Her lifeHer timeHer achievements

Elizabeth I:

Baby Elizabeth: “a great disappointment and sorrow”

Early LifeElizabeth was born at Greenwich Palace, London, on September 7, 1533,daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

While her father waited two more years for a son as heir, Elizabeth wouldbe the only living child from this union

When Elizabeth was 2, her mother was executed on grounds of treason,Elizabeth was declared illegitimate and deprived of the title of Princess

She spent the next 13 years in the household of her younger brother Prince Edward, the legitimate son and heir to the throne by King Henry and Jane Seymour

By 1550 when her formal education ended when she was 17, Elizabethhad been tutored in Greek, Latin, Italian, French, and was considered oneof the best educated women of her generation (“Elizabeth I of England”).

Prince Edward, Henry’s son, would be first in line to succeed. (He would become King in 1547.)

The Line of Succession

Before his death, King Henry VIII reinstated his two daughters in the line of succession (“Elizabeth I Biography”).

Princess Mary (Henry’s older daughter with first wife Katherine of AragonAnd finally, Elizabeth.

Like Father, Like Daughter

Though a daughter of dark-complexioned and black-haired Anne Boleyn,

Golden red hair

Fair skin(“Elizabeth I Queen of England”)

Elizabeth shared her father’s colorings:

Like Father, Like Daughter

Elizabeth reveled in her relationship with her father.

She “prides herself on her father and glories in him” (“Elizabeth I and Henry VIII”).

A Venetian Ambassador in 1557 wrote of Elizabeth:

During the procession through London to her coronation, somebody shouted “I remember King Harry the Eighth!”

Elizabeth reportedly smiled.

Elizabeth became Queen in 1558, 11 years after her father’s death

Elizabeth’s Accession

Her coronation robes were patterned In the Tudor roses and trimmed with ermine

She was received triumphantly and wholeheartedly by the citizens, especially those with Protestant leanings (“Elizabeth I of England”)

Early Years as QueenThough the years following her father’s death were marked by “sobriety and caution,” her early days as Queen were filled with a newfound freedom and fun (“Elizabeth I Biography”).

She spent her days enjoying. . . hunting and riding

music and dancingand bearbaiting

Elizabeth and MarriageFrom the beginning of her reign, it was expected that Elizabeth would marry and proposals came in almost right away.

She considered many different offers until she was nearly fifty; she never accepted any of them, however.

Why did she refuse?

Some historians say she was emotionally affected by questionable activities from Thomas Seymour, then 40, toward Elizabeth who was 14. He would engage in “romps and horseplay . . . ” entering her bedroom in his nightgown, tickling her and slapping her on the buttocks” (“Elizabeth I of England”).

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Elizabeth and Marriage

Why did she refuse?

Others say that she knew she was infertile.23 And still others claim that she didn’t want to risk

provoking political instability or possible insurrection.

She did, however, maintain a close relationship with her childhood friend Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, for over 30 years (“Elizabeth I of England”).

Elizabeth and “the Golden Age”

During her reign . . . • A secure Church of England was established

• Voyages of discovery were made by Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh

• The arts flourished

• Miniature paintings reached its apex• Theatres thrived (“Elizabethan Era”)

• These expeditions paved the way for England’s colonization and trade expansion

• The East India Company was established in 1600

Her reign of 45 years is considered

“one of the most glorious in English history” (“Elizabeth I”).

Elizabeth: The Last Tudor Monarch

England experienced a period largely marked by prosperity and peace (“Elizabethan era”)

While France was plagued with internal religious battles,

and the Italian Renaissance ended with instability from a series of foreign invasions known as the Italian Wars . . .

Famous Quotes• “I may not be a lion, but I am a lion’s cub,

and I have a lion’s heart.”

• “Do not tell secrets to those whose faith and silence you have not already tested.”

• “I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a people” (“Elizabeth I Quotes”).

Art Inspired by Queen Elizabeth

“The Pelican Portrait”Oil on panel by Nicholas HiIliard

• Elizabeth at approximately 41 years old

• The mother pelican on her brooch is the traditional Christian symbol of Christ’s sacrifice—here it signifies her role as a “mother to her people” (“Elizabeth I: The Pelican Portrait”).

Cartoons of Queen Elizabeth

(“Elizabeth I gifts”)

Works Cited“Elizabethan era.” Wikipedia. n.p. n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2012.

“Elizabeth I gifts.” Cartoonstock. n.p. n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2012.

“Elizabeth I and Henry VIII.” Alexander Palace Time Machine: Romanov, Russian

“Elizabeth I Biography.” Elizabeth i. Web. Heather Thomas. 2012. Web. 10 Aug. 2012.

“Elizabethan I of England.” Wikipedia. n.p. n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2012.

“Elizabeth I Queen of England.” Tudorplace. n.p. n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2012.

“Elizabeth I Quotes.” Brainy Quote. n.p. n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2012.

“Elizabeth I: The Pelican Portrait.” Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool.

History and Royalty Discussion Forum. n.p. n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2012.

National Museums Liverpool, 2012. Web. 11 Aug. 2012.