Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603), Queen of England from 1558, regarded as one of the greatest English sovereigns. The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, she led a hazardous early life during which both her mother and her stepmother, Catherine Howard, were executed. Well educated and of striking appearance, she succeeded to the throne at the age of 25. Despite many marriage plans made on her behalf, and flirtations with men, notably the earls of Leicester and Essex, she never married and became known as the ‘Virgin Queen’. Elizabeth re-established Protestantism but remained tolerant towards Catholics until her excommunication by the pope. A series of Catholic plots aiming to replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots ended with Mary’s execution (1587). The defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) was one of the most notable events of her reign; there was also considerable progress in exploration, colonization, and discovery.
