The reign of Queen Elizabeth I
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII, the most notorious of all the Tudors, and his second wife Anne Boleyn. She became queen aged just 25 after the death of her brother Edward VI and sister Mary I.
The 16th century witnessed more religious change than ever before and Elizabeth鈥檚 main priority was to settle the nation and ensure England鈥檚 national security. She was a clever politician with a cautious approach, and was sometimes willing to compromise for the sake of her people. She never married, deciding to put the security of England before herself.