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Queen Elizabeth I Biography
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Biography: Life of Queen Elizabeth I of England
Born 1533, Died 1603; Reigned from 1558-1603.
The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I was born in 1533.
Following the death of Henry VIII his son Edward VI became king. Edward and Elizabeth were raised in the new church Henry VIII had established when he broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. When Edward died, their half sister Mary became queen. Mary, a Catholic, made Catholicism the official religion.
When Mary died, Elizabeth was next in line to assume the throne, followed by Mary Stuart of Scotland, who was a Catholic. Through the influence of Phillip II of Spain and her own people, Elizabeth I became queen in 1558 at the age of 25.
Elizabeth I took control of the government and appointed Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley, as her chief minister. Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, was her favorite courtier.
Although Elizabeth I had many suitors and encouraged them for diplomatic reasons, she never married.
Elizabeth I restored Protestantism as the official religion of the kingdom but, in an effort to retain unity, kept certain features of Catholicism. The Catholics were not satisfied and plotted to replace Elizabeth I with Mary Stuart who had married Francis, king of France. Elizabeth I gave help to the Scottish Presbyterians to cut Scotland’s ties with France. When her husband died Mary Stuart returned to Scotland, but was forced to escape to England. Mary asked for help from Elizabeth, who had her imprisoned for nineteen years. Mary was accused of being part of a plot to kill Elizabeth and was beheaded.
Elizabeth I took a weakened England from a period of strife to revitalization. Commerce thrived and English ships sailed to the West Indies. Spain and Portugal had control of the New World and conflict resulted. With the backing of Elizabeth I, English privateers attacked Spanish ships and sold blacks in the West Indies. To end the attacks, Phillip II of Spain sent the Spanish Armada to invade England. The Armada was defeated by the English.
Following the defeat of the Spanish Armada came period of sorrow for Elizabeth I. Both the Earl of Leicester and Lord Burghley died. These later years were a period of great English literature. Many laws were enacted which became the basis of English law for two hundred years.
Elizabeth I died in 1603 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. Upon her death, Mary Stuart’s son, James VI of Scotland, was crowned James I of England, bring the two kingdoms together.
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