Elizabeth I of England: A Brief Biography

Elizabeth I of England is one of the most famous monarchs England has ever had, for good reason. Throughout her forty-four year reign, which is often referred to as the Golden Age, her kingdom developed greatly and went from being a poor, second-rate country to a major world power, mostly thanks to her. Under her rule, the arts flourished and playwrights like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe were able to create pieces of writing that are still relevant today. The word ‘renaissance’ means rebirth, and Queen Elizabeth brought about just that to her country, which is why she is the true person of the Renaissance.

Elizabeth I was born in Greenwich Palace, London, England on September 7, 1533 to King Henry VIII of England and his new wife, Anne Boleyn. She was the second legitimate child of Henry and the first to her parents. There was a lot of religious unrest going on at this time as the king had just divorced Catherine of Aragon, his wife of twenty-four years and mother to his daughter, Mary, to marry Anne Boleyn. In order to divorce his queen, which the pope would not allow, Henry had to break with the Roman Catholic Church and make England a Protestant country, a decision that many English people disagreed with. In 1536, when Elizabeth was only two years old King Henry had her mother, Anne, beheaded. He accused her of treason, adultery, and even incest all because she, like Catherine before her, had failed to produce a male heir. After her mother’s execution, Elizabeth was declared illegitimate, just as her older sister Mary had been, which meant she could not inherit the throne. Only eleven days after Anne’s death, the king remarried to Jane Seymour, who in 1537 gave birth to a son, Edward VI, who became the heir appa...

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... Age or Elizabethan Age of England. She encouraged the arts so poetry, music, literature, and theatre all blossomed and developed. Playwrights like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe wrote things that are still celebrated today. Elizabeth also encouraged overseas exploration, Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the earth, Sir Walter Raleigh explored and colonized the New World, and Martin Frobisher ventured to the Arctic. Her long reign brought stability and helped England develop as a nation and as a world-power. Elizabeth’s work to propel her country forward led to England being one of the most powerful nations in the world for centuries to come. She also established the church that remains in England to this day. By supporting the arts and other symbols of that time, Elizabeth became somewhat of a patron of the Renaissance and helped it flourish in England.