Elizabeth Viii Quotes

“I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too”, this famous quote was said by no other than Queen Elizabeth the first. This one simple quote describes her perfectly as how she was like a person. She is considered a legend of inheriting a broken nation. However, like all legacies, hers included many struggles, such as being called Henry VIII’s illegitimate daughter. Ruling more than four decades, she conquered every struggle that came her way. Throughout her reign, she always kept her head high, and did whatever she deemed suitable for her people. She spent her life being the Virgin Queen, creating a balance between warfare and peace.
On September 7, 1533 in Greenwich

England, a much awaited birth happened in a bittersweet way. Her birth was significant as her father, King Henry VIII, had fought with the Holy Roman Emperor, in order to marry Anne Boleyn in order to get a male heir. He even converted from Catholicism to becoming a Protestant. Instead of a Prince being born, a healthy princess was born. From the minute she was born to the minute of her death, her life revolved around chaos. Losing her mother at the tender age of two, Elizabeth’s childhood was spent entangled in her fathers marriages. She was often regarded as illegitimate due to the people of England not accepting her. However, she was raised like a normal royal child. She was tutored on various subjects, and was an excellent student as well as being remarkably gifted.. William Grindal and Roger Ascham, two of the most famous scholars during that period in time, had tutored Elizabeth. Elizabeth knew six languages which she could speak fluently: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, and Latin. She claimed the royal throne when she was 25 years old, and was in that position for a good old 44 years until her death in 1603 at the Richmond Palace. She could’ve lived longer, but she refused medical care due to her being tired of this world. The cause of her death was a chill which escalated to severe sore throat aches, and pains.
Becoming Queen was no easy task for Elizabeth the First.

After her half brother Edward’s death, Mary became Queen, and Elizabeth was in line after Mary. After the rebellion that Thomas Wyatt led, there were accusations that Elizabeth could also have a hand in seizing the throne from Mary. As a result, Elizabeth was was arrested as a prisoner, and and sent to the Tower of London. “ Here lands as true a subject, being prisoner, as ever landed at these stairs. Before Thee, O God, I speak it, having none other friend but Thee alone” said by Queen Elizabth when she came to the Tower. Staying captive at the Tower of London for two months, she was sent away to Woodstock Manor in Oxfordshire for a year. Relocating didn’t change her spot as a prisoner. Queen Mary’s husband, Philip of Spain, took pity and asked that Elizabeth be moved to Hatfield in Hertfordshire, which was the place where she grew up. He did this out of pity for her deteriorating health, and he wanted to be friends with Elizabeth as if Mary died, then England and Spain would have a good relationship. Queen Elizabeth succeeded to the throne on November 17,

1558.
At Westminster Abbey, on January 15th, 1559, England crowned it’s first Virgin Queen, Queen Elizabeth I.

With her coronation, she brought back Protestantism, as her half-sister Mary had made England a Catholic nation. She was known as a conservative Protestant. Her reign is known as the Golden Age of English history. She was an admired ruler, a popular figure, and one of the best monarchs to date. She was known as the Virgin Queen as she had refused to marry. Historians say that she might’ve not married as a result of her fathers multiple marriages. Another theory could be that she didn’t want to marry as she would have not had much power. When Elizabeth became Queen, she had a flood of marriage proposals, but she denied all of them. Elizabeth was a clever person as she benefitted England by using her marriage as a powerful tool to draw in enemies or frighten enemies. She frightened her enemies by threatening them that she would marry their friends. There were only two cases, where she came close to being married, but due to political reasons, they would never work out. The two contenders were Robert Dudley, who was quite scandalous, and Francis, a heir to the french throne. However, Francis was rejected as politically their marriage would have been impossible. She claimed to be married to England, “ I have already joined myself in marriage to a husband, namely the kingdom of England”.However, not being married led to no heir. This topic was one that Elizabeth constantly

ignored.
Surprisingly, Queen Elizabeth and King of Spain, Philip, had tensions between them as their religious and political ways differed greatly. Although, he had helped her when she was a prisoner, she had now become one of his biggest enemies. He desired to invade England, and dethrone the Queen. Summer of 1588, Philip sent an Armada fleet towards England, but due to good fortune being on Elizabeth’s side, the spanish were horrifically defeated.The defeat of the Spanish Armada is regarded as one of the most famous moments in English history. Spain had been one of the richest and powerful countries, but the Queen showed England is no less. This was a really good triumph for Elizabeth, as she showed that as a woman, she can lead the country in war no less than a man. Elizabeth was a great political genius, and chose the right men to assist her during her reign. She was not an ignorant monarch. She listened to others advice, and worked hard to please her civilians. When she first became a queen, her nation was severely impoverished as well as torn apart due to the various squabbles going on. At the time of her death, England was regarded as one of the most prosperous nations.
Like most monarchs, Elizabeth loved to travel. During the summertime, she would leave her magnificent palaces, which were all in or near London, and go out to the beautiful countryside. Her tours were known as “progresses”, which were like a holiday, as she was quite fond of them. They were a refreshing break from all the drama going on in her court, and they also served as a way for her to bond with her subjects. Her subjects loved these tours as they could meet their Queen. These royal progresses took a lot of preparation as it involved loads of work, dangers, and public travel. However, despite all the struggles, they were always worth it. She visited different parts of the country every summer. During these trips, she stayed in the mansions of her aristocratic subjects, who would have to bear the cost of the Queen and her court. This caused her nobles great expense, and some were even in debt. The Queen had a great way of communicating with people as she always knew the right thing to say or do. She treated all her subjects equal regardless of wealth. The places she has visited are Warwick, Kenilworth, Oxford, Cambridge, Salisbury, Coventry, Bath, Chichester, Southampton, Northampton, Hastings, Colchester, Ipswich, Harwich, Canterbury, Harlow, Worcester, and Huntingdon.