Facts on Queen Elizabeth the First

Queen Elizabeth the First ascended the throne of England on November 17, 1558, and ruled until her death in 1603. Also referred to as the Virgin Queen, the Good Queen Bess, the Faerie Queen, and Gloriana, she was the 5th and the last ruler belonging to the Tudor dynasty. Queen Elizabeth I, in fact, was the daughter of the notorious Henry VIII, and Anne Boleyn, his second wife. Anne Boleyn, who was accused on trumped up charges of adultery as well as incest, was one of the wives that was beheaded, at Henry VIII's behest, at the Tower of London, when Elizabeth was just three years old. Given below are some fascinating facts on Queen Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth I - Facts as Queen

• Once her mother was executed, and Edward, her half-brother was born, the chances of Elizabeth's succession to the throne became very small, since she was declared as illegitimate.
• At that time, Elizabeth was third in line to the throne, the first being Edward, and the second, Mary Tudor, her half sister, daughter of Lady Katherine of Aragon who was the third wife of Henry VIII.
• When Henry VIII died, Edward, who was just 10 years of age, became king as Edward VI. Both Edward and Elizabeth were brought up in the Protestant faith, whereas Mary Tudor, their half sister, grew up as a Roman Catholic.
• Mary succeeded to the throne in 1553 on the death of Edward, and immediately made Catholicism the religion of the state. She had Elizabeth imprisoned in the Tower of London for two months, suspecting her of hatching a plot with the Protestants to take over the throne.
• As a matter of fact, Roman Catholics always regarded her as illegitimate, and Elizabeth narrowly escaped from being executed after the rebellion against Queen Mary had failed in 1554.
• However, when Queen Mary died in 1558, Elizabeth finally did manage to ascend to the throne of England. Not only was she well educated, but she had also inherited the shrewdness, determination, and intelligence of both her parents.
• The 45 years of her rule is generally regarded as the most glorious in the history of England, which saw the establishment of a secure Church of England, with its doctrines being instituted in the 39 Articles created in 1563, which was a compromise made between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.
• This compromise was accepted by most of her subjects, and it is thought that this settlement probably prevented England from experiencing the religious wars that beset France in the latter part of the 16th century.
• Despite being capricious and autocratic, Queen Elizabeth the First was blessed with shrewd political savvy, which led to her choosing her ministers wisely, such as: Walsingham, who was head of the intelligence as well as a Secretary of State; Hatton, who was the Lord Chancellor; and Burghley, the Secretary of State.
• When Queen Elizabeth I succeeded to the throne, England was in dire straits, with it being divided by religious strife and weakened by war, and the treasury being empty. Both France and Spain, wanted to take over the rule of England. Therefore, the people of England hoped that their new queen would marry somebody strong who could give her guidance.
• However, Elizabeth immediately seized the governing of her country, and although there were several suitors, and she had many men as close friends, she was steadfast in her resolve not to marry, thus getting the name 'Virgin Queen'.
• Elizabeth gave her country a period of peace, which led to prosperity. She reconciled the hostilities that England had with other countries, going to war only in self-defense.
• It was during Queen Elizabeth the First's reign that a national identity was created for England. Hence, from a small and insignificant country, England became a world power. England also became a major cultural hub during her reign, while also becoming a country of greater harmony and tolerance.
• Under the leadership of Queen Elizabeth I, England also extended its exploration and trade. In fact, the final years of her rule are referred to as the "Golden Age of England". The coasts of North and South America were first explored during her reign, with the first colonies being set up in the so-called New World. The State of Virginia, which was founded by Sir Walter Raleigh, one of Elizabeth I's favorite courtiers, was, in fact, was named after her, as the 'Virgin Queen'.
• The writers, poets, musicians, and scholars who flourished during Queen Elizabeth the First's reign are too many to enumerate. However, some of the most famous writers are: Edmund Spencer, the poet; Christopher Marlowe, who authored Doctor Faustus; Ben Jonson, the dramatist; Francis Bacon, the essayist; and, of course, the writer regarded as the greatest poet and playwright in the English language, William Shakespeare.

Elizabeth I - Personal Facts

• Elizabeth was arrested and imprisoned in the tower by her half sister Mary, because she feared that Elizabeth was a threat to her accession to the throne.
• The approximate cost of the Queen's coronation was somewhere around 16,800 pounds, which in today's world would be almost 3 and a half million pounds!
• Queen Elizabeth I was really fond of sweets, and ate so many that her teeth turned black due to decay, and a few even fell out. Plus, she was scared of having her decayed teeth extracted, and had one of her archbishops extract two of his own teeth, so that she could see for herself that it was tolerable!
• When Elizabeth was very young, the King - her father - was so busy, that he did not notice that Elizabeth was wearing clothes that were small for her. Her governess had to request the king to send for new clothes for Elizabeth.
• Elizabeth grew up very fond of fashion, and would dress up extravagantly when going out in public, in dresses embroidered with jewels! Although she wanted her courtiers to dress well, no one was allowed to dress better than her!
• The Queen also applied layers of heavy make up, specially in her latter years, to hide the scars from the smallpox she had suffered from.
• The queen was usually good humored, but when she did get angry, boy, she really did get angry. She swore and cursed, and at one time, even threw a slipper at one of her courtiers and spat on another (supposedly because she didn't like the way he was dressed)!
• Queen Elizabeth I liked to study, and spend at least a couple of hours studying, daily! She was excellent at history and languages and read voraciously!
• Queen Elizabeth I, considered one of the most adept rules ever to rule a big country like England, avoiding war, and dealing with national as well as personal threats, was extremely scared of mice!
• Queen Elizabeth I sometimes disguised herself as an ordinary citizen, so that she could move around without attracting attention.
• During the Elizabethan Era, baths were considered a luxury, and were not indulged in very often, certainly not everyday. Queen Elizabeth I had a bath every few weeks, which was still considered pretty frequent at that time!
• Elizabeth had a lot of hobbies, like listening to music and playing musical instruments (she played the lute very well), horse riding (she was so good at it, that her courtiers were scared she would harm herself riding so much and so fast!), dancing (she danced every morning to keep herself fit), singing (apparently, she was good at that too), hunting, watching sports, and she also loved the arts, and watching plays and dramas.
• The Queen was also a good poet and loved writing poetry and translating books from French and Latin into English.

Even today, the mention of the 'Elizabethan Age' still is evocative of the highest artistic and intellectual achievements and creative genius.