bright star

thelast

ofthegreatTudordynasty,abrightstarwhodazzledboththenationandthe

world.

Elizabeth‘sachievementshaslastedfornearlyfourcenturiesandit’asyto

psdefeatedtheSpanish

ime,Shakespearewroteplaysand

Spenrwrotepoems.

ThedaughterofKingHenryVIIIandhiscondwife,AnneBoleyn,Queen

ElizabethIcametothethronein1558andruledEnglandforalmost45years.

HerreignisknownasTheGoldenAge,atimethatsawthebirthofShakespeare,

thedefeatoftheSpanishArmada,andtheemergenceofEnglandasaworld

power.

Fromtheprisontothepalace

Elizabeth‘sfatherwasHenryVIII,oneofthemostfamouskingsinEngland

ivorcedhisfirstwife,CatherinofAragon,becaushe

hadnotgivenhimasonhehadbeenlongfor,butnowherreplacementAnn

Boleynhadfailedherprincipaldutyasroyalbreedingmachine,forshehadonly

ile,Henryhadfalleninlovewithanother

imewhenElizabethwasonlythree,Annwas

irmarriagewas

ethwasnowillegitimateandunabletoinherit

eadoftheRightHighandMightyPrincess,theLadyElizabeth,

inheritrixofthecrownofEngland,shebecametheLadyElizabeth,theKing’s

ghwasbroughtupinthecountryawayfrom

theroyalcourt,amefluent

inFrench,Italian,LatinandGreek.

In1544,n

dward(JaneSeymour’sson)died

withoutaheir,hen

sailedforFrancetofightawar,leavinghiswifeKatherineParr,asregentin

ethnowwitnesdatfirsthandthatanintelligent,

well-educatedwomancouldruleeffectively.

In1546,Elizabeth’sfather,HenryVIIIdied,andlittleKingEdwardVIhad

steppedintohisfather’sshoesattheageof9,whileElizabethwasonly13.

InordertodivorceCatherinofAragon,HenryhadbrokenawayfromRome

holicchurches,cross

faithhadtheenthusiastic

backingofElizabeth’sbrother,1553,the15-

esperatetostopthereligious

reformsbeingundonebyhisCatholicsisterMary,whowouldsuccedunderthe

termsoftheirfather’cludedherfromthesuccessionbecaushe

ouldn’tstopMary’soverwhelmingsupport,forshewas

proclaimedQueen,whovisionwastoleadEnglandbacktothetrueCatholic

dstampedCatholicismonEnglandwithextraordinaryviolence,

burningatthestakeover300Protestantmen,women,andchildren.

Elizabeth’1554,

r,Mary

finallyrelentedunderpressurefromhercounciltonameElizabethasher

1559,ElizabethwascrownedasQueenofEngland.

TheVirginQueen

ParliamentpetitionedtheQueenaskinghertopledgeherlftoasuitable

ayslater,shegaveherrespons.“Nowthe

publiccareofgoverningthekingdomislaiduponme,todrawuponmealso

thecaresofmymarriage,,to

satisfyyou,Ihavealreadyjoinedmylfinmarriagetoanhusband,namelythe

meitshallbeafullsatisfactionif,whenIshalllet

mylastbreath,itmaybeengravenuponmymarbletomb’HereliethElizabeth,

whichreignedavirginanddiedavirgin’.”

ElizabethhadfinallygottheparliamenttorestoreProtestantisminEngland.

QueenElizabethisGod’sdirectreprentativehereonearth-churchandstate

areone.

Elizabethherlfrefudto'makewindowsintomen'ssouls...thereis

onlyoneJesusChristandalltherestisadisputeovertrifles';she

askedforoutwarduniformity.

Mostofhersubjectsacceptedthecompromiasthebasisoftheir

faith,andherchurchttlementprobablysavedEnglandfromreligious

warslikethowhichFrancesufferedinthecondhalfofthe16th

century.

Althoughautocraticandcapricious,Elizabethhadastutepolitical

judgementandchoherministerswell;theincludedWilliamCecil,

laterLordBurghley(SecretaryofState),SirChristopherHatton(Lord

Chancellor)andSirFrancisWalsingham(inchargeofintelligenceand

alsoaSecretaryofState).

Overall,Elizabeth'sadministrationconsistedofsome600officials

administeringthegreatofficesofstate,andasimilarnumberdealing

withtheCrownlands(whichfundedtheadministrativecosts).Social

andeconomicregulationandlawandorderremainedinthehandsof

thesheriffsatlocallevel,supportedbyunpaidjusticesofthepeace.

Elizabeth'sreignalsosawmanybravevoyagesofdiscovery,including

thoofFrancisDrake,WalterRaleighandHumphreyGilbert,

xpeditionspreparedEnglandfor

anageofcolonisationandtradeexpansion,whichElizabethherlf

recognidbyestablishingtheEastIndiaCompanyinattheveryend

of1599.

TheartsflourishedduringElizabeth'yhoussuchas

LongleatandHardwickHallwerebuilt,miniaturepaintingreachedits

highpoint,theatresthrived-theQueenattendedthefirstperformance

ofShakespeare's'AMidsummerNight'sDream'.Comporssuchas

WilliamByrdandThomasTallisworkedinElizabeth'scourtandatthe

ChapelRoyal,'sPalace.

TheimageofElizabeth'

Queenherlfwasoftencalled'Gloriana','GoodQueenBess'and'The

VirginQueen'.

Investinginexpensiveclothesandjewellery(tolookthepart,likeall

contemporarysovereigns),shecultivatedthisimagebytouringthe

countryinregionalvisitsknownas'progress',oftenridingon

ethmadeatleast25

progressduringherreign.

However,Elizabeth'sreignwasoneofconsiderabledangerand

difficultyformany,withthreatsofinvasionfromSpainthroughIreland,

northernEnglandwasin

bullof1570specificallyrelead

Elizabeth'ssubjectsfromtheirallegiance,andshepasdharshlaws

againstRomanCatholicsafterplotsagainstherlifewerediscovered.

OnesuchplotinvolvedMary,QueenofScots,whohadfledtoEngland

in1568afterhercondhusband,Henry,LordDarnley's,murderand

hersubquentmarriagetoamanbelievedtohavebeeninvolvedin

hismurder,James,EarlofBothwell..

AsalikelysuccessortoElizabeth,Maryspent19yearsasElizabeth's

prisonerbecauMarywasthefocusforrebellionandpossible

assassinationplots,suchastheBabingtonPlotof1586.

letterof1586toMary,Elizabethwrote,'Youhaveplanned...totake

mylifeandruinmykingdom...Ineverproceededsoharshlyagainst

you.'DespiteElizabeth'sreluctancetotakedrasticaction,onthe

insistenceofParliamentandheradvirs,Marywastried,foundguilty

andexecutedin1587.

In1588,aidedbybadweather,theEnglishnavyscoredagreatvictory

overtheSpanishinvasionfleetofaround130ships-the'Armada'.The

SpanishArmadawasintendedtooverthrowtheQueenandre-

establishRomanCatholicismbyconquest,asPhilipIIbelievedhehad

aclaimtotheEnglishthronethroughhismarriagetoMary.

DuringElizabeth'slongreign,thenationalsosufferedfromhighprices

andvereeconomicdepression,especiallyinthecountryside,during

againstSpainwasnotverysuccessfulafterthe

Armadahadbeenbeatenand,togetherwithothercampaigns,itwas

verycostly.

Thoughshekeptatightreinongovernmentexpenditure,Elizabethleft

ringElizabeth'sreignare

estimatedtohavecostover£5million(atthepricesofthetime)which

Crownrevenuescouldnotmatch-in1588,forexample,Elizabeth's

totalannualrevenueamountedtosome£392,000.

Despitethecombinationoffinancialstrainsandprolongedwarafter

1588,ereonly16

sittingsoftheCommonsduringElizabeth'sreign,fiveofwhichwerein

ghElizabethfreelyudherpowerto

vetolegislation,sheavoidedconfrontationanddidnotattemptto

defineParliament'sconstitutionalpositionandrights.

adchonaforeignprince,he

wouldhavedrawnEnglandintoforeignpoliciesforhisownadvantages

(asinhersisterMary'smarriagetoPhilipofSpain);marryingafellow

countrymancouldhavedrawntheQueenintofactionalinfighting.

Elizabethudhermarriageprospectsasapoliticaltoolinforeignand

domesticpolicies.

However,the'VirginQueen'wasprentedasalflesswomanwho

sacrificedpersonalhappinessforthegoodofthenation,towhichshe

was,inesnce,'married'.

Lateinherreign,sheaddresdParliamentintheso-called'Golden

Speech'of1601whenshetoldMPs:'Thereisnojewel,beitofnever

sohighaprice,whichItbeforethisjewel;Imeanyourlove.'She

emstohavebeenverypopularwiththevastmajorityofhersubjects.

Overall,Elizabeth'salwaysshrewdand,whennecessary,decisive

leadershipbroughtsuccessduringaperiodofgreatdangerbothat

datRichmondPalaceon24March1603,

eofheraccessionwas

anationalholidayfortwohundredyears.