Elizabeth I of England

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Elizabeth I of England
Queen of England and Ireland
Queen of France, nominal title
Born September 7, 1533
Palace of Placentia, Greenwich, England
Died Richmond Palace, England

Elizabeth I of England (September 7, 1533 - March 24, 1603) was the Queen of England from November 17, 1558 until she died in 1603. She has also been called The Virgin Queen or Good Queen Bess.

[edit] Early life

Elizabeth I was born in the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, England. She was the daughter of Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn.

Elizabeth became the Queen of England in 1558 after her half-sister, Mary I of England, died. She was crowned on January 15, 1559 at Westminster Abbey. She was crowned by Owen Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle.

It is not clear why Elizabeth never married.

Elizabeth I caught smallpox in 1562. This scared Parliament, because they did not know who would be the King or Queen after her. They asked Elizabeth I to named an heir, but she did not.

In 1572 Elizabeth I made an alliance with France. She made negotiations with them to marry. In 1580, Pope Gregory XIII sent an army into Ireland to help with their rebellion, but this failed.

[edit] Later years

An attempted Spanish invasion in 1588 (see Spanish Armada) failed, and this made Queen Elizabeth I very popular.

In 1598, Elizabeth I's most important minister, William Cecil, Lord Burghley, died. He was replaced by his son, Robert Cecil.

Elizabeth I became ill in February 1602. She died on March 24, 1603 at the age of 69 years in Richmond Palace.

[edit] Legacy

There have been many films about Elizabeth I.

  • The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) - Bette Davis
  • The Virgin Queen (1955) - Bette Davis
  • Elizabeth R, a BBC television series - Glenda Jackson
  • Elizabeth (1998) - Cate Blanchett played Elizabeth I in the film and almost won an Academy Award for Best Actress.