QueenElizabeth5

Although she is one of Great Britain's most renowned monarchs, most people do not know much about Queen Elizabeth I. According to Susan Doran, author of **__Queen Elizabeth I,__** Queen Elizabeth was born "on Sunday 7 September 1533 between the hours of 3 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the morning," to Queen Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII (8). Henry was displeased; Elizabeth was not a boy. He soon remarried and had a son, Edward and, lost favor in Henry's eyes. She was raised in a palace outside of London, and according to the book **__Who Was Queen Elizabeth__** by June Eding, Elizabeth "hardly ever saw her father" (9).
 * WHO IS QUEEN ELIZABETH I? WHAT IS HER LEGACY? WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN QUEEN ELIZABETH’S COURT? WHAT CONNECTION DID SHAKESPEARE HAVE TO QUEEN ELIZABETH? **
 * Answer Prepared by: Ben Z.**

During her childhood and adolescence, Elizabeth received an excellent education. She had a private tutor named Roger Ascham. Among the subjects Elizabeth studied were "math, history, literature, astronomy, and geography. She especially loved to read; she would spend hours with books in Greek and Latin. By the time she was a teenager, Elizabeth knew five languages in addition to English: French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, and Latin" (Eding 10). Elizabeth also enjoyed music, needlework, horseback riding, and dancing (Eding 10-11).

When Elizabeth was 13, Henry VIII passed away. Prince Edward became king, even though he was only nine. He was often ill, however, and passed away at age 15 (Eding 14). Princess Mary, Elizabeth's half-sister and Henry's oldest child, was made Queen. She soon married Prince Philip of Spain. They were both devout Catholics. Although England was Protestant, Mary tried to make it Catholic. People who didn't conform were burned at the stake. She had Elizabeth thrown in jail so her power wouldn't be threatened. She was imprisoned in the Tower of London for two months.

The English people hated Mary, but thankfully, Mary's reign of terror did not last forever, and on November 17th, 1558 Mary passed away, and Elizabeth was made Queen. Big ceremonies and feasts were thrown in honor of the coronation, and people lined the London streets for a chance to see the young Queen.

The Queen lived a luxurious lifestyle: "[She had servants] to keep the castle running, a team if cooks and kitchen workers to prepare the royal meals, and ladies-in-waiting to address all her needs" (Eding 31). As the queen, Elizabeth had a lot of power (Eding 32). One of the only things that were out of her power was taxes. "In order to raise taxes, she had to consult Parliament. But in all the forty-four years she was Queen, she called parliament into session only ten times. Instead, she relied on a group of advisers that made up the Privy Council" (Eding 32-33).

Elizabeth liked to get what she wanted; she was a cunning manipulator who understood how to get people to do what she wanted them to do (Eding 40-41). One thing Elizabeth didn't want was marriage. She was constantly bombarded with requests from desperate suitors, mostly royalty. However, in her lifetime, Elizabeth never married.

During the mid 1500s, England suffered from many problems. One of the most prevalent ones was the plague. Elizabeth herself caught the plague for a time period and almost died. She recovered, but no one really knows whether or not she got scars from the disease. Another problem was the threat of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary claimed she was the rightful heir of the British throne. She was unpopular in Scotland, however, and fled to England, where she begged for protection. She stayed in England for about 20 years. But Mary was plotting against Elizabeth. Thankfully, Elizabeth's spies found about her and captured her. She was sentenced to death. Another big threat that came in 1588 was the Spanish Armada. Spain sought to conquer England, and sent a massive fleet of ships to invade England. Elizabeth proved herself a great ruler when she led England to crush the Armada. The victory made her extremely popular.

In Elizabeth's court, life was very regal. Men and women dressed in fancy clothing. Music, dancing, and theater were very popular. The Queen was very educated in literature, drama, and the latest plays. In order to impress the Queen courtiers would have to have a fine knowledge of these areas, and one "might have been expected to recite a sonnet for Her Majesty right on the spot!"(Eding 74-75). One of the biggest names in drama of the time was William Shakespeare, and Elizabeth was a big fan of Shakespeare.

After 44 years of a glorious reign, on March 24 of 1603, Queen Elizabeth passed away. She is best remembered for the innovations in arts, exploration, military, and technology that happened in her time, and for being a Queen who truly loved her people.

Doran, Susan. // Queen Elizabeth I //. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2003. 8-70. Print.  Eding, June. // Who Was Queen Elizabeth? // . New York: Penguin Group, 2008. 3-91. Print.
 * Works Cited **

Green, Robert. // Queen Elizabeth I //. NDanbury, Connecticut: Franklin Watts, 1997. 56. Print.  Zamoyska, Betka. // Queen Elizabeth I // . Burnt Mill, Harlow, Essex, UK: Longman Group Limited, 1981. 8. Print.