HOME PAGE
 
KAT STORE
 
DVD
 
MUSIC
 
HOT PHOTOS
 
ARTICLES
 
RADIO
 
GUESTBOOK
 
KAT BIO
 
CLASSICAL COMPOSERS
 
REVIEW COPIES
 
LINKS
 
CONTACT KAT
QUEEN ELIZABETH I
Elizabeth I, known as the Virgin Queen, was the daughter of King Henry VIII and was the Queen of England from 1558-1603. Elizabeth I was a DIPLOMATIC GENIUS, who made England into a major world power.
QUEEN ELIZABETH I BIOGRAPHY
1533-1603
 
Elizabeth I, known as the Virgin Queen, was the daughter of King Henry VIII and was the Queen of England from 1558-1603. Elizabeth I was a DIPLOMATIC GENIUS, who made England into a major world power.
 
"I may not be a lion, but I am a lion's cub, and I have a lion's heart" - Elizabeth I
 
Elizabeth I was born in Greenwich Palace, near London, on September 7, 1533. Before Elizabeth was born, her father, King Henry VIII was married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, but only had one child, a daughter, named Mary. Demanding to have a son, he wanted to annul the first marriage and marry Anne Boleyn. The Pope refused and Henry VIII decided to change the religion of England from Catholic to Protestant, just to marry Anne Boleyn. The "Church of England" was therefore established, making England a Protestant country.  Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, had a daughter, named Elizabeth. Disappointed with having another daughter and not a son, Henry VIII ordered Anne Boleyn to be beheaded on the charge of adultery in 1536 before Elizabeth was 3 years old. Henry VIII was then free to marry another woman, his third wife, Jane Seymour and had a son, who was named Edward.
 
Elizabeth had excellent tutors as a child and was well versed in French, Italian, English, Greek and Latin. When Elizabeth was 14, in 1547, King Henry VIII died and Elizabeth's half-brother, Edward became King Edward VI. Then in 1553, when Edward VI died at the age of 16, Elizabeth's half-sister Mary, became Queen. Mary was the daughter of Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and was Catholic. Mary, known as "Bloody Mary," persecuted the Protestants and tried to re-establish Catholicism in England, with the help of King Philip II of Spain, her husband. Mary and Philip suspected that Elizabeth, who was a Protestant, was trying to seize the throne. In 1554, following the "Wyatt's Rebellion" (a Protestant uprising), Mary had Elizabeth imprisoned in the Tower of London, although Elizabeth had no link to the rebellion. Elizabeth was later let go to live in the country.

After Mary died in 1558, Elizabeth was next in line to become Queen of England. The people loved her and Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth I in 1559 at the age of 25. Mary had already plunged England into a costly war with France and the country's treasury was empty. England hoped Elizabeth would bring back peace and prosperity and stop the persecution of the Protestants. Queen Elizabeth I was an extremely intelligent and a powerful diplomat. She was an incredibly popular queen and reminded people of King Henry VIII, with her red hair and brilliant speaking abilities. Elizabeth I also chose genius advisors, which included the brilliant Sir Francis Walsingham and Sir William Cecil (later named Lord Burghley), who was cautious and conservative like Elizabeth. Elizabeth relied on their wisdom and guidance for forty years.

Queen Elizabeth I Accomplishments:
-Ended the war with France and was a diplomatic genius in handling European countries.
-Brought back the Church of England, by signing law called the "Religious Settlement".
-Refused to ever marry. She used her single status as a tool in foreign policies and used courtship as part of her diplomatic game.
-Sent an army to help Protestants in the Dutch Netherlands to fight the Spaniards.
-Destroyed the "Spanish Armada" when the Spaniards came to attack England.
-Dubbed herself "The Virgin Queen" after dedicating herself to be married to England.
-Encouraged English literature and world exploration.
-Sponsored the establishment of a colony in the New World and Sir Francis Drake's voyage around the world.
-Encouraged Sir Walter Raleigh to send settlers to America, setting up the great colonial empire-later becoming THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
 
This period was kown as the "Elizabethan Age" or the "Golden Age." England's economy prospered and Elizabeth I's court became the center for musicians, writer and scholars, such as William Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, and Christopher Marlow.
 
Queen Elizabeth I died on March 24, 1603 at the age of 69. The popular queen, who against the odds of being a female, made England into a prosperous world power, was buried in England's famous Westminster Abbey.
 
 

The contents of all music, photos, graphics, text and videos are protected by copyright
and may not be used or reproduced without prior express written authorization from the publisher.