Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was queen of England from 1558 until her death in 1603. Her reign is often called the Golden Age or the Elizabethan Age because it was a time of great achievement in England. Elizabeth made the Church of England, a Protestant denomination, the country's main church. At the same time, she long avoided war with Europe's leading Roman Catholic nations. The English navy defeated a powerful Spanish fleet, and English merchants and sailors challenged the Spaniards with greater confidence around the world. England's economy also prospered. Elizabeth's court became a center for musicians, writers, and scholars.

Elizabeth was a strong and clever ruler, and she succeeded in furthering England's interests despite foreign threats and religious unrest at home. Elizabeth gained the loyalty and admiration of her subjects. She reminded them of her popular father, King Henry VIII. The queen had his red hair and pale eyes. She also shared her father's gifts for music and other arts. In addition, she was an outstanding orator.

Elizabeth never married, and she used her single status as a foreign policy tool. She encouraged both Catholic and Protestant suitors, but committed herself to no one. By avoiding marriage to a Protestant, she gave encouragement to her own Catholic subjects, who remained loyal with few exceptions. Elizabeth's flirtations with Catholic suitors kept King Philip II of Spain, a Catholic, from taking direct military action against her for several years while the Church of England gained popular support. For a time, Elizabeth seemed to be in love with one of her subjects, Sir Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. However, Elizabeth's cautious nature kept her from entering a marriage that lacked political benefit.

Excerpt adapted from the "Elizabeth I" article, World Book Encyclopedia © 1999