How Is Elizabeth I Powerful

Elizabeth I was an English Monarch, who reigned from the late sixteenth century to early seventeenth century. Elizabeth was born in Greenwich, England and during her reign she traveled throughout England and stayed at a variety of other castles such as Whitehall, Hampton Court, Richmond,Westminster, St James, Windsor Castle and towards the end of her reign, Nonsuch Palace. The queen would retire at one of the palaces for a while and then move to the next. During her reign in England, the country was facing the same thing that was happening all across the world at the time, the Reformation. The Reformation was a religious uproar where people began to see the Church of Rome as corrupt and they then began to rebel. These rebels started their own religion known as Protestantism. Before Elizabeth came to power
her father, Henry VIII, separated England from Rome so that he could have power to control what he could and could not do as king. Her predecessor, Mary I, gave England back to church seeing as though she was a Catholic. Elizabeth during the first couple of years declared England a Protestant country. Throughout the world the Reformation was beginning Catholic countries like France were in deep civil war. Elizabeth I helped stop civil war in England with her leadership skills.
Elizabeth I was a strong female monarch who was able to keep her country in control while other world leaders could not.
Elizabeth was an unmarried queen and her strength to defy even some of the people she was closest with to remain the head of her country is what impressed me. Elizabeth during the time was the most eligible marriage partner in the world. She had marriage proposals from foreign princes and kings. Some of her own people such as the Earl of Leicester proposed to her. She politely denied them all for she was more concerned for the people of her country than herself. The closest she was to ever marrying was to the French Duke of Anjou. She almost signed the marriage contract but the rumors her people would rebel if she were to marry a foreign prince upset her deeply. After denying Anjou’s hand in marriage to keep her people happy, she ended her courting days by stating “I am an old woman, to whom paternosters will suffice in place of nuptials.” With her most valuable asset gone she was at risk for being usurped by her Catholic rival and cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. To risk her crown for her values is something I admire about Elizabeth
I.
Elizabeth I had a temper. She would lock her cousins who married behind her back in the Tower of London. Her quick temper got the best of her in many situations. On page 164-165, the author describes how the queen reacted when her cousin, Mary Grey, who may a succeeded to the throne, married Thomas Keyes, the Queen Elizabeth’s Serjeant-Porter, in secret. The book says “A few weeks later Mary confessed what she had done to the Queen, whose rage was terrible. She consigned Keyes to Fleet Prison for three years, and only let him out on the condition that he undertook never to see his wife again.” Elizabeth also did this to Mary Grey’s sister, Katherine Grey. Elizabeth’s quick rage made up the negative side of her. Elizabeth’s negative side is what least impressed me.

Elizabeth succeeded to the throne after her half-sister, Mary I’s death. Mary’s death brought joy to London. The villagers of London regarded Mary as a tyrant. Because of their hatred for their first female queen, the citizens of England was not sure how the second one was to reign. Elizabeth was to be crowned queen of a country that was described as a “sad state”which made it difficult for her in the first few months. The day she was crowned queen in a peaceful ceremony was a day that would change her life as well as her country’s history forever. Being crowned the Queen of England changed Elizabeth’s life forever and impacted her by not only giving her power but by giving her a legacy that would set standards for the monarchs to follow.

Elizabeth had not yet been three when,Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn, was accused of adultery and treason and was beheaded. King Henry VII, Elizabeth I’s father, after Anne’s execution then dissolved their marriage and declared Elizabeth illegitimate and removed from the line of succession. Elizabeth was said to have only ever mentioned Anne Boleyn twice in her entire reign. In the book, it says “Some writers have suggested the events of her childhood led her to equate marriage with death.” Anne Boleyn’s death may have led to Elizabeth’s choice never to marry during her reign. The death of her mother affected her values in life and her legacy as “ The Virgin Queen.” During her reign as Queen of England, Elizabeth declared England a Protestant country. This decision led Pope Pius V to issue a papal document against Elizabeth. The pope’s disapproval of Elizabeth lead to Catholic countries like France and Spain to dislike Elizabeth. Spain was even in league with the pope to put Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. Mary, a known dedicated Catholic, was in Pope Pius’s good graces. The Pope’s document impacted Elizabeth by putting her crown in danger and even ruining her alliance with Spain. The broken alliance was well celebrated by the citizens because of their distrust in foreign governments while the Queen’s Privy Council was stressed by how to handle the situation.

The Life of Elizabeth I is a book that anyone who has an eye for history can get into. Alison Weir puts the book in words any person in the twenty-first century can understand. The book gives off a magical sort of essence and put the reader in sixteenth century England. I felt that this book gave Elizabeth I a whole new light on how I saw her, and I would really recommend it to anybody who wants to see her in that.