QUEEN ELIZABETH I

Biography

Elizabeth I was the long-ruling queen of England, governing with relative stability and
prosperity for 44 years. The Elizabethan era is named for her.
First, Elizabeths difficult childhood began on September 7, 1553, born to King Henry VIII
and Anne Boleyn. With the birth of Elizabeth, Henrys disappointment resulted in the
beheading of Anne Boleyn. Because Henry VIII desired a male heir on the throne, he had
several wives, getting rid of each one when they failed to produce a son. After Henry
beheaded Anne Boleyn, Elizabeths life changed drastically. She had many step mothers
and was treated poorly. While still quite young, her half sister, Mary, who reigned as queen
at the time, sent Elizabeth to prison since she thought that Elizabeth would try to
overpower her. Elizabeths difficult childhood shaped the strong queen she became.
Second, Elizabeths education influenced her future greatly. After the beheading of her
mother, her stepmother, Katharine Parr, had the brightest scholars teach Elizabeth.
Elizabeth studied history, French, math, Latin, geography, Greek, astronomy, and Italian.
History quickly became her favorite subject. She loved to ride horses, hunt, dance, and
play music on the lyre, the virginal, and the lute. Because of her well-rounded education,
Elizabeth loved seeing Shakespeares plays. Her intelligence and skill absolutely amazed
her tutors. Other languages she learned included Spanish, Welsh, and Flemish.
Elizabeths excellent education made her a strong and wise queen.
Third, Elizabeths devotion to her country brought her wonderful success. In 1558, the year
that Elizabeth became queen, she fell to her knees and said, A Domino factum est ilud et
est mirabile in oculus nostris, in Latin, which in English means, This is the doing of the
Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes. When Elizabeth became queen, England had
drought, religious unrest, poverty, high prices, overcrowding in London and poor relations
with foreign countries. One observer wrote, I never saw England weaker in strength, men,
and riches.there was nothing but fining, beheading, hanging, quartering, and burning;
taxing, levying, pulling down of bulwarks at home, and beggaring and losing out
strongholds abroad. During her reign Queen Elizabeth brought England back to
prosperity. Elizabeth also felt so loyal to her country that she never married. As queen she
explained, I am already bound unto a husband which is the Kingdom of England. She
began to settle religious conflicts and improve her country by listening to the people of
England. Instead of beheading or burning people at the stake as her sister had done, she
negotiated and worked hard to make peace within her country. When 68 years old,
Elizabeth told parliament, Though God hath raised me high, yet this I account the glory of
my crown, that I have reigned with your loves.It is not my desire to live or reign longer
than my life and reign shall be for your good. And though you have had, and may have,
many mightier and wiser princes sitting in this seat, yet you never had, nor shall have any
that will love you better. For generations to come, the people in England would remember
her speech as Elizabeths Golden Speech. This devotion to her people brought her
admiration and loyalty

Fear not, we are of the nature of the lion, and cannot descend to the destruction of mice and
such small beasts.
One man with a head on his shoulders is worth a dozen without.
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