Elizabeth, Englands most popular ruler had a difficult childhood having been declared

illegitimate after the fall of Anne Boleyn. Under Mary, she was a prisoner, held briefly at the
Tower, as a likely focus of Protestant plots. She proved to be a ruler of quality: courageous,
shrewd and possessing a potent way with words, although she was politically indecisive.
Historically, she benefited from the extraordinary cult of Gloriana created around her by
courtiers, and from the exceptional quality of Elizabethan mariners, poets (the most important
of who was Shakespeare) and other Renaissance heroes who ornamented her long and
prosperous reign. Her aim was stability and concord, but administration was neglected. Crown
revenue declined, corruption crept into government, and a rift began to open between Crown
and parliament.
THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES
Elizabeths major achievement was the settlement of the religious question, with the creation
of the Church of England; based on the Thirty-Nine Articles (1563).Elizabeth had no very
strong religious beliefs. She aimed at shaping a Church which her people as many as
possible of them- would accept: a Church that would keep the nation as far as possible united.
However, it automatically turned English Catholics into traitors, and displeased those radical
Protestants who came to be known as Puritans.
Now that Mary was dead, Philip tried to keep England Catholic by asking Elizabeth to marry
him. She did not want to make him her enemy, for he was sovereign of an empire ten times as
powerful as England. But she knew how much harm the Spanish Marriage had done to her
sister, and that the wealthy classes would never settle down happily so long they were afraid
they might have to give back to the Church lands. So she refused.
WILLIAM CECIL
The man who guided Elizabeth through these difficult times was William Cecil whom, when
Elizabeth became Queen, was named her Secretary of State. He proved a most wise, hardworking, and loyal minister: he set himself to give his sovereign complete authority.
THE GREAT ARMADA AND NATIONAL UNITY
Philip II of Spain, Englands former king, now enemy, launched an invasion fleet, the famous
Spanish Armada in 1558, but it was broken up by the navy and storms.
The overthrow of the Armada was very important not only for England but for all Europe. In
England the victory gave people a new feeling of national pride and self-confidence. For thirty
years the country had lived under the threat of attack from the greatest Power in the world.
That attack had now been triumphantly beaten off. Henceforth Englishmen felt they could
defy the world.
Elizabeths great aim was to strengthen the nation by keeping it united under her rule, and
one way to do so was by creating the Church of England. She did not trouble much about what
her people really believed so long as they went to the national Church, for it was part of the
national unity.
THE VIRGIN QUEEN
Elizabeth had steered England to safety through very dangerous waters. She had many faults,
but she was utterly devoted to her country and to her task of ruling it wisely. One sacrifice
that she had to make was to remain unmarried so as not to lose Englands independence.
Although Elizabeth did have many suitors, and was romantically involved with Sir Robert
Dudley, Earl of Leicester. She was able to exploit her availability to some advantage, and it
augmented her popularity, always carefully courted, with the common people. One of her last

actions was to state that she considered King James of Scotland, the son of Mary Queen of
Scots, to be her rightful successor.