Queen Elizabeth I  Birth  &  Early  Life    

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   �  Born  in  1533;  parents  were  Henry  VIII  and  Anne  Boleyn.  �  Already  viewed  as  an  illegitimate  child  after  the  death  of  her  mother  when  she  was  two,    

Elizabeth’s  accession  to  the  throne  did  not  seem  likely.    �  “Bloody  Mary,”  Liz’s  half-­‐sister,  was  Catholic—a  continual  threat.    Queen  Elizabeth  Reigns    �  After  the  death  of  Mary,  Elizabeth  came  to  the  throne  in  1558  at  the  age  of  25.    �  She  was  the  last  of  the  Tudor  line,  so  marriage  and  children  were  of  necessity  for  Elizabeth.    

       �  But  she  had  seen  the  corrupt  unions  around  her,  so  marriage  did  not  seem  tempting.      

“A  Speech  to  a  Joint  Delegation  of  Lords  and  Commons”    �  With  the  birth  of  James,  son  to  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  there  was  a  new  sense  of  urgency  in    

Parliament  about  Elizabeth’s  marriage  status.    �  A  group  of  Lords  and  Commons  met  with  Liz  to  urge  her  to  marry  and  continue  the  line  of    

succession.    �  Since  she  told  Parliament  that  she  would  get  married  “with  whom  I  mind  to  marry,”  she  had    

many  suitors  lined  up  for  her  (foreign  and  domestic).      �  In  the  end,  she  refused  all  offers  and  said  she  was  “wedded  to  her  country.”  �  She  played  the  role  of  the  single  lady  well.  She  was  known  as  the  “Virgin  Queen”  and  had    

many  “favorites”  including:  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  (“Pug”);  Robert  Dudley,  Earl  of  Leicester  (“Sweet  Robin”);  Francis  Duc  de'Alecon  (“Petite  Grenouille”);  and  Robert  Devereux,  2nd  Duke  of  Essex  (for  whom  she  later  signed  a  death  warrant  and  then  cried  for  days).      

�  She  also  had  a  love  for  the  people  and  in  return,  the  people  loved  her.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vITxj7Tq4f4&feature=youtu.be    Her  Writing    �  Elizabeth  loved  language  and  she  was  fluent  in  French  and  Italian  and  read  Latin  and  Greek.    �  Most  of  her  writing  included  speeches  and  letters,  but  she  also  wrote  prose  and  translations    

to  works  of  Plutarch,  Calvin  and  Horace,  among  others.  �  Her  writing  reflected  her  education  in  history,  rhetoric,  theology,  and  moral  philosophy.      “Speech  to  the  Troops  at  Tilbury”      

   

�  Elizabeth  delivered  a  speech  to  the  army  gathered  to  fight  off  the  suspected  invasion  of  the    Spanish  Armada:      

 My loving people, we have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes for fear of treachery; but, I do assure you, I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself, that under God I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and goodwill of my subjects; and, therefore, I am come amongst you as you see at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of battle, to live or die amongst you all – to lay down for my God, and for my kingdoms, and for my people, my honour and my blood even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king – and of a King of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which, rather than any dishonour should grow by me, I myself will take up arms – I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness, you have deserved rewards and crowns, and, we do assure you, on the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.  �  Luckily,  the  Armada  was  defeated  at  sea,  so  they  never  arrived.    But,  this  was  a  sign  of    

deliverance  for  England  and  a  special  favor  to  the  Queen—from  .  .  .  um,  God.    

     130  –  50  =  80    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Bq1h728X0              

The  “Golden  Speech”  1601    �  Although  Elizabeth  intended  to  address  economic  issues,  she  addressed  those  in  attendance  on  her  love  of  country  and  religion.  

�  “There  will  never  queen  sit  in  my  seat  with  more  zeal  to  my  country,  care  to  my  subjects,  and  that  will  sooner  with  willingness  venture  her  life  for  your  good  and  safety,  than  myself.”  

�  The  line,  “This  Speech  ought  to  be  set  in  letters  of  gold,”  comes  from  a  headnote  to  a  reprinted  version  of  the  speech.  

�  She  knows  that  this  will  be  her  last  Parliament.  

�  The  speech  symbolizes  the  end  of  England’s  golden  ages/eras.  

�  “To  be  a  king  and  wear  a  crown  is  more  glorious  to  them  that  see  it  than  it  is  pleasant  to  them  that  bear  it.”  

Death  of  Elizabeth  I      �  Death  comes  knocking  in  1603;  she  reigned  44  years.    

   

     

   

   Interesting  Facts    �  She  wore  lead  based  makeup  to  hide  her  small  pox  scars;  this  was  rumored  to  have  shortened    

her  life.    

   �  She  had  an  extensive  wardrobe  (2,000  dresses).   �  She  had  black,  rotten  teeth  (a  result  of  too  much  sugar);  afterwards,  when  she  appeared  in    

public,  she  would  put  cotton  in  her  mouth.    

   �  Later  in  her  life,  she  refused  to  have  any  mirrors  in  her  rooms.