ELIZABETH I: England's Royal Man-Queen

"I know I have to body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too."

- Elizabeth I

I have opened this entry with a quote because Elizabeth I's quote is a very interesting justification for female rule.  Much of England feared that women could not rule because they were women, and Mary I's reign did little to comfort these people.  Thus, Elizabeth I had a difficult task of asserting herself as a female ruler.

Elizabeth had been hated and stripped of her title for much of Henry VIII's reign.  When she was reinstated into the succession, there was very little hope that she would ever become queen.  Her brother and sister would both have to die childless (her brother was a young 15) at the time for her to ascend.  Unfortunately, this was precisely the case.  Edward VI, her brother, was frequently ill, and he died at a young age without any children.  Her sister, Mary I, also died without any children.  Thus, Elizabeth I was elevated to queen, but it was not an easy route.

Despite her being a Protestant, she and her sister were not well received by their brother.  He attempted to subvert Mary's claim to the throne by naming Jane Grey his successor.  While Elizabeth wasn't exactly HATED during the reign of Edward VI, that would change with the reign of her sister.  Many Protestants organized rebellions against Mary I in Elizabeth's reign, and Elizabeth took the blame for this.  On top of that, Mary never considered Elizabeth legitimate because she was the result of the immoral marriage between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.  Thus, Elizabeth was frequently accused of treason (without proof) and locked in the Tower of London.  When free, she avoided court and concentrated on her studies.

At the time of her sister's death, Elizabeth was ready to take the throne.  She had survived the cutthroat world of inter-court politics, and she was ready to have the power that she was obviously destined to have.

Elizabeth's reign proved to be a golden age in England's history.  She is frequently cited as being one of the greatest monarchs in English or even world history.  She started the policy of religious tolerance that pervaded English culture from then on.  However, she failed to produce an heir, like her sibling.  Thus she was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty that began with Henry VII 200 years before.  She died in 1603, and the throne was ascended by the King of Scotland, James VI (he became James I of England).

Overall, Elizabeth was one of the strongest and most effective female (or male) rulers.

Her Wikipedia Page

Her Tudor History Page

Next Time We Will Discuss...