This article is about the Queen of England. For other uses, see Elizabeth. |
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- "I want to be Queen. I think I am smart enough to be Queen. I know I am smart enough. This is not pride. I simply know what I know. But what does it all mean if I remain a slim shadow in a Palace window?"
- —Elizabeth during her childhood[4]
Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was the Queen of England from 1558 to 1603. She was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth's childhood in the Tudor court was turbulent. Following their father's death, her half-siblings Edward and Mary both had their own reigns. Elizabeth was crowned after Mary's death in 1558.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Elizabeth was born on 7 September 1533[5] to King Henry VIII of England and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. She was given her own household at Hatfield, where she was attended by her older half-sister Mary. In 1535, two-year-old Elizabeth was briefly engaged to the third son of Francis I. Her mother was executed on false accusations of adultery the following year. Elizabeth was made illegitimate after her parents' marriage was declared invalid.
Her father quickly remarried to Jane Seymour, whom gave birth to Elizabeth's half-brother Edward. After Jane's passing, Henry married Anne of Cleves in 1540. Their marriage was annulled and he wed Catherine Howard within the same year. Elizabeth thought of Catherine as a playmate and was much disturbed by her execution. In 1543, Henry married Catherine Parr whom Elizabeth instantly liked. Catherine also oversaw her education.
1544 – 1547[]
In July 1544, Elizabeth, whom had only just returned to court after a year of exile, was sent away again after angering her father. She settled at Hatfield with her longtime governess, Kat Champernowne. Elizabeth eventually appealed to her stepmother, whom was able to receive permission for her return from the King. Elizabeth was delighted to be reunited with her brother Edward and their good friend Robert "Robin" Dudley. They were eventually joined by Elizabeth's cousin Lady Jane Grey. The King returned from laying siege to Boulogne in early October. Later, Elizabeth visited the Tower of London and learned about her mother's execution from one of the yeomen warders.
In November 1544, Elizabeth received her own tutor, William Grindal, for the first time. She became exceedingly fond of him. Early the next year, Elizabeth's governess Kat married John Ashley. A few months later, King Henry sent his children away from Greenwich, fearing a French invasion. Several months later at Whitehall, Elizabeth and Robin became wary of Mary, whom seemed to be plotting something with the Lord Chancellor Thomas Wriothesley. They eventually surmise that Mary was planning to marry the Earl of Arran, the Regent of Mary, Queen of Scots. However, the plot seemingly fell through, when the Duchess of Lexford was found poisoned. Elizabeth and the other children were sent away by Henry for their safety.
Elizabeth and the other children returned back to court in April 1546. She and Robin noticed a definite coolness between King Henry and Catherine Parr, which deeply worried Elizabeth. They later learned that the Lord Chancellor had received permission to arrest the Queen on charges related to her religious leanings. Elizabeth and Robin managed to warn her in time for Catherine to beg for Henry's forgiveness. The next Christmas, Elizabeth spent the holidays away from her family, likely due to her father's rapidly falling health. On 28 January 1547, the King passed away but Elizabeth and Edward were not informed for two days. Edward was later crowned the new King of England.
1547 – 1558[]
After her father's death, Elizabeth came to live with Catherine whom married Thomas Seymour a few months later. Her cousin Lady Jane Grey also came to live with them. By January 1548, Catherine was expecting a baby and Seymour began paying untoward attention to Elizabeth. Kat was worried about the behavior, but there was little she could do little about it. Catherine eventually decided to have Elizabeth sent away to Cheshunt. Shortly after, Kat was imprisoned and Elizabeth was questioned by Robert and Lady Tyrwhitt, whom were trying to implicate Thomas in a plot to marry the princess. Elizabeth refused to confess to anything and rebuked the couple for imprisoning Kat.
In January 1549, Elizabeth was questioned again when Thomas was arrested for an alleged kidnapping attempt on the King. Kat and her husband were imprisoned. Edward disinherited his sisters and named their cousin, Lady Jane Grey, his heir, before passing away on 6 July 1553. Mary gathered support and was named queen instead. Elizabeth rode with Mary to the Tower of London ahead of her coronation. In March 1554, Mary suspected Elizabeth to be involved in Wyatt's rebellion and had her imprisoned in the Tower of London. Elizabeth was put under house arrest at Woodstock Palace in May, before being allowed to reside at Hatfield. Mary passed way on 17 November 1558. At twenty-five, Elizabeth ascended the throne and became Queen of England.
Later life[]
Elizabeth's reign, which became known as the Elizabethan Age, was originally marked with a tolerance towards religion. Protestantism was restored as the official religion, but Elizabeth stated that she would not "open windows in men's souls."[1] In 1568, her cousin Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots came to England after fleeing Scotland to seek help from Elizabeth. She had Mary imprisoned.[6][7] Years previously after Mary I's death, Mary Stuart's father-in-law King Henry of France had declared Queen of England since he did not recognize the Protestant Elizabeth.[8] Shortly after Mary's imprisonment in England, Elizabeth was excommunicated by the Pope and he supported Mary's claim on the throne.[7]
Mary subsequently became the focus of Catholic plots against the throne, including the Ridolfi plot in 1571. Elizabeth, fearing for her life, passed several laws making it harder for Catholics to live in England. In 1586, her secretary of state Francis Walsingham uncovered the Babington Plot. Mary was implicated in the plot and tried for treason. Elizabeth was reluctant to sign her death warrant, even recalling her secretary William Davison after she finally signed it. When the warrant was sent and the execution carried out, Elizabeth was most upset and laid the blame on her secretary whom was sent to the Tower.[6]
Elizabeth never married, leading to her being called the "Virgin Queen." She stated "I will have here but one mistress and no master." For much of her reign, Spain was a constant threat to England until the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. England was freer to explore the seas from then on. The arts also flourished during Elizabeth's reign, which included the playwright William Shakespeare. She ruled over England for forty-five years, passing away on 24 March 1603.[1][9] Elizabeth was succeeded by James VI and I, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Personality and traits[]
Elizabeth was sensible and matter-of-fact in her thinking. She wanted to queen, though she thought it unlikely at first, and knew she would be a good one. During her childhood, she often felt insecure about her father whom had made her feel unwanted at times. Elizabeth tried her best to please her father, though she often incurred his ire instead. She dearly loved and respected her stepmother Catherine Parr, whom natured Elizabeth's love of learning. Elizabeth was particularly talented with languages and was able to translate Greek and Latin texts into English. Her father described one of her translations as "eloquent and witty."
She was talented with music, playing the lute and having a nice voice for singing. In addition to that, she was able to embroider well.[10]
Family tree[]
- See also: Category:House of Tudor
♛Henry VII (1457-1509) | Elizabeth of York (1465-1503) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arthur (1486-1502) | (1) Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536) | ♛Henry VIII (1491-1547) | (2) Anne Boleyn (1501-1536) | (3) Jane Seymour (1509-1537) | (4) Anne of Cleves (1515-1557) | ♚James IV (1473-1513) | Margaret Tudor (1489-1541) | Mary Tudor (1496-1533) | Charles Brandon (1484-1545) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
♛Mary I (1516-1558) | ♛Elizabeth I (1533-1603) | ♛Edward VI (1537-1553) | (5) Catherine Howard (1520-1542) | Stuart family | Sir Henry Grey (d. 1554) | Frances Brandon (d. 1559) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(6) Catherine Parr (1512-1548) | ♛Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Key:
♛ - King or Queen of England
♚ - King or Queen of Scotland
Behind the scenes[]
- Elizabeth is the main character of the fictional diary, Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor by Kathryn Lasky.
- She is a minor character in Anne Boleyn and Me, Henry VIII's Wives, Lady Jane Grey, Bloody Tower, and The Queen's Spies.
- She was played by the Canadian actress, Tamara Hope in "Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor". Hope is best known for her role in Guinevere Jones.
- In That Fatal Night, Dorothy Wilton visits Madame Tussauds, where she sees a wax figure of Elizabeth and Marie Antoinette.
Appearances[]
- In chronological order:
- Anne Boleyn and Me
- Henry VIII's Wives
- Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor
- "Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor" (film)
- Lady Jane Grey
- Bloody Tower
- Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen Without a Country (Mentioned only)
- The Queen's Spies
- Armada (Mentioned only)
- The Journal of Jasper Jonathan Pierce (Mentioned only)
- That Fatal Night (Mentioned only)
- Wartime Princess (Mentioned only)
- London Stories (Mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, Kathryn Lasky, Epilogue, pages 211-214
- ↑ Anne Boleyn and Me, Alison Prince, page 144
- ↑ Anne Boleyn and Me, Alison Prince, page 144
- ↑ Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, Kathryn Lasky, page 9
- ↑ Anne Boleyn and Me, Alison Prince, page 144
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Queen's Spies, Valerie Wilding, Historical Note, pages 170-173
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Queen's Spies, Valerie Wilding, Timeline, pages 174-177
- ↑ Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen Without a Country, Kathryn Lasky, Epilogue, pages 177-178
- ↑ Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, Kathryn Lasky, Historical Note, pages 217-223
- ↑ Henry VIII's Wives, Alison Prince, page 268
- ↑ Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, Kathryn Lasky, The Tudor Family Tree, pages 224-227
See also[]
The Royal Diaries characters | ||||||
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External links[]
- Elizabeth I at Biography
- Elizabeth I at Elizabethi.org
- Elizabeth I at Tudor History
- Elizabeth I at Britannica
- Elizabeth I on Wikipedia