Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty.  Elizabeth was an immensely popular Queen and during her reign, her country became the most powerful in the world. (fonte: wikipedia)

Elizabeth was Henry VIIIs daughter. Her mother was Henrys second wife, Anne Boleyn, who died when Elizabeth was three.

The king declared this marriage invalid so Elizabeth was declared illegitimate and her sister Mary too.

Elizabeth was an unhappy child but she had a very good education.

She excelled at her studies especially at languages an Music. She was good at sport too; she loved all kinds of sports, particularly horse riding.

When her father died, Edward VI (her young brother) became king. He died in 1553 and Elizabeth’s elder sister became Queen Mary I.

Mary died and Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth I in 1558 when she was twentyfive.

She was Queen of England for 45 years until 1603.

Elizabeth never had a husband and she had no children.

She was tall and slim. She had curly red hair, a long face, small brown eyes, a hooked nose and a thin mouth.

She had a very strong personality and she was a good politician. In government, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father .

Once she was crowned queen, she devoted all her life, her instinctive political skill and her courage to the creation of a modern stronger England.

Elizabeth re-established the Anglican Church, but, as she was tolerant, she avoided the error of fanaticism. She named herself Governor, and not supreme head in earth of the Church of England” as her father had done.

The defeat of the Spanish Armada is one of the most famous events in English history. The successful defence of the kingdom against Spanish invasion boosted the prestige of England’s Queen Elizabeth .

Mary Stuard, the Queen of Scots, was Elizabeths great rival. She was very different from her cousin Elizabeth; she was a passionate woman, who often yielded to her private passions. She married the Dauphin of France.

The most splendid period of English literature, called the Elizabethan Age, began in the later years of Elizabeth’s reign. (fonte: britannica.com)

Elizabeth was a patron of arts and literature, and loved watching plays and other dramatic performances.

William Shakespeare acted before her, but at the time of her death he had not yet written most of his great tragedies.

Elizabeth also liked to write poetry, and a few of her poems still survive.

Elizabeth loved music too. She could play lute and she enjoyed musical entertainment. She was especially fond of dancing.

Elizabeth died on March, 24th 1603 at Richmond Palace.

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