Elizabeth I: Improving England's International Standing

Elizabeth I: Improving England's International Standing

Elizabeth Tudor was born in 1533 to King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Her life began in the midst of controversy and continued to be troubled until her death in 1603. Elizabeth, in reality, never should have been the ruler of Great Britain at all since she had several siblings in line for the throne ahead of her. After she was crowned queen at the age of 25, she successfully reigned for 45 years. Elizabeth increased English power and influence worldwide, handled sensitive issues like religion with grace and diplomacy, and gained and retained the respect of her subjects and other political figures. The fact that she accomplished all of this as a female in a male dominated society is nothing short of miraculous. The defeat of the "Invincible Spanish Armada" in 1588 cemented Queen Elizabeth's place in history as one of the most important and greatest rulers in England's history.

When Elizabeth was 3, she was declared illegitimate and lost the title of Princess after her father arrested and executed her mother for charges of treason, incest, and witchcraft. King Henry quickly remarried and his third wife, Jane Seymour, gave birth to a son, Prince Edward, who became the official heir to the throne. During Elizabeth's young life, she learned six languages, including Latin, Greek, French, and Italian. She was often thought of as very intelligent and serious as a child. Her tutor, Ascham, remarked that Elizabeth's intellect and memory distinguished her above others, men and women alike.