Dr. Bridges
Geography (Smith)
Queen Elizabeth I Queen Elizabeth I, also known as “The Virgin Queen,” was one of the most famous monarchs of all time and her reign was called The Golden Age. Born Elizabeth Tudor, September 7, 1533 in Greenwich, England to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her birth was quite a disappointment to the king because he was hoping for a male heir.1 At the time, King Henry VIII was still married to Queen Katherine of Aragon and wanted a divorce from her so that he could marry Elizabeth’s mother Anne Boleyn. It was not too long before King Henry VIII rectified this by going before the Pope and requesting an annulment from Queen Katherine. It was at that time, Elizabeth’s half-sister Mary, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Queen Katherine of Aragon, was named illegitimate. Elizabeth’s mother, Queen Anne, was unable to provide a son to the king and was executed for supposed adultery, when Elizabeth was only two years old. Shortly after her mother’s death, Elizabeth was declared illegitimate and her place in the line of succession was taken away, her reputation was tarnished because of her mother’s speculated infidelity and other scandalous matters. After her mother’s death, Elizabeth had many stepmothers throughout her childhood, Jane Seymour died giving birth to the King’s only son, Prince Edward; Anne of Cleves whom King Henry VII divorced; Catherine Howard was beheaded; and finally Katherine Parr, who was the only wife of King Henry VII to outlive him.
It was King Henry’s sixth wife, Katherine Parr, who had the greatest impact on Elizabeth’s life. As a child, Elizabeth had a very extensive education and was taught by famous scholars, like, William Grindel and Roger Ascham.2 She was exceptional in languages and by the time she became an adult, she was fluent in five different languages. Elizabeth went on to study Theology and began supporting Protestantism, although she was never openly passionate about religion,
Cited: Chamberlain, The Sayings of Queen Elizabeth Greaves, Richard L., Elizabeth I Haigh, Christopher, Elizabeth I Harinton, John, Elizabeth I Heich, Allison, Queen Elizabeth I: Parliamentary and the Exercise of Power Neale, John E, Elizabeth I and Her Parliaments 1559-1581 Rice, George P. Jr., The Public Speaking of Queen Elizabeth: Selection from her Official Addresses Shallenick, Heather, Queen Elizabeth I