what was queen elizabeth 1 famous for

Under Grindal, a talented and skilful tutor, she also progressed in French and Greek. 7. Elizabethan Spies in Action The Print Collector/Getty Images William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and chief advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. Mary and Elizabeth, first cousins and Queens of their respective countries, had a rocky relationship that dominated English-Scottish politics for 20 years. Elizabeth, daughter of the mercurial King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, was born on September 7, 1533, at Greenwich Palace. But I assure you, I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. [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. He never returned to England. After all, she became. [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. Queen Jane died the next year shortly after the birth of their son, Edward, who was undisputed heir apparent to the throne. When she became queen in 1558, she was twenty-five years old, a survivor of scandal and danger, and considered illegitimate by most Europeans. Catholics accused Elizabeth of engaging in "filthy lust" that symbolically defiled the nation along with her body. 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. [114], Regnans in Excelsis gave English Catholics a strong incentive to look to Mary as the legitimate sovereign of England. [195], The more Elizabeth's beauty faded, the more her courtiers praised it. [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. Whereof fail you not, as you will answer the contrary at your utmost peril. Elizabeth could no longer put off Marys execution. Queen Elizabeth: How 70 years of portraits have made her an icon - CNN (Apparently, the king was undeterred by the logical inconsistency of simultaneously invalidating the marriage and accusing his wife of adultery.) see chapter 8, "The Queen and the People", Haigh, 149169. The rule of the Tudor dynasty ended with the death of Elizabeth. William Cecil was already seeking solutions to the succession problem. As for all such expeditions, Elizabeth was unwilling to invest in the supplies and reinforcements requested by the commanders. [210] Expectations of King James started high but then declined. [16] From her teenage years and throughout her life, she translated works in Latin and Greek by numerous classical authors, including the Pro Marcello of Cicero, the De consolatione philosophiae of Boethius, a treatise by Plutarch, and the Annals of Tacitus. In 1591, the campaign of John Norreys, who led 3,000 men to Brittany, was even more of a disaster. She was then presented for the people's acceptance, amidst a deafening noise of organs, fifes, trumpets, drums, and bells. [152] In the course of a series of uprisings, Crown forces pursued scorched-earth tactics, burning the land and slaughtering man, woman and child. Her strategy, to support the Dutch on the surface with an English army, while beginning secret peace talks with Spain within days of Leicester's arrival in Holland,[126] had necessarily to be at odds with Leicester's, who had set up a protectorate and was expected by the Dutch to fight an active campaign. The speech contains the first record of her adoption of the medieval political theology of the sovereign's "two bodies": the body natural and the body politic:[45], My lords, the law of nature moves me to sorrow for my sister; the burden that is fallen upon me makes me amazed, and yet, considering I am God's creature, ordained to obey His appointment, I will thereto yield, desiring from the bottom of my heart that I may have assistance of His grace to be the minister of His heavenly will in this office now committed to me. [p][q], One of the causes for this "second reign" of Elizabeth, as it is sometimes called,[176] was the changed character of Elizabeth's governing body, the privy council in the 1590s. This attempt, along with her unpopular marriage to the ardently Catholic king Philip II of Spain, aroused bitter Protestant opposition. 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. Elizabeths reign is looked back on as a Golden Age in British history. Meet one of the most powerful women in British and Tudor history in our Elizabeth I facts! After Essex's desertion of his command in Ireland in 1599, Elizabeth had him placed under house arrest and the following year deprived him of his monopolies. [161] In 1600, Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud, the principal secretary to the Moroccan ruler Mulai Ahmad al-Mansur, visited England as an ambassador to the English court,[159][162] to negotiate an Anglo-Moroccan alliance against Spain. By the early 1600s, Elizabeths health had been failing for some time. Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. While risking possible loss of power like her sister, who played into the hands of King Philip II of Spain, marriage offered the chance of an heir. 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.". [59][60] She considered several suitors until she was about fifty. But whilst no theory has been proven, many people think Elizabeth mayhave had blood poisoning from the make-up she wore. [98] The man claimed to be the illegitimate son of Elizabeth and Robert Dudley, with his age being consistent with birth during the 1561 illness. Elizabeth I: facts for kids | National Geographic Kids The cause of her death was never determined. Then was her memory much magnified. 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. Following her mothers execution, Elizabeth was neglected by her father. [157] English merchant and explorer Anthony Jenkinson, who began his career as a representative of the Muscovy Company, became the queen's special ambassador to the court of Tsar Ivan. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Megan Markle are all young, rich, and attractive. While most of his plays were written after her death, we do know she saw a few of Shakespeare's plays and that he performed at Court. Last updated 2011-02-17 Elizabeth I is considered one of the country's most successful and popular monarchs. Essex accomplished nothing and returned home in January 1592. Elizabeth was declared illegitimate and deprived of her place in the royal succession. [113][114] Catholics who obeyed her orders were threatened with excommunication. Walsinghams spies discovered that Mary was sending messages to Catholic plotters. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [4] He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy. In 1601, near the end of her reign, Elizabethgave what is known as the Golden Speech to her politicians. [111] After the rebels' defeat, over 750 of them were executed on Elizabeth's orders. The Armada Portrait. Letter to Mary, Queen of Scots, 23 June 1567." Queen Elizabeth I - Siblings, Reign & Death - Biography 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. A few hours later, Cecil and the council set their plans in motion and proclaimed James King of England. Elizabeth, living at Hatfield House, would admit nothing. But a terrible storm wrecked many of the ships off Scotland and Ireland a storm that King Philip II would later refer to as the Protestant wind. Elizabeth's open and gracious responses endeared her to the spectators, who were "wonderfully ravished". View history John Dee (13 July 1527 - 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. [166] Numerous envoys were dispatched in both directions and epistolar exchanges occurred between Elizabeth and Sultan Murad III. Historians have speculated that Thomas Seymour had put her off sexual relationships. Most modern historians have considered murder unlikely; breast cancer and suicide being the most widely accepted explanations. Elizabeth confronted Mary about the marriage, writing to her: How could a worse choice be made for your honour than in such haste to marry such a subject, who besides other and notorious lacks, public fame has charged with the murder of your late husband, besides the touching of yourself also in some part, though we trust in that behalf falsely. She was born at Greenwich Palace, the daughter of the Tudor king Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Ask a parent or guardian to check it out first and remember to stay safe online. [67][h] Elizabeth seriously considered marrying Dudley for some time. 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. Edward's will was set aside and Mary became queen, deposing and executing Jane. She wasn't popular with everyone, however. [165], Diplomatic relations were also established with the Ottoman Empire with the chartering of the Levant Company and the dispatch of the first English ambassador to the Sublime Porte, William Harborne, in 1578. [78][79][80] Earlier in Elizabeth's life aDanish match for her had been discussed; Henry VIII had proposed one with the Danish prince Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, in 1545, and Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, suggested a marriage with Prince Frederick (later Frederick II) several years later, but the negotiations had abated in 1551. [231] Under Elizabeth, the nation gained a new self-confidence and sense of sovereignty, as Christendom fragmented. How did Elizabeth I come to be queen of England? [94] Henry IV of France said that one of the great questions of Europe was "whether Queen Elizabeth was a maid or no". She wasnt popular with everyone, however. Elizabeth I was always seen dressed in fabulous outfits that reflected her wealth and status. During the 1590s, some of the great names of English literature entered their maturity, including William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. He withdrew in disarray in December 1589, having lost half his troops. Before Elizabeth reached her third birthday, her father had her mother beheaded on charges of adultery and treason. [40], King Philip, who ascended the Spanish throne in 1556, acknowledged the new political reality and cultivated his sister-in-law. By entering your email address you agree to our. [201] The advice worked. The military campaign was severely hampered by Elizabeth's repeated refusals to send promised funds for her starving soldiers. Rather than risk returning Mary to Scotland with an English army or sending her to France and the Catholic enemies of England, they detained her in England, where she was imprisoned for the next nineteen years. The Spanish retreated, intending to sail around the British Isles and back to Spain. The portraiture of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) spans the evolution of English royal portraits in the early modern period (1400/1500-1800), from the earliest representations of simple likenesses to the later complex imagery used to convey the power and aspirations of the state, as well as of the monarch at its head.. [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. His political mantle passed to his son Robert, who soon became the leader of the government. She offered very limited aid to foreign Protestants and failed to provide her commanders with the funds to make a difference abroad. [23] Thomas Seymour engaged in romps and horseplay with the 14-year-old Elizabeth, including entering her bedroom in his nightgown, tickling her, and slapping her on the buttocks. [98] Three letters exist today describing the interview, detailing what Arthur proclaimed to be the story of his life, from birth in the royal palace to the time of his arrival in Spain. By the mid-1580s, England could no longer avoid war with Spain. Mary, a devout Catholic, was determined to crush the Protestant faith in which Elizabeth had been educated, and she ordered that everyone attend Catholic Mass; Elizabeth had to outwardly conform. [192] Elizabeth was happy to play the part,[s] but it is possible that in the last decade of her life she began to believe her own performance. [34] Elizabeth was brought to court and interrogated regarding her role, and on 18 March, she was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Friday 24th April: Home Learning Class 5R 2019-20, Home Learning Tasks: Friday 24th April Class 5GK 2019-20. [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. [21] Historian Mark Stoyle suggests that she was probably taught Cornish by William Killigrew, Groom of the Privy Chamber and later Chamberlain of the Exchequer.[22]. Get messy, explore and appreciate nature, all from the safety of home! FREE William Shakespeare's Life & Times Elizabeth I When Shakespeare began his writing career, Queen Elizabeth I had been on the throne for nearly thirty years, and by the time of her death in 1603 she had ruled over England and Ireland for forty-five years. [62], In the spring of 1559, it became evident that Elizabeth was in love with her childhood friend Robert Dudley. Since the king ardently hoped that Anne Boleyn would give birth to a male heir, regarded as key to stable dynastic succession, the birth of a second daughter was a bitter disappointment that dangerously weakened the new queens position. What was noted was her precocious seriousness; at six years old, it was admiringly observed, she had as much gravity as if she had been 40. After Elizabeth's own death, a note from him was found among her most personal belongings, marked "his last letter" in her handwriting. Elizabeth fervently protested her innocence. 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. [98] However, this failed to convince the Spanish: Englefield admitted to King Philip that Arthur's "claim at present amounts to nothing", but suggested that "he should not be allowed to get away, but [] kept very secure. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In January and February 1554, Wyatt's rebellion broke out; it was soon suppressed. [173] To maintain the illusion of peace and prosperity, she increasingly relied on internal spies and propaganda. Interestingly enough, Princess Anne was born stateside (Washington, D.C., to be precise) in 1917. She was only the second queen in English history to rule in her own right (the first was her half-sister, Mary) during a time when people believed that women werent able to rule as well as men. It also extended Spanish influence along the channel coast of France, where the Catholic League was strong, and exposed England to invasion. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England. She half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective, poorly resourced military campaigns in the Netherlands, France, and Ireland. "[199], Elizabeth's senior adviser, Lord Burghley, died on 4 August 1598. A cult of personality grew around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants, and literature of the day. This is evident from the affectionate monikers she earned, her often (although not always) cordial relationship with Parliament, and the celebratory representations made of her in the art of her contemporariesthe character Gloriana in Edmund Spensers The Faerie Queene being best known of these. Chris Jackson/Getty Images. These cookies allow us to target other information on our website, like advertising, towards your interests. What was Queen Elizabeth Is personal life like? Clever, enigmatic and flirtatious, she rewrote the rules of being Queen. The negotiations failed, due to Fletcher addressing Feodor with two of his many titles omitted. Born7th September 1533,Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife,Anne Boleyn. [89], Elizabeth's unmarried status inspired a cult of virginity related to that of the Virgin Mary. Elizabeth was fortunate that many bishoprics were vacant at the time, including the Archbishopric of Canterbury. The couple took Elizabeth into their household at Chelsea. Thus steeped in the secular learning of the Renaissance, the quick-witted and intellectually serious princess also studied theology, imbibing the tenets of English Protestantism in its formative period. Spanish Armada: Opening of the naval conflict. Elizabeth I (r.1558-1603) | The Royal Family She became fond and indulgent of the charming but petulant young Earl of Essex, who was Leicester's stepson and took liberties with her for which she forgave him. [3], Elizabeth was born at Greenwich Palace on 7 September 1533 and was named after her grandmothers, Elizabeth of York and Lady Elizabeth Howard. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. In 1561, she was mysteriously bedridden with an illness that caused her body to swell. [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. [153] Elizabeth advised her commanders that the Irish, "that rude and barbarous nation", be well treated, but she or her commanders showed no remorse when force and bloodshed served their authoritarian purpose.[154]. [208], Elizabeth was lamented by many of her subjects, but others were relieved at her death. [140] The Spanish still controlled the southern provinces of the Netherlands, and the threat of invasion remained. After the occupation and loss of Le Havre in 15621563, Elizabeth avoided military expeditions on the continent until 1585, when she sent an English army to aid the Protestant Dutch rebels against Philip II. [75] He died shortly after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Crowds cheered her all along the way. [235] Priding herself on being "mere English",[236] Elizabeth trusted in God, honest advice, and the love of her subjects for the success of her rule. This was a great triumph for Elizabeth she even commissioned a portrait of her celebrating the victory (above). Queen Elizabeth I | Folger Shakespeare Library Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 24 March 1603)[a] was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. [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. The armada was defeated by a combination of miscalculation,[l] misfortune, and an attack of English fire ships off Gravelines at midnight on 2829 July (78 August New Style), which dispersed the Spanish ships to the northeast. Despite his capacity for monstrous cruelty, Henry VIII treated all his children with what contemporaries regarded as affection; Elizabeth was present at ceremonial occasions and was declared third in line to the throne. This political symbolism, common to monarchies, had more substance than usual, for the queen was by no means a mere figurehead. Queen Elizabeth. [53], Elizabeth and her advisers perceived the threat of a Catholic crusade against heretical England. [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. [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. [44], Elizabeth became queen at the age of 25, and declared her intentions to her council and other peers who had come to Hatfield to swear allegiance. 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. [92] Ultimately, Elizabeth would insist she was married to her kingdom and subjects, under divine protection. 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,. Henry abandoned the siege in April. [] todays History lesson I have made a quiz on kahoot! Elizabeth's coffin was carried downriver at night to Whitehall, on a barge lit with torches. [v] Cecil coached the impatient James to humour Elizabeth and "secure the heart of the highest, to whose sex and quality nothing is so improper as either needless expostulations or over much curiosity in her own actions". The English took their delivery as a symbol of God's favour and of the nation's inviolability under a virgin queen. Towards the end of her reign, a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity. This iconic portrait is now back on public display in the Queen's House after careful conservation. [77] She turned down the hand of Philip, her half-sister's widower, early in 1559 but for several years entertained the proposal of King Eric XIV of Sweden. When the Protestant Henry IV inherited the French throne in 1589, Elizabeth sent him military support. [127] He enraged Elizabeth by accepting the post of Governor-General from the Dutch States General. But after Edwards untimely death, Henrys eldest daughter, Mary I, reigned until she died in 1558. Mary was the granddaughter of Margaret, the older sister of Henry VIII. [b] She depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers led by William Cecil, whom she created Baron Burghley. She was found guilty of treason and beheaded in 1587. In January 1549, Seymour was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower on suspicion of conspiring to depose his brother Somerset as Protector, marry Lady Jane Grey to King Edward VI, and take Elizabeth as his own wife. Arrested and sent to the Tower of London after Sir Thomas Wyatts rebellion in January 1554, Elizabeth narrowly escaped her mothers fate. Many men proposed but Elizabeth always kept them waiting. [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. These cookies are required to make our website work! The issue was never raised again! They owed little directly to the queen, who was never a major patron of the arts. [41] When his wife fell ill in 1558, King Philip sent the Count of Feria to consult with Elizabeth. Mary boasted being "the nearest kinswoman she hath". James was depicted as a Catholic sympathiser, presiding over a corrupt court. The Latin inscription on their tomb, "Regno consortes & urna, hic obdormimus Elizabetha et Maria sorores, in spe resurrectionis", translates to "Consorts in realm and tomb, here we sleep, Elizabeth and Mary, sisters, in hope of resurrection". [70] There were even rumours that the nobility would rise if the marriage took place. During a revolt in Munster led by Gerald FitzGerald, in 1582, an estimated 30,000 Irish people starved to death. The Company eventually controlled half of world trade and substantial territory in India in the 18th and 19th centuries. Queen Elizabeth II served from 1952 to 2022 as reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. But what. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and will receive emails from us about news, offers, activities and partner offers. [15] By the age of 12 she was able to translate her stepmother Catherine Parr's religious work Prayers or Meditations from English into Italian, Latin, and French, which she presented to her father as a New Year's gift. By October 1558, Elizabeth was already making plans for her government. But Elizabeth also had a reputation for leaving important decisions to the very last minute much to the annoyance of her ministers! Since Elizabeth would never name her successor, Robert Cecil was obliged to proceed in secret. [58], From the start of Elizabeth's reign it was expected that she would marry, and the question arose to whom. Twice she accompanied him in tickling Elizabeth, and once held her while he cut her black gown "into a thousand pieces". The Venetian ambassador stated in 1603 that she "possessed [these] languages so thoroughly that each appeared to be her native tongue". Elizabeth I knights the explorer Sir Francis Drake. When no invasion came, the nation rejoiced. [15] By the time her formal education ended in 1550, Elizabeth was one of the best educated women of her generation. Elizabeth sent a new ambassador, Dr. Giles Fletcher, to demand from the regent Boris Godunov that he convince the Tsar to reconsider. 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). Finally, it was Elizabeths turn. The Queen felt strongly about her reasons not to marry. The Wildly Different Childhoods of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen - HISTORY [109], These events led rapidly to Mary's defeat and imprisonment in Lochleven Castle. After Henrys death in 1547, two of Elizabeths half-siblings would sit on the throne: first the young Edward VI, who reigned for six years, and then Mary I (Bloody Mary), who reigned for five years. [116] From the 1570s missionary priests from continental seminaries went to England secretly in the cause of the "reconversion of England". [64] By the autumn of 1559, several foreign suitors were vying for Elizabeth's hand; their impatient envoys engaged in ever more scandalous talk and reported that a marriage with her favourite was not welcome in England:[65] "There is not a man who does not cry out on him and her with indignation she will marry none but the favoured Robert.
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