Beautifully written
Friday, March 24, 2023 07:00 PM
After 44 years of reign, the Queen passed away Elizabeth I On this day in 1603, King James VI of Scotland ascended to the throne, uniting England and Scotland under one British monarch.
Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, assumed the throne in 1558 after the death of her sister, Queen Mary. The sisters, daughters of Henry VIII, had a stormy relationship during Mary’s five-year reign. Mary enacted pro-Catholic legislation and made efforts to restore papal supremacy in England A Protestant rebellion ensued, and Queen Mary Elizabeth, a Protestant, was imprisoned in the Tower of London on suspicion of her involvement. After Mary’s death, Queen Elizabeth escaped several Catholic conspiracies against her, although her ascension was met with the approval of most of the princes of England, who were largely Protestant. Hoping for greater religious toleration under the Protestant queen, under the early direction of Secretary of State Sir William Cecil, Elizabeth overturned Mary’s pro-Catholic legislation, established a permanent Protestant church in England, and encouraged Calvinist reformers in Scotland.
In foreign affairs, Elizabeth pursued a policy of strengthening England’s Protestant allies and dividing her opponents. In 1588, Anglo-Spanish rivalry led to an abortive Spanish invasion of England, where English sea storms destroyed the Spanish fleet, the largest naval force in the world at the time..
With English dominance at sea increasing, Elizabeth encouraged voyages of discovery, such as Sir Francis Drake’s voyage around the world and Sir Walter Raleigh’s expeditions to the coast of North America.
The long reign of Elizabeth, who was known as the “Virgin Queen” for her reluctance to jeopardize her power through marriage, coincided with the flourishing of the English Renaissance, associated with famous authors such as William Shakespeare and with her death in 1603, England became a major world power in all respects, and Queen Elizabeth I entered History as one of the greatest monarchs of England.
