Third Act of Succession, which although didn’t legally legitimise Elizabeth and Mary, did return them to the line of succession, naming both of them as heirs to Edward, should he die without issue. Elizabeth and Catherine had a strong relationship, with Catheine taking the young princess under her wing. After the death of Henry VIII and Edward’s ascension, Elizabeth joined Catherine Parr’s household, along with her cousin Lady Jane Grey. Parr went on to marry Thomas Seymour, the maternal uncle of Edward VI, and it was this that historians believe sparked Elizabeth’s reluctance to marry.
Seymour is said to have been very physical with Elizabeth, who was around 14 years old at the time. Reports from those present, like Kat Ashley, said that he would enter her private rooms uninvited and would engage in ‘horseplay’ with her. Elizabeth’s household staff reported that she would rise early and surround herself with maids to try and avoid him. Catherine Parr was aware of this and on at least one occasion, joined in when he was inappropriate with her. However, Parr did evict Elizabeth and send her away in 1548 after she allegedly caught her in an embrace with Seymour. Following Parr’s death, Seymour continued to pursue Elizabeth and tried to marry her, but she refused. He was later arrested and beheaded by Edward for unrelated crimes in 1549.
Henry VIII died in 1547, making Edward, who was just 9, king. It is said that Elizabeth and Edward had a friendly relationship and would visit each other regularly. Elizabeth is also said to have had a good relationship with her sister Mary.
Edward spent much of his reign continuing their father’s policy of reformation, moving the country away from Catholicism, a religion still faithfully followed by Mary. Despite both he and Elizabeth being raised Protestant, Edward wrote both his sisters out of the line of succession when it became clear that he was terminally ill. Instead, he named their cousin, Lady Jane Grey his heir and she was proclaimed queen when he died aged 15 in 1553.
Mary, with support from the English people, nobles and notably, Elizabeth, deposed Lady Jane and triumphantly rode to London to claim her crown accompanied by Elizabeth.
The alliance between the Tudor sisters didn’t last very long. Mary, as a devout Catholic, sought to change the religious laws that had been put in place by Henry and Edward. She began a series of purges, removing prominent protestants from positions of power, reinstating Catholicism and bringing back heresy laws, resulting in a number of people being burned at the stake for refusing to conform. Though Elizabeth is said to have outwardly conformed to these new laws, she didn’t privately agree and continued to identify as a protestant.
During Mary’s reign, there were several rebellions, including the Wyatt Rebellion, in which Elizabeth was implicated. In this protest, rebels were angry with Mary’s decision to marry Philip of Spain, concerned about England becoming dependent on Spain and returning to Papal rule. Rebels wanted Mary to abdicate and to put Elizabeth on the throne instead. The rebellion was supressed and Elizabeth interrogated regarding her role in the plot, she was imprisoned in the Tower of London and then put under house arrest. Though there is no real evidence to support her involvement. Her house arrest only ended when Mary appeared to be pregnant and Elizabeth was brought to court to support her sister and as heir presumptive, should Mary die in childbirth.
When Elizabeth was 25, Mary succumbed to illness and died, naming her as queen.
When the Privy Council announced that Elizabeth was queen, the citizens rejoiced, welcoming her to the role with vigour. Reports from the time say that there was much celebration, particularly on the day of her coronation, where street parties were held outside Westminster Abbey. Though people were happy with her ascension, by the end of her reign, public opinion had shifted due to a poor economic climate and issues surrounding religion and war. Despite this, the Elizabethan era is well remembered for its maritime adventurers, English expansion and the insurgence of art and literature. Elizabeth herself was described as being short tempered, but charismatic and subverted many of the expectations of women at the time.
During her reign, she showed a more cautious foreign policy than her father, only half heartedly supporting military campaigns in Europe and Ireland. However, she is particularly remembered for her victory against the Spanish, a war she couldn’t avoid.
One of the biggest issues Elizabeth faced when crowned was the country’s religious instability. She had been raised a protestant and showed pragmatism towards religious policy, proposing a bill that would be accepted by both sides. The bill named her the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, repealed the Heresy Laws brought in by Mary and brought in the Act of Uniformity. This act made attendance at church and the use of the Common Book of Prayer commissioned by her brother compulsory, but there was no real penalty for not doing so. Elizabeth followed a personal policy of religion being a personal affair, allowing people to do as they felt appropriate. She herself followed Protestantism but did keep some catholic symbols, like the crucifix.
Despite initially not forcing religious policy, in the later years of her reign, there was an increasing repression of Catholics and commissions began interrogating Catholic households, though how much of this was done under Elizabeth’s command is debated.
Elizabeth’s reign was heavily influenced by her chief advisor, William Cecil, and later, his son Robert, who took over after his father’s death. It was a reign that relied heavily on spies and propaganda which created an air of distrust. Once Robert Cecil took over the government, Elizabeth’s personal authority began to weaken and a policy of handing out monopolies as a cost free system of patronage to fund conflicts became common place.
Even before becoming queen, there was pressure on Elizabeth to marry. After Mary married Philip of Spain, he proposed that Elizabeth marry into his family, but Elizabeth refused. Several heads of state, as well as English nobles, like Thomas Seymour, approached her but ultimately, she never married and didn’t have children. Historians continue to debate whether her earlier experiences with Seymour put her off the idea of marriage but whatever the reason, she continued to consider suitors into her fifties. Her last known courtship was with Francis, the Duke of Anjou, but this never progressed further than initial talks. Perhaps Elizabeth was worried about handing over power to a husband and having to rule in name only, perhaps her father’s frequent marriages gave her pause or maybe she was concerned that her choice of suitor would cause an uprising as Mary’s had. One thing that is certain though is that she did have a long term relationship with her childhood friend, Robert Dudley.
Dudley was the younger brother of Guilford Dudley, husband of Lady Jane Grey and son of John Dudley, who plotted to keep Mary from the throne. Elizabeth had grown up alongside the Dudleys and she and Robert had always been close, with much speculation as to the true nature of their relationship.
When Elizabeth came to the throne, Dudley was already married to Amy Robsart, but he abandoned his wife to move to court. Later, Robsart was found dead in mysterious circumstances with many speculating that Dudley was involved in order to free himself to marry the queen. Whether Elizabeth wanted to marry him or not, her advisors made their disapproval of him very clear. Dudley would go on to be named Earl of Leicester and had bedchambers next to the queen’s. He later remarried, something that Elizabeth was said to be unhappy about.
He died after the defeat of the Spanish Armada and personal letters addressed to Elizabeth were found among his personal belongings after her own death.
Being unmarried and childless has led to a cult of virginity around Elizabeth, gaining her the nickname “the Virgin Queen”, however whether she was in fact a virgin until death is not universally accepted. It is common knowledge that there was some sort of relationship between herself and Dudley and of course, she did suffer sexual abuse at the hands of Seymour, something which wasn’t considered a crime at the time. At one point, much like her sister, Elizabeth did suffer a medical incident where her stomach swelled and she was bedridden for several months. However, being queen, it is unlikely that a pregnancy would have been concealed.
Arguably, Elizabeth’s most contentious relationship was with her cousin Mary Queen of Scots. Being descended from Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister, and King James of Scotland, Mary had a claim to both the Scottish and English thrones. After a betrothal to Edward VI collapsed, Mary was married to the King of France and returned to Scotland after his death, bringing French support with her.
Whether it was Elizabeth’s concern or her council’s, there as a belief that Mary would stake a claim on the English throne and that being a catholic, would have the support of both Europe and the English catholics who wanted a return to Papal authority. One way that Elizabeth’s advisors sought to control Mary was by choosing her a husband, Robert Dudley was one name that was put forward, however Mary married Lord Darnley, who had his own claim to the throne, again through Margaret Tudor.
Darnley and Mary would have a child, James which caused more tension between the two countries. James also had a viable claim to the English throne after all. Lord Darnley would end up being murdered in a plot and Mary would be abducted and married to the Earl of Bothwell. She was forced to abdicate the throne by the Scottish lords, leaving the baby James to be raised by a council as a protestant. Mary escaped, fleeing to England hoping for support from Elizabeth and aid so she can reclaim her throne.
Initially Elizabeth was keen to help her cousin but was persuaded by Cecil that Mary had an ulterior motive. Mary ended up being under house arrest for the next 19 years where she would become the subject of several rebellious plots to return England to Catholicism. The council continued to pressure Elizabeth to charge her with treason, which the queen resisted. Eventually, Mary was executed at Fotheringhay Castle and Elizabeth would claim that she did not intend for the death warrant to be dispatched, something that historians continue to debate.
Perhaps the most well remembered incident from Elizabeth’s reign is her victory over the Spanish. The Spanish Armada was a fleet of 130 ships that sailed under the Habsburgs of Spain with the purpose of invading England and overthrow the queen in retaliation for English interference in the Netherlands. The armada was under the command of Philip of Spain, the husband of Elizabeth’s late sister.
Under Elizabeth’s command, English ships sailed from Plymouth to attack the Armada. Sir Francis Drake captured a Spanish ship and the rest of the armada anchored off Calais waiting for further instructions. The fleet was further damaged by attacking English ships and then bad weather, with less than a third of the initial fleet making it back to Spain. To this day, it remains the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish war. A year later, Elizabeth sent their own armada to Spain, which was also unsuccessful.
Elizabeth’s most famous speech was made at Tilbury Dock as part of preparations for the fight against the Spanish Armada. Addressing the gathered crowd, she stated: “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.”
Sadly, after the victory against the Spanish Armada, there was a typhus outbreak which killed many of the mariners.
The Spanish Armada isn’t the only maritime contribution made by Elizabeth, she had a policy of validating privateering and waged a war against pirate operating on the south coast. She also oversaw the first settlers leaving for America and the founding of the East India Trading Company, which she gave a charter in 1600 and allowed for further economic development for the country.
Throughout her reign, Elizabeth refused to name an heir. Having no husband or children, her council was forced to look elsewhere. Robert Cecil took it on himself to find someone suitable to take over the English throne and began negotiations with James VI of Scotland. Not only was he the son of Lord Darnley and Mary Queen of Scots which gave him a right to the throne, but he had been raised as a protestant by the Scottish lords and was Elizabeth’s god son. Through Cecil’s negotiations, James made himself amenable to Elizabeth and she named him as her heir.
Unlike her brother and sister, who both died relatively young, Elizabeth made it to her 63rd year before starting to encounter health issues. Her health was affected after the deaths of several close friends in the autumn of 1602, which plunged her into a depression. The following March she fell sick and died at Richmond Palace on 24th March 1603. The following day, the Privy Council proclaimed James as England’s new monarch, making him James I of England and James VI of Scotland.
Elizabeth was buried at Westminster Abbey in the same tomb at her sister Mary I. James would later add an inscription. Notably, James would erect a much larger and grander memorial for his mother, which can also be seen in the abbey.
Historians continue to have a complicated view of Elizabeth, her defeat of the Armada and establishing an English church that helped shape a national identity and remains in place today are proof of the impact her reign had on English history. She raised England’s status abroad and was the first monarch ruled by popular consent, however there continues to be debates over her handling of Mary Queen of Scots and her reliance on William Cecil, Robert Dudley and the use of spies.
Elizabeth’s death marked the end of the Tudor dynasty and the beginning of the Stuart’s reign.
Ashridge, Hertfordshire
This estate was given to Elizabeth by her father and it was here that she was living when she was arrested by her sisiter Mary and sent to Tower of London.
British Library, London
Handwritten notes from Elizabeth are part of the collection, as are her bibles, miniatures and a mother of pearl ring.
Charlecote Park, Warwickshire
Elizabeth stayed here in what is now the drawing room.
Ham House, London
A minature a Elizabeth can be found here.
Hatfield House
Elizabeth's family home.
Kimpton Fitzroy, London
A statue of Elizabeth, along with Mary II, Queen Anne and Queen Victoria can all be seen on the hotel.
Maughan Library, London
A statue of Elizabeth can be found here.
National Archives, Kew
One of Elizabeth's great seals can be seen here.
Richmond Park, London
Elizabeth was known to hunt here.
Royal Naval College, London
The college sits on what was Greenwich Palace, Elizabeth's birthplace.
Somerset House, London
Elizabeth was staying here while opening the Royal Exchange
St Dunstan in the West, London
A statue of Elizabeth can be seen on the church
The Royal College of St Peter in Westminster
There is a statue of Elizabeth here.
The Royal Exchange, London
Elizabeth officially open the building
Tower of London
Elizabeth was held captive here by her sister Mary.
Westbury Abbey
She is buried in the chapel's north aisle with a monument above depicting her effigy. She shares a final resting place with her sister, Mary I.
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