This Day in History September 7, 1533

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If you have ever studied history of the Western world, you probably recognize this picture.  It is the picture of Queen Elizabeth I, Queen of England.  On this date in 1533, she was born at Greenwich Palace to father King Henry the XIII and his second wife, Ann Boleyn (you have possibly heard of them).  Her birth was a great disappointment to her father since he was hoping for an heir.  He already had a daughter--Mary.  When little Elizabeth was not even three years old, her mother was falsely executed on charges of incest and adultery (she was really killed because she could not produce a male heir), and she was declared illegitimate.

Over the next eight years of young Elizabeth's life, she had a total of four stepmothers.  Elizabeth herself never married, and her tumultuous home life may have contributed to this lack of desire to marry.  Thankfully, she had an excellent education, and by the time she was an adult, she could speak five languages fluently.

Adolescent Elizabeth was also implicated in a couple scandals in which she had no part.  Her implication in the Wyatt Rebellion of 1553 caused her to be sent to the Tower of London.  It was her popularity with the people and lack of evidence against her that finally acquitted her.

She finally became Queen officially at the age of 25.  She was indeed a patron of the arts, and she also enjoyed sports in spite of religious leaders who told her that such things were frivolous.  Although she was a conservative Protestant, it is commendable that she was not one who wished to execute those who differed from her religious beliefs.  She often used marriage as a political bargaining tool, but she never married.  And she never had a child which often made the people nervous about the future.

The issues surrounding her sister Mary, Queen of Scots, were very difficult for her.  Mary sought Elizabeth's help in reestablishing her throne, but Elizabeth had her imprisoned for nearly 20 years.  Execution was finally unavoidable in 1587 due to a plot in which she was involved.

The King of Spain invaded England in 1588, but England defeated them.  And this became Elizabeth's crowning achievement.  She died March 24, 1603, having turned the fortunes of England completely around. She is still revered as the favorite monarch of the English people.

For more information on Queen Elizabeth, I, check out this very informative site.