HEROINES From History

Amid attacks from all sides, Elizabeth I steered her country into a time of peace and prosperity

Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, is known to have enjoyed a largely successful reign, which featured several milestone accomplishments and left her with a reputation for being a Queen who looked out for her people.

Born in 1533, Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Fluent in five languages and excelling in many subjects including music, the young Elizabeth was academic and intelligent, but her route to the throne was complicated and dramatic.

She became Queen upon her half-sister Mary Tudor’s death in 1558. Mary Tudor was King Henry’s first child with his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and their only offspring to survive to adulthood.

Elizabeth had a younger half-brother, Edward – the king’s only legitimate son, with his third wife Jane Seymour. Elizabeth and Mary were declared illegitimate as their father favoured his male heir.

Upon Henry VIII’s death in 1547, Edward succeeded his father as King Edward VI, but died just six years later, in

1553. Mary Tudor and their cousin, Lady Jane Grey, were the potential heirs.

Edward had appointed Grey his successor but her reign proved to be very short. Mary gained the support of the English people and unseated her after only nine days.

Religion played a huge role in what happened next. Even though Elizabeth supported Mary, her support for her father’s move towards Protestantism put her at odds with the new Queen. A staunch Roman Catholic, Mary sought to restore her country to her faith. While Elizabeth went along with the religious change, she was favoured by those who were against it.

In 1554, rebellious politician Thomas Wyatt organised an uprising against Mary in the hopes of making Elizabeth queen and restoring Protestantism to England. His plot was uncovered, and Mary quickly imprisoned Elizabeth. Her life was saved because right up to his execution, Wyatt maintained that Elizabeth was not aware of the rebellion. Elizabeth was freed and returned to academia. In 1558, she ascended the throne on Mary Tudor’s death. She was still only 25.

Elizabeth I ruled from 1558 until 1603. Her reign was generally prosperous, but not without significant challenges. In her early years she had to contend with a financiallydraining war with France, and throughout her time on the throne, the issue of religion could not be settled. By some accounts, Elizabeth was responsible for the persecution of Roman Catholics, but the

Elizabeth had loved music from a young age and filled her court with musicians

extent of this has been widely debated by scholars and historians.

What is known is that in 1559, she called for the passage of the Act of Supremacy, which reestablished the Church of England, and the Act of Uniformity, which created a common prayer book. The Roman Catholic Church took a dim view of her actions, and in 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth.

Nonetheless her reign was sometimes referred to as the England’s Golden Age, an era of peace when the arts had a chance to shine. Elizabeth had loved music from a young age and filled her court with talented musicians. The Queen also enjoyed dancing and watching plays, providing coveted support to the creation of works by the likes of Shakespeare and Marlowe.

Portraits of the Queen revealed a fondness for fashion and design. She never married or had children.

While the end of her reign in 1603 came at a time of increasing financial difficulties and poverty, Elizabeth is remembered as a queen who supported her people and gave them a degree of stability and consistency. She died in Richmond Palace in Surrey.

Her guile and intelligence, which saw her overcome so many obstacles, set a template for strong, female leadership admired to this day.