Queen Elizabeth I - Family, Religion, and Politics Essay -- essays res

Born of a king whose most disappointing day was that of her birth, Elizabeth Tudor’s life seemed almost made for trials and controversy, both personally and politically. Although she had, at times, a horrible temper and a disagreeable personality, and suffered through many physical and psychological problems as an adult, Elizabeth proved to be one of the most remarkable monarchs in English history. Firstly, I will discuss Elizabeth’s family (including her many stepmothers), and then I will talk about her relationship with her siblings under their power. Thirdly, I will examine religion and how it affected her opinions and politics during her reign. Lastly, I will look at foreign politics of the time and some of Elizabeth’s decisions affecting England’s position in the world. Elizabeth was born in 1533 to Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn. Anne was Henry’s second wife, after having divorced the first (Catherine of Aragon) for having failed to produce a male heir to the throne. (On Catherine’s death, her daughter Mary’s birth was declared illegitimate.) Ann had been Catherine’s lady-in-waiting. After Elizabeth’s disappointing birth, Ann Boleyn had two miscarriages. The king was growing impatient for a son. During Ann’s fourth pregnancy, she discovered Henry in bed with her lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour. Her anger brought on premature labour, and she gave birth to a dead boy. Henry had her arrested and taken to Tower Hill. She was charged with having committed adultery and incest, and was beheaded. The King married Jane Seymour thenext morning. Elizabeth was only three years old at the time. In 1537, Jane Seymour gave birth to a boy, Edward. Jane died a week later. The king remarried quickly (to Ann of Cleves), but the marriage en... ...lso proved to be a wise political move, for she flirted incessantly, and â€Å"not to marry always left the door open to the possibilities of marriage, and that was an asset.... which she did not care to lose† (Read, 162). Though, near her death, more problems were caused by a new generation looking for change (more people were executed in those last few years than all of the other years of her reign put together), Elizabeth Tudor’s name will echo in history books for many years to come as an important figure in English history. References Jenkins, E. (1965). Elizabeth the Great. London: Victor Gollancz. Morris, C. (1955). The Tudors. London: Fontana/Collins. Read, C. (1936). The Tudors: Personalities and Practical Politics in Sixteenth Century England. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Rowse, A.(1950). The England of Elizabeth. London: Macmillan and Co.