Elizabeth 1 tudor biography

For Elizabeth, her citizens were Englishmen first; their religious loyalties — whether Catholic or Protestant — were to remain subservient to their loyalty to her as queen of England. This explains her later disregard for Puritanism. She characteristically remarked that she preferred loyal Catholics to Puritans; this may have confused some of her subjects since she was a Protestant queen, and the Puritans were simply Protestant extremists.

However, Elizabeth recognized that, by the end of her reign, most of her Catholic subjects were loyal to her instead of the pope despite her excommunication and accepted royal prerogative. Her Puritan subjects, however, did not recognize the sanctity of the crown, and their presence in Parliament ensured a steady erosion of royal power.

The end result of this conflict occurred during the reign of Charles I, when a powerful Puritan populace revolted against their Catholic king and beheaded him. Their first priority was the stability of the realm, and they wanted to negotiate a truce of sorts between the two factions. Of course, the more extreme members of both parties could not be satisfied.

Also, Philip II of Spain and Henri II of France had recently ended their near-constant warfare, and now England remained outside Continental affairs; perhaps it would become the prey of both powers. Already her expected marriage dominated European politics. No one expected her to rule alone. The Christmas elizabeths 1 tudor biography at Whitehall were quite extravagant.

But Elizabeth, young and beautiful, was determined to celebrate her near-miraculous triumph. And yet Christmas would pale in comparison to her coronation festivities. On the 12th of January, she set out once again to the Tower, traveling by river from Whitehall. She wore a gown of crimson velvet and cloth of gold with an ermine cape for warmth, and was surrounded by richly-dressed lords and ladies.

The entire route through the city was marked by pageants, plays, and orations; even Anne Boleyn appeared in a tableau beside Henry VIII. No will in me can lack, neither do I trust shall there lack any power. And persuade yourselves, that for the safety and quietness of you all, I will not spare if need be to spare my blood. The next day she was crowned queen of England.

She entered Westminster on foot, walking upon a long blue carpet which the crowd promptly cut up for souvenirs. The great Abbey was crowded full of both rural and urban dignitaries, and their ladies. They watched as the queen marched slowly forward, the long red velvet train of her gown carried by the duchess of Norfolk. She was crowned by Owen Oglethorpe, the bishop of Carlisle.

The archbishop of Canterbury, Reginald Pole, had died the same day as Queen Mary; the archbishop of York asked to be excused on grounds of conscience; the bishop of Durham said he was too old to perform the ceremony. The ceremony itself was a mish-mash of Catholic and Protestant rituals — the Mass was said in Latin but the celebrant did not elevate the Host; the epistle and gospel were read in Latin and English; and the coronation oath itself was read from an English Bible.

In other words, it was a ceremony which accurately reflected the religious confusion of midth century England. Oglethorpe placed the heavy Crown of St Edward on her head, but it was quickly removed after the oath was administered. Then, wearing a lighter crown, the new queen was presented to the congregation. There was an explosion of noise the Venetian ambassador said it sounded like the end of the world as bells were rung, trumpets were blown, and every other musical instrument played with such force that spectators winced.

The new queen, who now wore a becoming gown of purple velvet, sat beneath the great window on a raised dais. There were eight hundred guests, and the queen was served by the Lord Chamberlain and the Chief Steward. She spoke little during the banquet, and was so tired when it ended that a tournament planned for Monday afternoon was canceled. She had also caught a cold; the opening of Parliament was thus delayed from the 23rd of January to the 25th.

Her arrival at Parliament, however, was another moment of triumph for Elizabeth. She wore a crimson gown and a cap decorated with pearls and was quite lovely and energetic despite her recent cold. All things considered, these first two months on the throne had gone very smoothly. If she did, it would only be due to a quick marriage. And so, over the next several years, the dominant issue of her reign elizabeth 1 tudor biography be one which she personally detested — who would the queen marry, and when?

For Elizabeth, treading carefully and conscious of the novelty of her position, the issue was a personal and political threat — and one which she handled with exquisite care. They seemed incapable of appreciating the impact marriage would have upon her life, while its impact was distressingly clear to Elizabeth. The councilors wanted a king, and an heir, a natural enough desire since her throne could not be completely secure without them.

But Elizabeth knew herself to be intellectually superior to most men and she relished her independence. The new queen always had a low opinion of marital happiness, and saw little reason to change her mind. Even in her own lifetime, rumors abounded that Elizabeth was physically deformed, incapable of pleasing a husband or bearing a child.

It was also whispered that she was a sexual deviant whose appetites could not be satisfied by marriage. But she never wed Dudley, and a healthy flirtation does not indicate sexual deviancy. Rather, it shows Elizabeth to be a normal young woman who enjoyed the company of a handsome man. If she had not flirted with Dudley, or her other courtiers, then speculation about her character would be understandable.

In truth, she was no less flirtatious than her father, but the simple, unavoidable fact of her gender made her flirtations far more politically charged.

Elizabeth 1 tudor biography: Elizabeth I - the last

Furthermore, any sexual activity would have been immediately reported. The queen herself preferred to rise above such discussion. If she fulfilled her royal duties with care and diligence, and if she brought prosperity and peace to her country, then she was successful. And since she had great faith in her own talents, she saw no reason to share her throne with a husband.

And so, out of love of independence and power, and a native distrust of marriage, Elizabeth was determined to remain single. Her councilors, for their part, pretended to believe otherwise for quite a long time. They visited her in private, they openly begged her; they eventually forced a parliamentary showdown upon her. Mary Stuart bore a son, James, in and was imprisoned in England shortly afterwards.

James was raised as a Protestant and was soon the only Tudor relative with a viable claim. The queen wisely dangled its possibility before him and thus ensured Scottish political cooperation throughout the later years of her reign. Also, as the years passed, so did the possibility that Elizabeth would bear a child. And why marry, if not for an heir?

It is also worth noting the endless difficulties in selecting a suitable husband. But marriage to an Englishman would have given too much power to one political faction or the other. Many historians have described it less as an attribute, and more as her greatest failing. They mention her inability to decide upon marriage, or — most famously — her refusal to execute Mary queen of Scots.

They argue that these incidents prove she was hesitant and indecisive. But it actually reveals a formidable political talent, and one which greatly benefited her nation. The new queen was not one to whole-heartedly plunge into any scheme, personal or political; thus, she refused to become involved in foreign entanglements which would have bankrupted her country and produced strife and discontent.

She sent money and a few troops to continental Protestants, but no more. In terms of religion, she sought to strike a balance between two extremes through careful thought and debate. In doing so, she negotiated a truce of sorts which lasted through most of her reign — in contrast to the religious turmoil which marked the reigns before and after her own.

One could label her indecisive since she did not strike a definitive stance on either issue. But she preserved the peace and prosperity of her nation; she put England, and the welfare of its citizens, first. Thus, the ability to prevaricate was an essential tool of her political success, however much it frustrated those who wanted her to take sides.

She must have been thoroughly schooled in the manner in which her father conducted his affairs. She is determined to be governed by no elizabeth 1 tudor biography. This understandably caused strife within her council. Cecil was often terrified that Elizabeth would wed Dudley, but that fear at least was soon put to rest. Elizabeth knew of the match; she had attended the wedding.

But whatever he planned for the future, it was soon impossible for him to dream of becoming king. She had been ill for some time. When they returned, they found her lying dead at the bottom of the staircase with a broken neck. There had been other ladies in the home; they reported playing backgammon with Amy until, suddenly and without explanation, she left the room and fell to her death.

Dudley was informed of the news while at Windsor Castle with the queen. He immediately ordered a thorough investigation. They had assured Dudley that his wife would not live much longer. So the immediate supposition after her death — that Dudley had murdered Amy so he could marry the queen — does not make sense. Or third, that nothing so nefarious occurred and her death was completely accidental; she simply fell while walking down the stairs.

But everyone enjoyed gossip and scandal too much to let it pass. Elizabeth was forced to send Dudley from court until the funeral, but he did not attend the service. The queen sent Lady Norton as her representative, and it was known that other ladies had been asked but refused to go because of the scandal. Soon enough he was back at court and in as much favor as always.

Once, during a boating party on the Thames, he asked the ambassador de Quadra, who was also Bishop of Avila, to marry he and Elizabeth immediately. The ambassador remarked that he would do so as soon as the queen dismissed her Protestant councilors from service. The queen, they realized, enjoyed flirting with Dudley and occasionally encouraged his fantasies, but she did not want to be given the opportunity to marry him.

But the queen had other, far more appropriate suitors. To thwart Cecil, other councilors pressed a Spanish marriage, perhaps even to her former brother-in-law Philip. The queen expertly considered all options but never committed to any. This routine would continue until advancing age made childbirth impossible. Only then was Elizabeth truly free of parliamentary meddling in her private affairs, a situation which had inspired several famously bitter outbursts in And so shall never be my successor.

Elizabeth was content to ignore potential suitors; she considered religion to be the most pressing and divisive issue in England. But it would not be easy to find. Or rather, they knew heresy was whatever the king commanded, and that changed from year to year. Edward had been a devout Protestant, as had his councilors. The six years of his rule witnessed its political and social triumph, primarily through southern England.

The independent north remained conservative and Catholic. Mary had been an equally devout Catholic, imbued with genuine religious fervor. She brought papal privilege back to England after a twenty-year absence. Each faith harbored grievances against the other. Her Protestant councilors increasingly felt that Catholics were political traitors, as if their very faith implied a lack of patriotism.

They warned Elizabeth that the pope commanded her Catholic subjects, not she; only a swift and strong blow could ensure their elizabeth 1 tudor biography and forced loyalty. But for the queen, her Catholic subjects were also, quite simply, subjects. If they recognized her rule, she had no qualms about their private worship. Let them go publicly to Protestant services and then do as they wished at home.

So long as they did not rebel, she was content not to pry. The new queen did not bother to revoke her illegitimacy, as Mary had. She even welcomed her former jailer Bedingfield to court, though with a caustic wit. Religious turmoil was soon the subject of impassioned debate. In the House of Lords, many bishops resisted the changes but they were quickly replaced by others, led by Matthew Parker as archbishop of Canterbury.

Elizabeth pressed for a restoration of the Prayer Book, which she felt would be acceptable to Protestants and most complacent Catholics. But the new bishops preferred the Prayer Book; it was rather vague about most controversial maters and thus less offensive to Catholics. Elizabeth assented and the Act of Uniformity was passed. She was particularly successful in making religious dissension a political matter, rather than a troublesome question of doctrine.

It was a simple matter to remove Marian stalwarts from positions of authority, and about clergy were dismissed. In total, one third of parish clergy were replaced. Most Englishmen were content with this settlement, though extremists on both sides felt it inadequate. Elizabeth effectively placed the church under control of the crown, thus merging religious and political power in her person.

In my opinion, a very prudent action, intended to keep the adherents of both creeds in subjection, for the less she ruffles them at the beginning of her reign the more easily she will enthrall them later on. This balance was maintained successfully through most of her reign. However, in later years, two great problems emerged. The first was the growing popularity of the Puritan movement.

This extreme form of Protestantism was a direct attack upon the royal supremacy. In England, the Puritans were directly influenced by continental Presbyterians. They believed passionately in one rule only, that of Holy Scripture. They also believed in a fellowship of ministers; parishes would elect their own religious leaders, under the supervision of a group of elders.

In other words, the parishes would usurp the power of the queen. For the Puritans, it became distressingly clear that the Church of England was more dedicated to England and its ruler than to God. John Whitgift, who became Archbishop of Canterbury inattempted to neutralize their cause by adopting some needed reforms.

Elizabeth 1 tudor biography: Elizabeth I was a long-ruling queen

But he did not wish to create Puritan martyrs, as Mary I had created Protestant ones. He was also more interested in establishing a uniform clergy rather than debating doctrine. A few Puritans were executed and many others banished under Whitgift; his use of the church courts robbed the new doctrine of its momentum. It remained troublesome to the queen, but never a real threat.

Puritan attempts to check the royal prerogative would only succeed in the next generation. While the Puritans used words against the queen, the Catholic extremists were eventually prepared to kill her. They were settled mainly in the north and west of England, and accepted the religious settlement. They believed Elizabeth to be illegitimate and thus ineligible to be queen, but neither Pope Paul IV or his successor, Pius IV, seriously challenged her title.

She was not even excommunicated until England had long been a balance between their competing interests. For her part, the queen took care not to disturb calm waters. But calm can be deceptive and misleading. Inten years into her reign, Elizabeth was forced to abandon her studied disinterest and choose sides. Europe was caught in bloody religious turmoil.

There was now a massive military power directly across the Channel from England. She needed an army to recover her throne from Protestant rebels who had forced her abdication and imprisoned her. Elizabeth and her councilors were aghast. Mary was the true queen of England in the eyes of Catholic Europe, as well as some Catholic Englishmen.

And if Elizabeth should die, naturally or otherwise, Mary had the strongest claim to the English throne. All of the Protestant councilors were terrified; what should they do with Mary Stuart? He planned to take a proactive role in reasserting his faith in England, and he attracted many dedicated followers. Douai was soon a flourishing center for anti-Elizabethan plots and propaganda.

For the queen, her cherished and precarious balance, successfully maintained for a decade, was falling to elizabeths 1 tudor biography. She took the precaution of imprisoning Mary queen of Scots in a variety of secure castles. She sincerely believed Elizabeth would help her, as a fellow queen and cousin. Elizabeth was told by the Protestant lords in Scotland that Mary was unwelcome; she faced certain death if she returned.

Would the queen of England lend her support to such a woman? It was indeed a vexing problem. Elizabeth settled upon appointing a commission to investigate the charges against Mary. The conservative north had never been friendly to the Tudor dynasty. The first Tudor king succeeded in establishing nominal authority over the fractious northern earls.

His Reformation led to the great northern rebellion known as the Pilgrimage of Grace in Henry dealt brutally with the rebels and made only one northern progress afterwards, taking his fifth queen, Catherine Howardto York soon after their marriage. Elizabeth had long recognized its intransigence. She was never particularly close to the great northern lords of her reign, the earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, and the only duke in England, her Howard cousin Thomas, 4th duke of Norfolk.

Elizabeth 1 tudor biography: She was born at Greenwich

She showed Norfolk some degree of personal affection, as she did all of her maternal relatives. But she recognized his ambition and their religious differences. As a duke, he was one of the wealthiest men in England and thus had great influence. Yet he was never a close advisor to the queen. What would the queen do? Some of her councilors, including Dudley and Throckmorton, thought Mary should wed the premier peer in England.

Two problems could possibly be solved by the marriage — Mary Stuart would be safely settled in England and the succession would be assured. Elizabeth recognized this short-sighted solution for the mirage it was, for how long would she live after the marriage? Her realm would be bitterly divided and torn, with rival factions centered upon herself and Norfolk.

As future king of England, he might dare to rebel against her. The celebrations for the Coronation, two months later, were spectacular. As Elizabeth walked along the carpet laid out for her journey to Westminster Abbey, the crowds rushed forward to cut out pieces as souvenirs. Elizabeth made sure that everyone - down to the lowliest beggar - played a part, pausing to listen to congratulations from ordinary people on the street.

She knew that, in political terms, she needed their support but she also felt a deep sense of responsibility for their welfare. For their part, the people were thrilled with their new Queen. Elizabeth was an instant hit. As soon as her Council had been appointed, Elizabeth made religion her priority. She recognised how important it was to establish a clear religious framework and between and introduced the acts which made up the Church Settlement.

This returned England to the Protestant faith stating that public worship, religious books such as the Bible and prayers were to be conducted in English rather than Latin. But Elizabeth was careful not to erase all traces of Catholic worship and retained, for example, the traditions of candlesticks, crucifixes and clerical robes. By pursuing a policy of moderation she was attempting to maintain the status quo and, although Puritans were particularly upset by the continuance of some Catholic traditions, an uneasy compromise was reached and maintained throughout her reign.

The welfare of her people was of paramount importance to Elizabeth and she once remarked, 'I am already bound unto a husband which is the Kingdom of England. Marriage was a political necessity and a way of forming a useful alliance with a European power. Children would secure the line of succession. This was Elizabeth's duty and she should get on with it.

Her ministers knew and Elizabeth certainly knew. But there was no elizabeth 1 tudor biography, no wedding bells. The years passed until in Parliament refused to grant Elizabeth any further funds until the matter was settled. This was a big mistake. No one told the Queen what to do and, using the skills of rhetoric she had been taught, Elizabeth addressed members of Parliament.

The welfare of the country was her priority, not marriage. She would marry when it was convenient and would thank Parliament to keep out of what was a personal matter. This was clever talk from the Queen. She knew the political implications of remaining unmarried but effectively banned further discussion. That is not to say that Elizabeth didn't enjoy the company of men.

On the contrary she thrived on the adoration of her ministers and knew that flirtation was often the easiest way to get things done. But neither proposal led to marriage. As the political landscape in Europe changed, the Queen knew that she would need room to manoeuvre. More than that, Elizabeth simply did not wish to be married.

They had known each other for years, and he was one of the first to be appointed to her Council. But their intimacy alarmed the other ministers. Leicester was an unknown quantity. He had the ear of the Queen and might poison her mind against them. Their anxiety amused Elizabeth, and this gave her an excuse to exert her independence every now and then.

But just how close was she to Leicester? The Queen asserted her virginity throughout her life, but was also an attractive woman who thrived on male attention. Whether or not the relationship was ever consummated remains open to speculation. The dashing Earl of Leicester was something of a showman. He wanted to impress the Queen and, in the summer ofthrew a party at Kenilworth Castle which no one could forget.

It took years to prepare for. He altered the layout of his castle, building luxurious new apartments for the Queen and her huge entourage. The entertainment lasted several days with fine banquets, jousting and spectacular firework displays. He had shown the Queen how much he adored her and, just as he had hoped, eclipsed everyone else.

Elizabeth 1 tudor biography: She was the last monarch

It was Leicester's finest hour. No matter that the entertainment at Kenilworth practically bankrupted him. That was par for the course. Ministers longed for the glory and prestige a visit from the Queen would bestow on them, and would decorate new residences in her honour. Spain then set its sights on England, but the English navy was able to defeat the infamous Spanish Armada in According to several reports, the weather proved to be a deciding factor in England's victory.

While she worked hard at court, Elizabeth took time for leisurely pursuits. She loved music and could play the lute. Thomas Tallis and William Byrd were among her court musicians. Elizabeth also enjoyed dancing and watching plays. Elizabeth's reign supported the creation of works by such greats as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.

Writers paid tribute to the queen in many literary forms. The poet Edmund Spenser based his character of Gloriana in The Faerie Queen on Elizabeth, and she was sometimes referred to by this name. Portraiture was the reigning form of painting at the time, and artists honored Elizabeth by painting her portrait. These images reveal that Elizabeth was an early fashionista in many ways.

She loved jewelry and beautiful clothing; her garments were often made with gold and silver. With the help of makeup, Elizabeth cultivated a dramatically elizabeth 1 tudor biography look. Mary was raised Catholic and was considered by many English Catholics to be the rightful monarch of England. After Francis' death, Mary returned to Scotland in Elizabeth jailed her cousin in in connection with several assassination attempts, including the Babington Plot.

Elizabeth kept Mary imprisoned for nearly 20 years before she had her cousin executed in Troubled times marked the final years of Elizabeth's reign. The country suffered from failed crops, unemployment and inflation. There were riots over food shortages and rebellions in Ireland. Elizabeth faced many challenges to her authority, including from one of her favorite noblemen, Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex.

Instead, Essex returned to England and sought to start his own rebellion. He was executed for treason in Despite her fading power, Elizabeth still showed her devotion to her people. State University of New York Press. Early modern England — a narrative history. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN Madrid, p. La Europa dividida — Editorial Critica, Taylor and Francis.

Retrieved 3 February Performing Blackness on English Stages, — Cambridge University Press. Archived from the original on 14 July Retrieved 22 October Shakespeare Survey With Index 1— Archived from the original on 22 December Speaking of the Moor. Retrieved 2 May United States History 4th ed. England's Quest of Eastern Trade. London: A. Reviews in History review no.

Archived from the original on 23 October Five Books. Archived from the original on 25 February Retrieved 25 February What rot! Retrieved 28 May Martin's Press. Historical memorials of Westminster Abbey. London: John Murray. Black, J. Davenport, CyrilPollard, Alfred ed. Haigh, ChristopherElizabeth I 2nd ed. Hammer, P. Kantorowicz, Ernst Hartwig The king's two bodies: a study in mediaeval political theology 2nd ed.

Kenyon, John P. Neale, J. Rowse, A. Strong, Roy C. Beem, Charles The Foreign Relations of Elizabeth I. Palgrave Macmillan. OL M. Bridgen, Susan New York: Viking Penguin. Dunn, Jane. Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens. Knopf, ; New York: Vintage Books, Hodges, J. Jones, Norman. ISBN X. Princeton University Press. Queen Elizabeth and the Making of Policy, — Elizabeth I: War and Politics, — McLaren, A.

Palliser, D. Pollard, Albert Frederick Ridley, Jasper Godwin Elizabeth I: The Shrewdness of Virtue. Fromm International. Wernham, R. Whitelock, Anna London: Bloomsbury. Primary "elizabeths 1 tudor biography" and early histories. Historiography and memory. Wikisource has original works by or about: Elizabeth I of England. Wikiquote has quotations related to Elizabeth I.

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Toggle the table of contents. Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire. Elizabeth Howard. Henry VII of England. Elizabeth of York. Mary Boleyn. Anne Boleyn. Margaret Tudor. James IV of Scotland. Mary Tudor, Queen of France. Catherine Carey. Henry Carey, Baron Hunsdon. Elizabeth I of England. Philip II of Spain. Mary I of England. Edward VI of England. James V of Scotland.

Margaret Douglas. Frances Brandon. Catherine Howard, Countess of Nottingham. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Jane Grey. James VI and I. Preceded by Mary I. Succeeded by James I. Monarchs of England until Monarchs of Scotland until Debated or disputed rulers are in italics.