Elizabeth I

1. Elizabeth I aka “The virgin queen” and “Gloriana”

2. Early years • She was considered a bastard most of her life but she excelled at her studies and was said to be very clever and intelligent • Probably believed, due to her fathers infamy, that women where disposable once married to a man • When her father died, her brother Edward became king for a short time until his death 6 years later from illness

3. Bloody Mary Tudor • Became queen in 1553 • Devoutly catholic and saw her protestant sister Elisabeth as a threat • Imprisoned her sister briefly for plotting against her • Burned around 300 “heretics” in her four year reign • Died of stomach cancer in 1558

4. Accession • Elizabeth became queen regent at age 25, and relied heavily on trusted advisors, such as William Cecil • Was popular with the people, especially protestants

5. Religion • Headed the English Protestant church and was more tolerant of other religious believes than her sister Mary • Thought Catholicism would die out eventually on its own • Made church attendance and reading of the bible mandatory

6. The Arts • She was herself a poet and writer • Theater, painting, and architecture thrived under her reign • She attended Shakespeare first showing of a midsummer nights dream

7. suitors • Was expected and pressured to marry by common and noble alike • Although she had many suitors, she never married. • Her husband would have been made king, and she would have no longer been ruler of her country • Some speculated she was infertile, sick, or psychologically averse to a sexual relationship • She never had an heir and was the last Tudor to rule England

8. Love • Elizabeth and her childhood friend, Robert Dudley were said to be very close and probably in love • When Roberts wife Amy died suspiciously, scandalous gossip made the match unfavorable in the eyes of the people

9. Love • Robert secretly married Lady Lettice Knollys in 1578 and is banished from court • After her death, a letter from Robert was found in her jewel box, with “his last letter” written in her hand

10. Voyages and trade • Elizabeth sanctioned voyages to the Americans, often benefiting from the pirating of Spanish ships • Established the East India trading company • She herself never stepped outside of England • Advocated the slave trade and sent Captains to acquire them

11. Mary Stuart: queen of Scotts • Mary, Elizabeth's cousin, was seen by many as true catholic queen and rightful heir to the English crown • Queen Mary had a son, James VI, King of Scotland, • She fled to England in 1568 only to be imprisoned by Elizabeth for 19 years

12. Mary's execution • Letters written by Mary associated her with a plot to kill Elizabeth • Although originally apposed to it, Elizabeth agreed to have Mary executed in1587 • People of noble blood were usually executed by beheading, whereas commoners were hanged

13. War • There were many unsuccessful plots to over through and assassinate the queen • War with Spain and dissension throughout France, Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands • Northern England was in rebellion • Poverty and sickness were prevalent at times, especially in the country

14. Spanish Armada • England was weak militarily and needed the heir and alliance that a marriage would provide • Instead of fleeing for safety when the Spanish sailed to defeat England and kill her, she addressed her troops on the front lines • The Spanish Armada of 132 ships was defeated by the English fleet of 34 ships and 163 armed merchant vessels in 1588

15. Poor laws • In 1601 the queen established poor laws that charges parishes for providing for the deserving poor (widows, orphans, disabled, blind, and elderly) • The undeserving poor (beggars, stealers, vagrants) could be whipped or forced into a workhouse

16. Death of the queen • Elizabeth dies in 1603 of blood poisoning • James IV of Scotland (Mary Stuart’ son) becomes king of England • She ruled for 45 years