ELIZABETH 1st

When Elizabeth was born, everyone was expecting a son. Both her parents were acutely disappointed.
Before too long she was taken from her mother, as was the custom, and placed in someone else's care.
When her mother miscarried of a male child, Henry had her beheaded.
Elizabeth was then branded as illegitimate.
She saw her father only rarely but did see Mary from time to time.
Throughout her childhood, with all the changes, the one constant was her father, and he was always her hero.
When Henry married Catherine Parr, Elizabeth finally had some kind of home. She shared tutors with Edward, and she was taught Greek and Latin.
As a child Elizabeth is seen as a pale faced girl, with auburn hair, wearing simple gowns and few jewels.
With the death of Henry, things became difficult.
She continued to live with Catherine Parr, and her new husband Thomas Seymour
There was a flirtation, and when Catherine found Elizabeth in Thomas's arms, she insisted Elizabeth leave.
Seymour hoped to marry Elizabeth when his wife died.
With plots going on, Thomas was eventually sent to the gallows, but Elizabeth was implicated in dangerous things.
She was reported to have said, of Thomas, at his death "a man of much wit and little judgment"
Her health was badly affected at this time
Elizabeth remained quietly at Hertfordshire working at her studies.
She missed Edward, and sent him letters, and a portrait of herself and wrote "For the face, I grant I may well blush to offer, but the mind I shall never be ashamed to present"
During her brothers reign, Elizabeth learned how to be on guard and in the next 5 years of Mary's reign she need all the intelligence she had.
Mary could never hide her jealousy of Elizabeth, so they were dangerous time for her
Once she was taken to the tower, but remained alive thanks to her quick intelligence.
Finally the day came when Mary died, and the crown became hers.

The coronation was on the 15th January, 1559
It was an age of 'queens'
Catherine de Medici in France
Mary of Guise in Scotland
Elizabeth in England.
Her name became synonymous with England. Elizabeth saw her mission was to heal the divisions of the country, caused by religion.
Everyone assumed she would soon be married, and would not remain single for long.
She had many suitors from the royal houses of Europe
Robert Dudley, was her favorite at court, and many said they were lovers.
In 1562 when she was critically ill, her being single became an issue, because who would follow her?
There were four claimants, but Elizabeth would not recognize any of them.
She continually refused to be married and stated she was married to England.
Mary queen of Scots became her prisoner.
With talk of treason, eventually Elizabeth's ministers convinced her that Mary would have to be executed.
Elizabeth made her sex a source of strength where with other Queens femininity was the cause of weakness in their rule.
She became the first monarch to give her name to an era.
When the Armada was defeated, she said these words "You may well have a greater prince, but you will never have a more loving prince".
There would be no other bridegroom for Elizabeth.
Robert Cecil,, one of her ministers, spoke the truth when he said "she might be more than a man, but she was sometimes (by troth) less than a woman"
Elizabeth never lost sight that she was ruler She threaded her way through many difficulties to become a great queen

For further reading on this fascinating subject:
"I Elizabeth" by Rosalind Miles
"Elizabeth the Queen' by Alison Weir
"The Letters of Queen Elizabeth" by G.B. Harrison
"The Life and Times of Elizabeth" by Neville Williams
"Mary, Queen of Scots" by Antonia Fraser
"Robert, Earl of Essex" by Robert Lacey
For a more comprehensive list of books take a peek in http://members.delphi.com/ginnyann/index.html