Elizabeth 1 queen of great britain. The era of Elizabeth I
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ELIZABETH I(Elizabeth I) (1533-1603), Queen of England, who helped create the image of the Golden Age, which is believed to have fallen on her reign. Elizabeth was born in Greenwich Palace (now London) on September 7, 1533. Her father was King Henry VIII, and her mother was Anne Boleyn, the former maid of honor of Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. To marry Anna, the king divorced Catherine and left the papal authority, proclaiming himself in 1534 the head of the English church. In May 1536, Anne Boleyn was executed on charges of adultery, although her tragic end is mainly due to the fact that she could not give birth to Henry's son, who would become heir to the throne.
Early years.
In the period between her father's death in 1547 and her own accession to the throne in 1558, Elizabeth had to endure difficult trials that left an imprint on her character. During the reign of her half-brother Edward VI (1547-1553), she was unwittingly involved in the conspiracy of Thomas, Lord Seymour, Lord Admiral. Jealous of his brother Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, protector of the kingdom during the minority of Edward VI, Thomas committed a series of rash acts that led to the assumption that he was nursing plans for a coup d'état. The pinnacle of recklessness was the plan to marry Elizabeth. In January 1549 Thomas was taken into custody.
"Oh my God! We will be ruled by a woman! " This exclamation belonged to one of Elizabeth's subjects, who first saw the empress after her coronation. The year was 1558, and this statement reflected the public mood of that era and the fear experienced by every Englishman who looked into the future with concern. Few then could have imagined that the 45-year reign of Elizabeth I would become one of the most glorious periods in the history of England ...
In order to understand the bewilderment and anxiety that gripped the English court after Elizabeth's accession, you need to look at the history of the kingdom.
There were no laws in England prohibiting female succession to the throne, but there was also no precedent of this kind. In addition, the legend of women's intervention in politics was still fresh in the memory of the people, which was, for example, an imaginary conspiracy organized by Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's mother, against her father, Henry VIII, for which the unfortunate woman paid with her own life.
Henry VIII accuses Anna of treason. Engraving from the painting by K. Piloti. 1880 year
Leafing through the private correspondence of the royal ministers of that period, we learn a lot of interesting things. So, for example, many of them complain about how unbearable it is to serve a woman and the need to fulfill all her whims.
One of the main reasons for complaint was Elizabeth's indecision and lack of firmness in decision-making. By issuing another decree, the queen was able to reverse her decision in a day, or even an hour later, thus causing confusion in the work of the state apparatus. Officials complained that the confusion deprived them of sleep.
Another reason for complaints was the presence at Elizabeth's court of her favorites, whom the Queen appointed to responsible posts and generously endowed with estates and large sums of money.
As for the beautiful half of the English court, she was dissatisfied with the jealousy and vanity of the red-haired ruler, who could not stand the maids of honor dressed to smithereens next to her. Dressing richer and more luxurious than the queen herself was simply forbidden.
Elizabeth was born at noon on September 7, 1533 in the chambers of Greenwich Palace. They say that from the first days of her appearance, the environment around the newborn was not very friendly. The courtiers whispered that the birth of a daughter was God's punishment to King Henry for breaking with Rome. Someone disliked the princess because she is the daughter of Anne Boleyn, "whore Nan", who stole the crown from the legitimate queen Catherine of Aragon.
Princess Elizabeth Tudor at the age of 14. The portrait was painted as a gift to his half-brother Edward VI. (Artist - William Scrots)
But then little Elizabeth did not yet understand this. She lived in the country palace Hatfield, surrounded by an army of nannies and servants. Previously, Hatfield was occupied by Catherine's daughter, Maria, who was now resettled to a distant outbuilding, deprived of all honors.
Subsequently, "Bloody Mary" will not forget this, and when asked to introduce herself to the princess, Mary will answer: "There is only one princess in England - me." Father and mother also visited their daughter infrequently: Henry was busy with state affairs, and Anna - with receptions and holidays.
Sometimes Elizabeth was brought to London to show foreign ambassadors and to outline future profitable marriages. In that era, it was not considered shameful to woo princesses almost from birth. When the girl was seven months old, Henry almost conspired about her betrothal to the third son of Francis I. For this purpose, the baby was presented to the French ambassadors, first in "luxurious royal vestments," and then naked, so that they could make sure that the bride had no physical disabilities.
At a time when more babies died than survived, Elizabeth grew up surprisingly healthy, ruddy and smart beyond her years. She rarely cried, but she knew perfectly well how to get the desired delicacy or toy from the nannies with the help of tears. Of course, the "only" heiress was spoiled and catered to all her wishes.
During the palace celebrations, a whole line of peers lined up for the three-year-old baby, who piled offerings at her feet. Elizabeth, in a brocade dress sewn like an adult, thanked everyone, gracefully squatting in the French manner. Even then, she was accustomed to behave like a queen.
The girl will forever remember the terrible day of May 1, 1536. Holding her close to her, her mother knelt in front of her father, shouting pitiful excuses ... After that, Elizabeth saw the king very rarely, and her mother never again. At the trial, Anna was accused of debauchery, after which rumors immediately spread that Elizabeth was not a royal daughter.
Family portrait. In the center is Henry VIII with his third wife Jane Seymour and their son Edward VI. On the left, Princess Mary is the daughter of Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. On the right is Elizabeth.
In fact, the slender red-haired girl did not bear much resemblance to Henry VIII, but she was very similar to her mother, as well as to her supposed lover, the court musician Mark Smeaton. Heinrich himself, it seems, did not doubt his paternity, but preferred to remove from sight the one that reminded of his shame.
Elizabeth continued to live in Hatfield under the supervision of the nanny boss Lady Brian and the manager John Shelton. Heinrich cut the cost of supporting his daughter, but ordered her to be raised like a king, because she remained a profitable commodity for foreign suitors.
In the fall of 1536, she had a new governess, Catherine Ashley, who cared not only about the girl's upbringing, but also about education, teaching her to read and write in English and Latin. For a long time, Kat replaced the princess's mother, and later Elizabeth recalled:
“She spent many years beside me and made every effort to teach me knowledge and instill ideas of honor ... We are more closely connected with those who bring us up than with our parents, for parents, following the call of nature, bring us into the world , and educators teach to live in it. "
Elizabeth was taught everything: behave at the table, dance, pray and do needlework. Already at the age of six, she gave her little brother Eduard a cambric shirt of her own making.
Actually, Elizabeth had no particular reason to love Jane's son Seymour, who was blocking her path to the throne. True, Queen Jane herself treated the girl affectionately, but soon after the birth of her son, she died. Then two more queens flashed by, so quickly that Elizabeth barely had time to notice them.
The sixth and last wife of her father, Catherine Parr, was determined to treat the royal offspring as her own children. It was at her request that Elizabeth, Mary and Edward settled in the royal palace.
Ekaterina Parr- Elizabeth's favorite stepmother.
The elder sister was jubilant - for her it was an approach to the desired power. And Elizabeth yearned for the green meadows and forests of Hatfield, for her Kat and for the playmate of children - Robert Dudley, the son of one of Henry's confidants. Only with him was the unsociable princess frank and once said that, having seen enough of the sad fate of her father's wives, she decided never to marry.
Since 1543, Elizabeth studied sciences under the guidance of academic professors Chica and Grindel, who were later joined by Prince Edward's mentor Roger Ash. All of them were deeply religious people and at the same time humanists who rejected the fanaticism and intolerance of the previous era.
Elizabeth became the first English princess to be raised in the spirit of the Renaissance. First of all, this meant the study of ancient languages and ancient culture. By the age of twelve, she could read and speak five languages - English, Latin, Greek, French and Italian.
Her talents impressed even the royal antiquarian John Leland, who, after testing the girl's knowledge, prophetically exclaimed: "This wonderful child will be the glory of England!"
In the labyrinths of power
After the death of Henry VIII, much has changed in Elizabeth's position. Leaving the palace to her brother, she and Maria moved to the queen's mansion in Chelsea, where a new owner soon appeared - Catherine Parr married Admiral Thomas Seymour.
This intriguer played an important role at the court of his nephew and did not lose hope of securing her by marriage to one of the princesses. Before marrying Catherine, he unsuccessfully wooed Mary, and then sought permission to marry her sister. Considering himself an irresistible gentleman, he began to openly molest his stepdaughter.
Thomas Seymour is an English statesman, admiral and diplomat at the Tudor court.
In the mornings he burst into Elizabeth's bedroom and began to stir and tickle the young princess, not in the least embarrassed by the presence of the maids and faithful Kat. Little by little, the girl began to believe in the admiral's feelings, but once Catherine found her in her husband's arms. A scandal broke out, and in April 1548 Elizabeth and her servants moved to the Chestnut estate.
In the new place, the princess diligently devoted herself to her studies under the guidance of Eshem. In September, two days before her fifteenth birthday, Queen Catherine died of childbirth. Rumors spread throughout London that the admiral, whose ambitions continued to grow, was about to woo Elizabeth, and even Kat thought it was a good idea.
Many thought that Seymour had already seduced the princess, and it was this that precipitated the death of his wife. It looks like the redheaded devil has gone to her lecherous mother. Meanwhile, Elizabeth grew stronger and stronger in her aversion to marriage. This was facilitated by the behavior of Seymour, who now shed hypocritical tears over his wife's coffin, taking over her considerable fortune.
The admiral did not hide his claims to power, and Elizabeth lived in constant fear that he would simply force her to marry him. The end came in March 1549 - Thomas Seymour was arrested and executed a week later. Elizabeth was also interrogated for participation in the conspiracy, but was quickly acquitted.
Meanwhile, the country was again engulfed in religious fermentation, and both princesses could not stand aside from it. Mary remained a staunch Catholic, and Elizabeth, brought up in a Protestant spirit, increasingly showed herself to be a defender of the new faith. This contradiction became apparent when the sickly Edward died in July 1553. The crown went to Mary, who quickly restored Catholicism in England.
Mary I enters London ...
Elizabeth expressed complete obedience to her sister, but Mary's Spanish advisers tried to convince that the princess could not be trusted. What if she charms some powerful nobleman or even a foreign sovereign and with his help seizes power?
At first, Mary did not particularly believe these rumors, but the Protestant conspiracy in March 1554 changed her mind. Elizabeth was thrown into the Tower, and her life was saved only by humiliating pleas for mercy.
The princess was exiled to the provincial Woodstock. In the damp climate there, diseases began to pester her: her face was covered with boils, sudden fits of anger were replaced by tears. Having somehow survived the winter, she returned to the capital: Philip of Spain, who became Maria's husband, decided to keep Elizabeth closer to the court for safety. According to rumors, this decision had another reason: Philip succumbed to her extraordinary charm.
Soon Elizabeth moved to her beloved Hatfield, where friends began to gather around her - Kat Ashley, Perry's treasurer, teacher Roger Ashley. More and more courtiers and churchmen came here, leaving the royal palace, where the Spaniards ruled.
By the fall of 1558, when Mary's health deteriorated sharply, only two people were blocking her sister's path to the throne. One was Philip of Spain. The other was Reginald Pole, cardinal and archbishop of Canterbury, who was a staunch Catholic and highly influential at court. However, fate continued to keep Elizabeth:
On November 16, when Mary drew her last breath, Philip was in Spain, and Cardinal Pole himself lay dying. On the same day, closer to noon, in the hall of parliament, Elizabeth was proclaimed Queen of England. A huge crowd of townspeople gathered at the mayor's office greeted this news with joyful shouts.
Coronation of Elizabeth in 1558
By the time of her accession to the throne, Elizabeth was already a mature, strong personality, internally ready to manage such a vast and restless domain, which was the domain of the British crown.
Milky-white skin, piercing blue eyes, a thin crooked nose and a shock of coppery hair, this is how the heiress of Henry VIII looked at that time.
One of the issues that occupied the minds of advisers and courtiers after Elizabeth's accession to the throne was the question of her marriage, which would guarantee the birth of an heir and the maintenance of the Tudor dynasty.
It is not known for certain why Elizabeth so stubbornly rejected the possibility of marriage. There were persistent rumors among the courtiers that, due to some physical handicap, she could not lead a married life.
One of the most likely reasons is the eminently independent nature of the proud, ambitious and ambitious Elizabeth and her desire for sole power. Being an intelligent, cold and calculating person, she perfectly understood that the presence of a spouse, and even more so an heir, would weaken her boundless power over her subjects.
"For the glory of God, for the good of the state, I decided to keep the vow of virginity indestructible. Take a look at my state ring,- she said, showing the deputies of parliament to this symbol of power, not yet removed after the coronation, - I have already become engaged to them with my spouse, to whom I will invariably be faithful to the grave ...
My husband is England, children are my subjects. I will choose a worthy man as my wife, but until then I wish that on my tomb they would write: "She lived and died a queen and a virgin".
The first European sovereign to woo Elizabeth was Phillip II of Spain, widower of her older sister, Mary Tudor, who died of dropsy. In his message, the Spanish king wrote that he was ready to take care of the government, “ more manly”, And demanding, in turn, from Elizabeth, to abandon Protestantism and accept Catholicism. As you might expect, this matchmaking was unsuccessful.
In addition to Philip of Spain, Elizabeth's consent was also solicited by the electoral palatin Casimir, Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Holstein, Crown Prince Eric XIV of Sweden, but none of them achieved the Queen's favor. It was rumored that the real reason for Elizabeth's stubbornness was her affectionate relationship with Robert Dudley.
With Robert Dudley, the youngest son of the Duke of Northumberland, the future Empress met as an 8-year-old child. They were the same age, and most likely met in the classroom of the royal palace.
Robert was a talented, intelligent and inquisitive boy who had a penchant for mathematics, astronomy, and made notable success in horse riding. He, like no one else, knew Elizabeth and later claimed that from early childhood she was firm in her intention never to get married.
In 1550, in order to avoid misinterpretation and improve his financial well-being, Robert married Amy Robsart, the daughter of a Norfolk squire.
With the accession to the throne of Elizabeth, Robert's life and career took a dizzying turn. Dudley was given a prestigious post that required him to stay with the royal. It was followed by monetary awards, estates and new titles.
Robert Dudley
Evil tongues claimed that they were lovers, and that Elizabeth carried a child from Robert under her heart, but no documentary evidence of this has survived. The only certainty is that the queen was passionately in love, and that Dudley reciprocated her.
The privileged position of the young favorite, of course, could not but cause criticism. In all England there was not a single person who would put in a good word for him. The general animosity was compounded in 1560 when Robert's young wife was found in her Oxfordshire home with a broken neck at the foot of the stairs. Many then were convinced that Dudley decided in this way to get rid of his unloved wife in order to marry the queen.
Amy Robsart It is known for certain that Amy had breast cancer at the time, and according to modern medical research, the cause of her death could have been a spontaneous bone fracture triggered by the effort it took to climb the stairs.
Of course, Elizabethan medicine did not have this knowledge, and everyone, including Robert himself, decided that Amy had been killed. This fact made an official marriage between Dudley and Elizabeth almost impossible, since it would only confirm suspicions of murder and cast a shadow on the queen.
Dudley, however, did not lose hope of marriage for the next several years. In 1575, at a lavish festival held at Kenilworth Castle, Robert in last time asked for Elizabeth's hand. She refused.
It should be noted that Robert Dudley was far from the only man who enjoyed the Queen's favor.
In 1564, the young and ambitious Christopher Hutton was appointed to the post of keeper of the royal seal, who, in his enthusiastic messages to the queen, wrote that serving her is like a gift from heaven, and that there is nothing worse than being away from her person.
At court, they again started talking about the fact that Elizabeth had acquired a new lover, but as in the story with Dudley, the rumors remained just rumors.
Walter Raleigh - English courtier, statesman, poet and writer, historian, favorite of Queen Elizabeth I.
Hutton was replaced by Walter Raleigh, a young poet and adventurer who dedicated enthusiastic odes to Elizabeth and founded a colony in North America named after the virgin queen Virginia.
He fell into disgrace after Elizabeth became aware of his secret wedding with one of her maids of honor. It was rumored that Robert Dudley, who mortally hated Rayleigh, had a hand in overthrowing the favorite.
The last whim of 50-year-old Elizabeth was the 17-year-old Earl of Essex, a handsome young man, for whom, according to some contemporaries, the Queen had exclusively maternal feelings.
At the end of Elizabeth's life, when matrimonial plans and hopes for the birth of an heir faded into the past, the image of the virgin queen, who sacrificed herself in the name of the state, acquired a special meaning. Elizabeth was compared with the goddess Diana and with the Virgin Mary, turning her innocence into a kind of cult.
Last years the Elizabethan era was marked by general decline and decay. The aging queens were no longer able to control the government and their many courtiers. Duels and sex scandals became common in the palace.
Elizabeth's former favorite, the Earl of Essex, was convicted of plotting against her to seize the throne. The decline and desolation of the court coincided with the general malaise of Elizabeth herself, who, in spite of everything, was still engaged in dancing, horse riding, monitored her health, following a special diet, and took care of her appearance: the aging coquette wore a bright red wig and used abundantly whitewash to mask the traces of the once transferred smallpox. However, the mirrors in Elizabeth's chambers were removed long ago by her own order.
Death of Queen Elizabeth I.
The queen died on a gray rainy day on March 24, 1604 in her palace in Richmond at the age of 72, 16 years outliving the only man she saw in the role of her husband, Robert Dudley ...
Queen Elizabeth I in Britain as revered as in Russia - Empress Catherine II... Even the period of the reign of both women, both the British and the Russians are often called the same - the "Golden Age".
"English Virgin" and "Russian Cleopatra"
It is believed that under Elizabeth I the foundations of British maritime rule were laid. Under her, Protestantism was established in the country, in her era there was a period of creativity of the great Shakespeare, the British philosopher and historian became famous under her Francis Bacon.
Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn. Source: Commons.wikimedia.org
The era of Catherine the Great in Russia also saw a series of transformations, the successes of the army and navy, a significant expansion of the country's borders and the growth of its influence in the world.
The personal reputation of women is fundamentally different: if the Russian empress went down in history as one of the greatest mistresses, as “Russian Cleopatra”, then Elizabeth I was called the “Virgin Queen”, which she was very proud of.
English historians are still arguing about what influenced this choice of the queen. The most courageous go further and allow themselves the assumption that in the matter of Elizabeth's chastity, everything is far from so unambiguous.
Head on the chopping block: how the king disgusted his daughter
She was born on September 7, 1533 at the Royal Palace in Greenwich, and her father was not too happy about this event.
Legendary Henry VIII, "Bluebeard" of the English monarchy, expected that his second wife Ann Bolein will give him an heir. The birth of the king's daughter was upsetting. Gathering his courage, Henry celebrated the birth of the baby, named Elizabeth after his mother, and sent the princess out of sight, to the Hatfield House residence.
Elizabeth was not even three years old when she lost her mother: Henry VIII, never waiting for a son from Anne Boleyn, accused her of both high treason and adultery. Anna had no chance to survive - the king was striving at all costs to free the marital bed for a new passion. On May 19, 1536, the Queen's head was cut off.Due to her early childhood, Elizabeth was unlikely to have vivid personal impressions of this tragedy. But as she got older, she experienced this drama again. ... Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII, was very warm to his stepdaughter, and Elizabeth became attached to her.
But on February 13, 1542, Catherine Howard shared the fate of Anne Boleyn - her head was cut off on charges of adultery. In this case, apparently, Henry's claims were not so unfounded, but 9-year-old Elizabeth was shocked by her father's cruelty.
A number of experts believe that it was then that the princess developed an aversion to relationships with men, which was the reason why her personal life did not work out.
"Bloody Mary"
Despite her status as the daughter of a "traitor", Elizabeth received a good education... By the age of 10, she spoke Greek, Italian and French, read and wrote in Latin.
By the time of her father's death in 1547, the princess had little chance of the throne. Her younger brother was the heir Edward with whom Elizabeth developed a warm relationship. Next came the elder sister Maria, who disliked a relative - if Elizabeth was raised a Protestant, then Mary was a zealous Catholic.
During the reign of Edward, Elizabeth did not participate in any political intrigues. But in 1553, the 15-year-old king dies of pneumonia.
While the princess was in shock, the country plunged into chaos, which culminated in the accession to the throne of Mary.
Mary I, Queen of England. Hans Eworth, reproduction
Mary I Tudor known in English history how " Bloody Mary". She decided at all costs to return England to the bosom of true Catholicism. The fires of the Inquisition blazed throughout the kingdom.
Catholicism in England was supposed to strengthen the marriage of Mary - she married the heir to the Spanish throne Philip... According to the marriage contract, Philip did not have the right to interfere in the government; children born of this marriage became heirs to the English throne. In the event of the untimely death of the queen, Philip had to return back to Spain.
Philip was 12 years younger than his wife. The couple never had children. At the time of her marriage, Mary was 38 years old, and it is very likely that the queen was suffering from infertility.
During the reign of her sister, Elizabeth was in disgrace. However, Maria did not dare to take extreme measures in relation to her relative.
In 1558, an epidemic of "fever" swept across England, one of the victims of which was Queen Mary. On her deathbed, she nevertheless agreed to declare her Protestant sister the successor.
Robert. Just Robert
On November 17, 1558, Elizabeth became Queen of England. Very soon, the courtiers began to talk about the fact that she needed to get married in order to ensure the birth of an heir.
Among those who wanted to marry her were the widowed husband of Mary Philip, and Swedish crown prince Eric, and Habsburgs and even our Ivan Vasilievich the Terrible.
At the beginning of her reign, the queen, using all her talent, found reasons to refuse beautifully. When Elizabeth I established herself on the throne, the courtiers had to come to terms with her loneliness.
And yet there was a man who was extremely close to the Virgin Queen. Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, made friends with Elizabeth as a child. Handsome Robert, who experienced many hardships during the reign of Mary the Bloody, was elevated by Elizabeth - he received the position of royal equestrian, which gave him the right to command the cavalry during the war, and also became a knight of the most prestigious Order of the Garter in England.
Elizabeth I spent a lot of time in Dudley's company, and in 1560, Robert's legal wife died under strange circumstances. Amy Robsart.
For the queen, this case was extremely dangerous - rumors spread throughout the country that Elizabeth and her favorite got rid of the woman who was interfering with them. A special investigation was ordered, which confirmed the innocence of Robert Dudley. For some time he was distant from the throne, but soon he was returned. In 1562, Elizabeth, falling ill with smallpox and being on the verge of death, indicated Robert Dudley as a potential heir to the throne.
The Mystery of "Arthur Dudley"
Elizabeth and Robert Dudley's platonic relationship continued until his death in 1588. Skeptics, however, doubt that they were only platonic. In Spanish papers, there is information dating back to 1587, which speaks of the arrest of a certain man who called himself Arthur Dudley- the illegitimate son of Queen Elizabeth and Robert Dudley. According to the man, he learned about his origin from the person who was his teacher. He revealed the secret to him before his death.
Should you believe this? "The illegitimate son" appears in Spanish papers at the height of the Anglo-Spanish war, on the eve of the visit to the shores of Britain by the Spanish "Invincible Armada". Perhaps the Spaniards simply fabricated dirt on the hated Protestant Queen.
Unlike her father, Elizabeth, the winner of Spain and the patroness of the arts, had no craving for the execution of close relatives. But still, one such episode is still accused by writers.
Two women: what Mary Stuart paid for with her life
Queen Mary Stuart of Scots, Great-granddaughter of the King of England Henry VII Tudor, had rights to the English throne. Some believed that they were more grounded than the rights of the "illegitimate" Elizabeth. For the time being, Mary, who also claimed the French throne, did not interfere in English affairs.
However, after being defeated in the Civil War, she fled to England, the situation changed.Mary was the complete opposite of Elizabeth. She drove men crazy and herself went crazy with love affairs, which ultimately hurt her greatly in the struggle for power.
Once in exile in England, Mary Stuart was embroiled in a provocative correspondence discussing plans for her enthronement. The correspondence was presented to the Queen of England, who decided to judge a relative. The English royal court found Mary Stuart guilty of high treason and sentenced her to death.
Masters of literature and drama have composed a story in which Elizabeth sends Mary to her death because of envy of her female happiness. Everything in life, of course, was much more prosaic. The English queen simply got rid of a rival who had become too dangerous.
The last of the Tudors
The last years of Elizabeth's life can hardly be called happy. The queen's successes as a statesman were no longer particularly pleasing to the aging single woman. The successive deaths of close friends made her gloomy. She increasingly preferred to remain in seclusion. Elizabeth's age was approaching 70, which was a very old age for that time.
In early 1603, Elizabeth I's condition deteriorated sharply. The councilors who surrounded the queen begged for a successor to be settled. As a result, the "Virgin Queen" made a choice in favor of Scottish King James I, son of the executed Mary Stuart.
On March 24, 1603, Elizabeth I, the last of the Tudor dynasty, died at Richmond Palace and was buried at Westminster Abbey.
Almost half a century (1558-1603) of the reign of Elizabeth, known as the "virgin queen", went down in the history of England as the "golden age of Elizabeth", since during this period the state became actively involved in world politics, trade and became one of the world's cultural centers.
The future queen's childhood was not easy. She was born on September 7, 1533 in Greenwich Palace, in the suburbs of London, in the family of King Henry VIII Tudor and the second wife of the sovereign - Anne Boleyn. Henry was the initiator of the rupture of relations between Britain and the Pope, since the latter did not agree to the divorce of the crowned person from Catarina of Aragon, a Spanish princess who could not give the king an heir - she had a daughter, Maria. Henry very much hoped that the second wife would give him an heir, but when the second daughter was born, Boleyn's position at court was significantly weakened. Three years later, "thanks" to the efforts of the court intriguers and the tacit consent of Henry, Anna was beheaded on charges of adultery and high treason. In addition to the death of her mother, another misfortune awaited the three-year-old Elizabeth: Henry forced Parliament to issue an Act by which his marriage to Anne Boleyn was invalidated from the very moment of his imprisonment, which automatically made Elizabeth the illegitimate daughter of the king. It is difficult to say for sure about the impact of these facts on the character of the little girl who was sent to Hatfield, but her tutors noted a serious attitude towards life beyond her years. At six years old, she was as sedate and level-headed as at forty.
In 1537, Henry was born the heir to Edward from his third wife - Jane Seymour. The appearance of her brother further isolated Elizabeth from her relatives, and her father in particular. At the same time, it cannot be said that Henry hated his daughter - on the contrary, she was always present at royal receptions and festivities. In addition, she was declared the third heiress to the throne - after her brother and older sister. The future queen was very fond of Edward, and after the sixth marriage of her father, she became very attached to his wife, Katherine Parr.
Elizabeth received an excellent education as she was taught by the professors of Cambridge. This education was usually given to boys - ancient and modern foreign languages, history, rhetoric, pestilence. Teachers noted that the princess does not have a female weakness, but rather a masculine mindset. The knowledge acquired in childhood greatly facilitated the fulfillment of royal duties in the future. Elizabeth was especially fond of theology and English Protestantism. At the same time, the young princess could not, in the opinion of contemporaries, be called religious.
In 1547, Henry VIII died, and the throne passed to 10-year-old Edward. Katherine Parr, shortly after her husband's death, married Lord Thomas Seymour, who began to intrigue against Edward Seymour's brother. In 1549, after the death of Catherine Parr, Thomas was arrested on charges of high treason and the secret intent to marry Elizabeth in order to seize the throne. Elizabeth found herself in a scrupulous and very suspended position, since there were reports that the lord and princess met several times. However, at the news of the execution of Seymour, the princess did not even blink an eye.
In 1553, Edward died and the fanatical Catholic Mary ascended the throne, wanting to return England to the bosom of the Roman Catholic Church by all means. But this desire, coupled with the wedding with Philip II of Spain, caused a Protestant revolt. In the face of the threat of betrayal and the Inquisition, Elizabeth's life finally deteriorated, she was in direct danger. To avoid exacerbations, she officially converted to the Catholic religion. But at the same time, she began to have plans for the restoration of Protestantism and the seizure of power.
In January 1554, an uprising by Thomas Watt broke out in London, after which Elizabeth, on suspicion of involvement, was placed in the Tower. She almost repeated the fate of her mother, although she survived. Two months later, she was released from the Tower, but placed under house arrest in Woodstock.
Queen Mary passed away on 17 November 1558. Elizabeth ascended the throne to the sound of general popular rejoicing. Her arrival in London was a real triumph. But from the very first weeks of her reign, Elizabeth I, Queen of England, began state affairs: studying the situation, forming a government, working with documents, etc. She reduced the number of the Privy Council - especially close to the Queen - at the expense of the Catholics, thereby increasing the efficiency of its work. She transformed the unwieldy royal court.
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The main problem of Elizabeth's reign was the surrounding patriarchal world, in which the place of women was clearly limited and agreed in advance. Opponents of this model said that even in the Bible there was a woman prophet, Deborah. Court theologians and philosophers even developed a whole theory according to which the authorities have "two images - male and female." Since the previous queen could not achieve an acceptable model of relations with her subjects, Elizabeth developed her style of government from scratch. She wanted to be perceived primarily as a statesman, and not as a woman.
The image of the virgin queen developed throughout Elizabeth's reign, but the origins must be sought in 1555. That year, Queen Mary promised to marry her sister to a Catholic, the Duke of Savoy. But this was not part of Elizabeth's plans - she fell into depression. She stated that she wanted to be alone. When Elizabeth became queen, the question of "life partner" arose again, acquiring a state scale. In addition to the fact that the only social role of a woman was the role of a wife, it was necessary to think about the heirs - if Elizabeth dies childless, the Tudor dynasty will be interrupted. The closest relative was Mary, Queen of Scots, great-niece of Henry VIII. But Mary was a Protestant, she was supported by France and the entire Catholic world, which terribly frightened the English Protestants. Elizabeth's marriage was also important for diplomats - as you know, the strongest diplomatic alliances have always been sealed by the marriage of the heirs of these countries. England at that time was weak militarily and was in hollow international isolation. The alternatives were as follows: Philip II, King of Spain; Archduke of Austria; Eric XIV, King of Sweden Henry, Duke of Anjou, future king of France; François, Duke of Alenson; and others. Apparently, Elizabeth was not going to seriously marry anyone, since negotiations on the wedding of the crowned persons lasted for several years.
Elizabeth restored Protestantism in England by an act of 1559, which renewed her father's anti-Pope decrees. The queen became the head of the church. A fine was imposed for missing the Sunday service. Military, clergy, and university professors were required to swear allegiance to the queen on the Bible.
In addition to religious problems, England was threatened by the Spanish crown and its naval fleet Armada. The fact is that the English pirates were a significant obstacle to the development of the Spanish merchant shipping. To this end, the Invincible Armada was sent to the shores of the British Isles in 1588, which was defeated by one of the most desperate English pirates, Francis Drake, who was knighted after this victory.
The years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I were truly the "golden age" of English history. Absolutely all branches of the economy developed, the British army grew, England turned into a colonial empire. The queen herself had to correspond to her status: her wardrobe was truly colossal, and the amount of her jewelry would be enough for the comfortable existence of all English subjects for several months. The Queen strictly followed her portraits that appeared in in public places: she wanted people to see her only in a certain way - powerful and gorgeous. Elizabeth was an excellent orator, poet and writer. As Russia was transformed under Peter, so England changed under Elizabeth. But on March 24, 1603, this calm came to an end - Queen Elizabeth I died in Richmond, Surrey.
really a virgin?
sherol 13.12.2006 03:59:32
I just saw the movie "The Virgin Queen" and as I understood, Elizabeth was not so innocent, she had a constant lover Richard, whose name she even repeated on her deathbed. Was she a virgin?
ELIZABETH I Tudor (Elizabeth i) (September 7, 1533, Greenwich - March 24, 1603, Richmond), Queen of England since 1558, daughter of Henry VIII Tudor and Anne Boleyn. Under Elizabeth I, the positions of absolutism were strengthened, the Anglican Church was restored, the Spanish Invincible Armada was defeated (1588), and the colonization of Ireland was widely carried out. The 45-year reign of Elizabeth I is considered the heyday of English absolutism and the "golden age" of the Renaissance culture in the country.
Origin
Elizabeth was born in the second marriage of Henry VIII. He married Anne Boleyn after a divorce from the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon, not recognized by the Pope and Catholics. After the execution of Anne, Boleyn declared Princess Elizabeth illegitimate, which was enshrined in an act of parliament. However, she was later included among the potential heirs to the throne after her brother Edward and sister Maria. During the reign of Mary I Tudor, who restored the Catholic Church in England, Elizabeth, raised in Protestantism, was imprisoned in the Tower, and she had to convert to Catholicism. Elizabeth inherited the throne after the death of childless Mary in 1558; the day of her accession - November 17 - eventually turned into a national holiday, celebrated until the 18th century as the triumph of Protestantism and the "birthday of the nation." The coronation of the new queen took place at Westminster Abbey on January 16, 1559.
Ascending the throne, Elizabeth restored the Church of England, becoming its head according to the "Act of Suprematism" (1559). Under her, a new symbol of faith was developed - "39 Articles". At the beginning of her reign, she sought to maintain peace between Catholic and Protestant subjects, refusing to continue the Reformation in England in a Calvinist spirit. However, the confrontation with the Catholic powers (Spain and France), forced her to limit the rights of Catholics. At the same time, she resolutely thwarted attempts by the Puritans to criticize the official Church of England; the persecution of the Puritans provoked open protests in parliament in 1580-1590.
Confrontation with Mary Stuart
In 1560, the Protestant lords of Scotland revolted against the ardent Catholic regent Mary de Guise, widow of the Scottish king James V Stuart. Her daughter, Queen Mary Stuart of Scots, was married to the French king Francis II of Valois and lived in France. In addition, Mary Stuart was a direct descendant of Henry VII Tudor and could formally claim the English crown.
Elizabeth did not fail to intervene in the internal affairs of Scotland on the side of the Calvinists. At the same time, Mary Stuart returned to her homeland, after the sudden death of Francis II. The conflict was settled by the conclusion of the Edinburgh Treaty of 1560, which was beneficial for England. But Elizabeth did not manage to get the Scottish queen to renounce her rights to the English throne, which marked the beginning of a long-term conflict between the two queens. In 1567, a new Calvinist uprising forced Mary Stuart to seek refuge in England, where she spent more than twenty years, first as an unwelcome guest, and then as a prisoner in custody. Her intrigues and participation in conspiracies against Elizabeth led to the fact that in 1587 the Queen of England, with the approval of Parliament, signed her death warrant.
New Lady of the Seas
In the 1560-1570s, Elizabeth skillfully used the fact that many monarchs of Europe were looking for her hands in the hope of gaining the English throne with her. She conducted marriage negotiations with Catholics - the Spanish king, the Austrian archduke, the French king and princes from the House of Valois, and even with the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible. At the same time, she maintained a "balance" between rival France and Spain, so that the strengthening of one of the great powers was accompanied by an immediate rapprochement of England with the other.
In general, under Elizabeth I, England moved on to trade and colonial expansion around the world. Statistically, conquest expeditions to Ireland were carried out. Relations between England and Spain deteriorated in the late 1560s and early 1570s due to the attempts of English merchants to penetrate the Spanish colonies in the New World. Elizabeth's encouragement of her subjects led to the development of officially sanctioned piracy in the Atlantic and an undeclared Anglo-Spanish war on the ocean routes. Sensitive blows were dealt to the Spaniards by Francis Drake. After his round-the-world raid in 1577-1580, Elizabeth personally visited his ship and made Drake a knight. She was a shareholder of many pirate anti-Spanish expeditions, significantly increasing the size of the royal fleet.
Elizabeth provided tacit support to the Protestants who rebelled against the rule of Philip II of Habsburg in the Netherlands. In the late 1580s, Spain began to prepare for an invasion of England, but Drake's counterattack at Cadiz delayed him. In 1588 the Spanish fleet - the Invincible Armada - sailed to the British Isles, but was defeated by the British. Elizabeth became famous for the fact that at the moment of danger she swore to the soldiers to fall "with them in the thick of the battle." The victory over the Armada earned her the fame of the new ruler of the seas and the leader of all Protestant forces in Europe.
The art of management
Elizabeth made extensive use of contacts with the people during her trips around the country, parliamentary sessions, solemn processions and holidays to demonstrate her love and care for her subjects. She repeated many times: "You may have a more outstanding sovereign, but you will never have a more loving one." Deliberately refusing to marry, Elizabeth declared that she was "betrothed to the nation." By the end of the 1580s, the cult of the empress was formed: in the popular mind, the virgin queen was likened to the Virgin Mary and was considered the patroness of Protestant England. In the court environment, she was glorified as Astrea, the goddess of eternal youth, love and beauty, the queen-sun, in pastoral poetry - as Venus or Diana Cynthia; the favorite symbol of the queen herself was the pelican, tearing pieces of meat from its own chest to feed the hungry chicks.
Under Elizabeth I, the royal administration was significantly strengthened, the financial department was streamlined. Anglican Church, as a moderate form of Protestantism, established itself as a state religion. She was completely subordinate to the state and became an important pillar of absolutism. Elizabeth encouraged the development of new industries, attracted skilled emigrant craftsmen to the country, and patronized trading companies. With her support, the Moscow company has established itself in the Russian market, Estlyandskaya - in the Baltic, Berberian - in Africa, Levantine - in the Middle East, East India - in India; the first English colonies in America: a settlement on the island of Roanoke and Virginia, named after the Virgin Queen. But in the agrarian sphere, the traditional Tudor policy of prohibitions on fencing and maintaining land cultivation, pursued by Elizabeth, ran counter to the interests of the so-called "new nobility." Under Elizabeth I, new cruel laws were passed against vagrants and beggars.
The conflict with Spain and defense spending led to tax increases in the 1580s and 1590s. By means of replenishing the states' military budget, Elizabeth made private monopolies on production and trade, which, like taxes, by the end of the 16th century caused discontent among the commercial and entrepreneurial circles. Demonstrating her readiness to consult with parliament and using it to popularize official policy, Elizabeth at the same time forbade the deputies to touch upon issues of succession to the throne, church structure and financial policy, and considered them the exclusive prerogative of the crown. On this basis, a conflict arose in the 1590s. royal power and parliament, which began to voice demands for a deepening of the Reformation, the abolition of monopolies and tax relief. By the end of the reign of Elizabeth I, English absolutism began to turn into a brake on the further development of the country. The protests that began under Elizabeth in defense of parliamentary privileges, against the absolute power of the crown, became the prologue for the subsequent struggle of the parliamentary opposition against absulutism under the first Stewarts. The Queen's political wisdom manifested itself in good choice ministers, favorites and statesmen who devotedly served the crown and England (W. Burleigh, F. Walsingham, W. Raleigh, R. Devere, Earl of Essex, W. Cecil). Buried at Westminster Abbey in the chapel of Henry VII.
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