Elizabeth I of England (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603)

The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess Queen regnant of England and Queen regnant of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The daughter of Henry VIII, she was born a princess, but her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed two and a half years after her birth, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate.

Early life She was the second child of Henry VIII her mother was Henry's second wife Her older half-sister, Mary, had lost her position when Henry annulled his marriage to Mary's mother, Catherine of Aragon, in order to marry Anne The King desperately wanted a son, Anne failed to provide a male heir, so she was she was arrested and executed because of trumped-up charge in unfaithfulness Elizabeth was declared illegitimate and deprived of the title of princess Henry married Jane Seymour, who died 12 days after the birth of their son, Prince Edward. Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first ruler who was raised as a Protestant,died on 6 July 1553, aged 15

Bloody Mary She was the eldest daughter of Henry VIII As the fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, she is remembered for restoring England to Roman Catholicism after succeeding her short-lived half brother, Edward VI, to the English throne. Numerous Protestants were executed in the Marian Persecutions Mary's initial popularity ebbed away when it became known that she planned to marry Prince Philip of Spain

On 6 November, Mary recognized Elizabeth as her heir. Eleven days later, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne when Mary died at St. James's Palace on 17 November 1558

Elizabeth became queen at the age of 25 The new Act of Supremacy became law on 8 May All public officials were to swear an oath of loyalty to the monarch as the supreme governor or risk disqualification from office; the heresy laws were repealed, to avoid a repeat of the persecution of dissenters practiced by Mary. At the same time, a new Act of Uniformity was passed, which made attendance at church and the use of an adapted version of the 1552 Book of Common Prayer compulsory, though the penalties for recusancy, or failure to attend and conform, were not extreme

Marriage question Elizabeth often received offers of marriage, but she only seriously considered three or four suitors for any length of time. Of these, her childhood friend Lord Robert Dudley came closest. In the spring of 1559 Elizabeth's friendship with him turned to love. Their intimacy soon was talk in court and country and abroad. Dudley retained a special place in Elizabeth's heart

Characteristic of the reign Elizabeth was not a particularly good leader, her main weapon or asset that she could offer to anyone was herself, and she spent a great deal of time offering and then withdrawing herself to the four Kings of Europe. She forced her navy to run itself down to the point where the victories gained by excellent seamanship could not be exploited. Her policies were mainly based on keeping peace, but she was involved in expeditionary wars with France and the Netherlands. The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 associated her name forever with what is popularly viewed as one of the greatest victories in English history.1587 England founded the first colony in America “Virginia” Elizabeth is always remembered for having Mary Queen of Scots beheaded, a move, which at the time was fairly popular, that is not remembered kindly. Elizabeth's reign lasted 44 years, which was too long for a monarch like her. She spent time at home healing sectarian wounds and stabilizing the country's economy.

The Golden Age of Elizabeth Elizabeth's reign is known as the Elizabethan era, famous above all for the flourishing of English literature, art and drama, led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. London is one of the leading world centers for music, drama, opera and dance. Festivals held in towns and cities throughout the country attracted much interest. Many British playwrights, composers, sculptors, painters, writers, actors, singers and dancers were known all over the world.