A Love for Good Queen Bess

Reign – Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1558-1603)

When Elizabeth succeeded the throne, she was presented with the daunting task of repairing a divided country. Strong in demeanour and will, she had been properly prepared to tackle the challenges that would arise during her illustrious time on the throne. Elizabeth immediately assembled a loyal political administration, including nine Privy Councillors. The key appointment was Sir William Cecil as Principal Secretary. This was the beginning of a successful partnership that would endure for thirty-eight years of Elizabeth’s reign.

In one of the first meetings of Parliament, Elizabeth sought to restore Protestantism with the 1559 Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity. Her goal was to refrain from the extreme Protestantism as seen during Edward’s reign or the rigid Catholicism of Mary’s. Elizabeth sought a middle ground, expanding the Church’s ideologies to include the majority of her subjects. With the creation of the New Prayer Book, diverse spiritual needs were met. Although Elizabeth transformed England into a liberal religious state, she could never forgive the Roman Catholic Church for labelling her a ‘bastard’. As a result, many plots to murder Elizabeth were devised. All failed miserably.

Elizabeth managed to overcome all adversaries. Her reign in fact is considered one of England’s most notable periods, dubbed the Elizabethan or Golden Age. The era was decorated with the great figures of literature, drama, art and exploration with the work William Shakespeare, Sir Francis Drake, Edmund Spenser and Sir Walter Raleigh. England rose to defy the stealthiest European powers and positioned itself as a resolute political nation.

Although everyone assumed Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir to the English throne, she remained a “Virgin Queen.” Despite her many suitors, including King Phillip II of Spain and Robert Dudley, she remained unmarried and childless. This sparked great concern among her advisors, as Mary Queen of Scots was a likely successor. Her Catholicism was a major threat to England and, as such, she was taken prisoner for 19 years under Elizabeth’s reign. In 1587, Elizabeth’s counsellors finally convinced her to execute Mary on charges that she had plotted to overtake the throne.

Elizabeth managed to keep England at peace for nearly 30 years, despite the country being at war with France at the onset of her succession; an unfortunate circumstance of her half-sister’s reign. With the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, Spain emerged as England’s greatest enemy. Under Elizabeth’s rule, the English navy was encouraged to raid Spanish shipping vessels and demolish Spanish monopolies. This outraged Phillip, who launched the Spanish Armada in 1559 in retaliation to the English. A Catholic uprising against a Protestant England, the Armada was eventually defeated by Elizabeth’s powerful Royal Navy.

After the Armada, Elizabeth’s general popularity began to suffer as she grew increasingly out of touch with her subjects. Elizabeth died at Richmond Palace on 24 March 1603, leaving behind a rich and prosperous country. She was succeeded by the Protestant James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots, who later became King James I of England.

Elizabeth had been dedicated to her country during her ruling days, quite unlike any other monarch in English history. She ruled with a firm hand, yet with a gentle heart leaving behind an endearing legacy that has placed her among the greatest of all historical figures.