Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I (7 September, 1533 – 24 March, 1603 ) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes referred to as The Virgin Queen (since she never married), Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth I was the fifth and final monarch of the Tudor dynasty, having succeeded her half-sister, Mary I. She reigned during a period of turmoil in English history.

Early reign

In 1558, upon Mary I's death, Elizabeth ascended the throne. She was crowned on 15 January 1559. There was no Archbishop of Canterbury at the time; Reginald Cardinal Pole, the last Catholic holder of the office, had died only a few hours after Queen Mary. Because the senior bishops declined to participate in the coronation (since Elizabeth was illegitimate under both canon law and statute and since she was a Protestant), the relatively unimportant Owen Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle crowned her. The communion was celebrated not by Oglethorpe, but by the Queen's personal chaplain, to avoid the usage of the Roman rites. Elizabeth I's coronation was the last one during which the Latin service was used; future coronations used the English service. She later persuaded her mother's chaplain, Matthew Parker, to become Archbishop. He only accepted out of loyalty to Anne Boleyn's memory, since he found working with Elizabeth difficult.

Related Topics:
1558 - 15 January - 1559 - Archbishop of Canterbury - Reginald Cardinal Pole - Coronation - Canon law - Statute - Owen Oglethorpe - Bishop of Carlisle - Communion - Matthew Parker - Anne Boleyn

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One of the most important concerns during Elizabeth's early reign was religion; she relied primarily on the Machiavellian Sir William Cecil for advice on the matter. The Act of Uniformity 1559 required the use of the Protestant Book of Common Prayer in church services. Papal control over the Church of England had been reinstated under Mary I, but was ended by Elizabeth. The Queen assumed the title "Supreme Governor of the Church of England," rather than "Supreme Head," primarily because several bishops and many members of the public felt that a woman could not be the head of the Church. The Act of Supremacy 1559 required public officials to take an oath acknowledging the Sovereign's control over the Church or face execution for treason.

Related Topics:
Sir William Cecil - Act of Uniformity 1559 - Book of Common Prayer - Church of England - Act of Supremacy 1559

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Many bishops were unwilling to conform to the Elizabethan religious policy. These were removed from the ecclesiastical bench and replaced by appointees who would submit to the Queen's policies. She also appointed a new Privy Council, removing many Catholic counsellors in the process. Under Elizabeth, factionalism in the Council and conflicts at court were greatly silenced. Elizabeth's chief advisors were Sir William Cecil, a Secretary of State, and Sir Nicholas Bacon, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal.

Related Topics:
Privy Council - Secretary of State - Sir Nicholas Bacon - Lord Keeper of the Great Seal

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Elizabeth also reduced Spanish influence in England. Though Philip II aided her in ending the Italian Wars with the Peace of Cateau Cambrésis, Elizabeth remained independent in her diplomacy. She adopted a principle of "England for the English." Her other realm, Ireland, never benefited from such a philosophy. The enforcement of English customs in and the efforts to eradicate Catholicism from Ireland proved unpopular with its inhabitants, as did the Queen's religious policies.

Related Topics:
Italian Wars - Peace of Cateau Cambrésis - Ireland

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Soon after her accession, many questioned who Elizabeth would marry. Her reasons for never marrying are many. It has been suggested she may have felt repulsed by the mistreatment of Henry VIII's wives, or perhaps psychologically scarred by her rumoured childhood relationship with Lord Seymour. Contemporary gossip was that she had suffered from a physical defect that she was afraid to reveal, perhaps scarring from smallpox, although this seems unlikely as she did not contract smallpox until several years into her reign. There were also contemporary rumors that she would only marry one man, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, with whom she was deeply in love, but whom her council refused to sanction a marriage with, partly due to his family's participation in the Lady Jane Grey matter, and partly what was viewed in some circles as the suspicious death of his first wife. It is also possible that Elizabeth did not wish to share the power of the Crown with another, or, given the unstable political situation, she feared an armed struggle among aristocratic factions if she married someone not seen as equally favorable to all factions. Or, she could have remained unmarried and instead used the hint of marriage to her country's benefit when dealing with powerful suitors from Europe. Further, marrying anyone would have cost Elizabeth large amounts of money and independence, as all of the estates and incomes Elizabeth inherited from her father, Henry VIII, were only hers until she wed.

Related Topics:
Smallpox - Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester - Lady Jane Grey - Henry VIII

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