Good Queen BessElizabeth I

Elizabeth I

-born on 7 September 1533

-Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 15 January 1559 until her death on 24 March 1603

-the 5th and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty

-the second legitimate child of Henry VIII

Parents

Henry VIII

Henry's second wife Anne Boleyn

Character and Hobbies-charismatic performer and a dogged survivor-had many of her father's qualities including common

sense and the strength of character-understood the people-loved hunting and dancing-traveled a lot round the country-wanted to know her people and to be known by them-the best educated woman of her generation -a good musician

15 January 1559, Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey

From

the start

of Elizabeth's reign

the question

arose:…

WHOM SHE WOULD

MARRY ???

often received offers of marriage,

but she only

seriously

considered three

or four suitors

for any length of time

Parliament repeatedly petitioned her to marry, but she always

answered evasively

"If I follow the inclination of my nature, it is this: beggar-woman and single, far rather than queen and married"

During her reign

-solved her first problem, the Church

-in July 1588 the Spanish Armada of 130 Spanish ships was defeated

-England sent its explorers to different lands

-arts and theater development

Last years-in autumn of 1602 a series of deaths among

her friends plunged Elizabeth into a severe depression

-in March Elizabeth fell sick and remained in a "settled and unremovable melancholy“

-died on 24 March 1603 at Richmond Palace -a few hours later, Cecil and the council set

their plans in motion and proclaimed James VI of Scotland as king of England

Within 20 years of Elizabeth’s death

she was being celebrated as the ruler of a golden age, an image that retains its hold on the English people

Elizabeth's reign

is known as

the Elizabethan era