The Stereotypes Of Queen Elizabeth I

“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" ("Elizabeth I"). When thinking of strong leaders in history, Martin Luther King Jr, George Washington, or Alexander the Great may come to mind. What may not come to mind at first, though, is a queen. Most view queens as the face of a country and think their many servants and fellow council members make all of the real decisions. But, this stereotype could not be more wrong for England Monarch Elizabeth I. She, although put down many times because of her beliefs and gender, was one of the most influential monarchs in English history. She left a lasting impression on her country, even after her death. Her road to a successful
From the time that Henry met Boleyn, his love for her grew, and eventually he wanted to end his marriage with Catherine. Later, he brought her back to court; “Although Catherine was officially his wife and queen, Boleyn acted as if she were” (“Anne Boleyn”). Even though their love grew, however, their popularity did not; the public was against their affair and later their marriage, and held Catherine at a much higher standard than Boleyn. Henry became impatient with the pope and first wife, both of which resented the divorce, so he banished Catherine from England. Finally, in January, 1533, Anne and Henry married, first secretly and then publicly. At the same time, Anne was found pregnant, and Elizabeth was born on September 7, 1533. Henry, wanting a male heir badly, didn't attend his daughter's christening due to his disappointment, but over all was fine with it because of the fact Boleyn had a healthy child. That encouragement didn't last for long though, because in 1534 she suffered from a miscarriage and in 1536 she had a stillborn boy. After the failed births, Henry decided he no longer wanted to be with Boleyn, and started having feelings for Jane Seymour, a lady in waiting. Henry decided proving that Boleyn committed adultery was the best way to get rid of her. His men tortured Mark Smeaton, a court musician, into giving up that he had an
In today and the 1500s a prominent thing people consider(d) is religion, so it is obvious Elizabeth’s views on religion affected her popularity among her people. Once Mary died in 1558, Elizabeth was next in line to the throne. The people were thrilled she was their new queen and that Mary's reign was over. As she entered into England again, there was a celebration "...amid bells, bonfires, patriotic demonstrations, and other signs of public jubilation”. (“Elizabeth I”). They believed that, under her rule, England would return to the Reformation. Although they were happy about this, they were also concerned; beliefs that a woman was unsuitable to rule immersed due to Mary's rule, and because of this she had to set a new standard for women in the title of ruler. Although people viewed her sex negatively, she used it to her advantage and overcame those disbeliefs. Also, Elizabeth changed England back into a Protestant country, being a Protestant herself. Her government made the transition back from Catholic to Protestant smooth and quick, but Protestants wanted more; they wanted almost everything catholic-associated to be destroyed and outlawed. The queen was completely against this idea, saying how it would only cause trouble and another reign like her sister. While she was liked among Protestants, she was equally disliked among Roman Catholics. There were multiple rebellions and plots of her