(1533–1603)
the queen of England and Ireland from 1558, after the death of her sister Mary I . She is regarded as one of England’s greatest rulers. The daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn , Elizabeth was an extremely strong and clever woman who controlled the difficult political and religious situation of the time with great skill. She once said to her soldiers before a battle, ‘I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a King, and of a King of England, too.’ During her reign the country’s economy grew very strong, the arts were very active, and England became firmly Protestant and confident in world affairs. However, Elizabeth is often seen as a very lonely figure and is known as the ‘Virgin Queen’ because she never married, although she is known to have had a relationship with the Earl of Leicester and, late in life, the Earl of Essex .
See also Armada , Mary Queen of Scots .