The Life of Queen Elizabeth I

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Elizabeth Tudor is thought to be the greatest ruler in English history. She was born on September 7, 1533. She lived to be sixty nine years old and ruled for almost 45 years. “The first Elizabeth of England, who died not quite four hundred years ago, became such a great queen that she gave her name to her time, the Elizabethan Age” (Thomas 1). Elizabeth led England during it’s greatest time of influence as a nation despite the prejudices against her gender. Many people believe that her life was like a fairy tale-“Beloved by the kingdom; dressed by servants in jewels and gold, silk and velvet; pampered and treasured by kings and married to princes”, but in reality her life did not come close to being a fairy tale. Many of her subjects hater her from the moment she was born. She experienced imprisonment, her sister threatened to kill her, and she was almost forced in marriages with men she hated. Some of her friends caused uprisings in her name. Her enemies tried to assassinate her. Her father had her mother beheaded and ignored her for most of her life. Although she had many suitors, she never loved any of them. She understood the common people and eventually gained the loyalty of those who hated her. She could also be ruthless. The city gates and London Bridge held the bodies of the people that she executed during her reign. She encouraged the myth of the Virgin Queen. She never married because she knew that if she did her husband would take all the power. She was two years old when her father had her mother beheaded because she did not give him a son. Elizabeth was never heard speaking about or even saying her mother’s name. Soon after, Parliament said that Elizabeth was illegitimate to take the throne. She ... ... middle of paper ... ...gnant and had a large cyst, which is what caused her death. Mary died on November 17, 1558. Parliament addressed Elizabeth, “of whose most lawful right and title in the succession of the Crown, thanks be to God, we need not to doubt” (Beesly 1). It wasn’t until three years later that she became queen. She was twenty five years old when she became queen. Many people did not think she was fit to rule. When she came to power, England was bankrupt. She was only the third queen to rule, and the others ended badly. Even those who were for her were unsure of her rule. They advised her to get married, but she led the country alone for almost a century. She amazed even her enemies with her ruling. Works Cited Beesly, Edward “The Life of Queen Elizabeth” Stickland, Agnes “The Life of Queen Elizabeth” Thomas, Jane Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I

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