Who was Queen Elizabeth I?
Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603. Her 44-year reign, known as the Elizabethan era, saw victory over the Spanish Armada and a flowering of English culture.
Elizabeth was born in 1533, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who was executed when Elizabeth was two. She became queen at 25 after the death of her half-sister, Mary I. She restored Protestantism as England's official religion, while trying to avoid extreme religious conflict.
In 1588, the English navy defeated the Spanish Armada, a huge fleet sent by King Philip II of Spain to invade England. The victory boosted England's power and Elizabeth's popularity. Her reign also saw exploration by sailors like Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, and the plays of William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.
The Virgin Queen
Elizabeth never married and had no children, earning her the nickname the Virgin Queen. The American colony of Virginia was named in her honor. When she died in 1603, the throne passed to James VI of Scotland, ending the Tudor dynasty.
Did You Know?
Elizabeth I spoke several languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, Latin and Greek.