“[H]er intellect and understanding are wonderful… Although she knows that she was born of such a mother, she nevertheless does not consider herself of inferior degree to the Queen [Mary], whom she equals in self-esteem.” [Giovanni Michiel, Venetian ambassador]
Born on 7 September 1533 to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII of England, Elizabeth Tudor began life as a princess. She was named for her grandmother Elizabeth of York and was adored, doted on, and spoiled by her parents, particularly her mother. Yet before her third birthday, Queen Anne was executed for treason, and the little princess was declared a bastard. Elizabeth enjoyed an excellent Renaissance education and a comfortable country household in the country regardless of this somewhat precarious status. However, the decade following her father’s death–when she was just thirteen–was a time of great uncertainty for Elizabeth, who was assaulted by her stepfather, disinherited by her brother King Edward, then later imprisoned on suspicion of treason by her sister Queen Mary. Yet In spite of the odds against her, Elizabeth’s hour finally came: in November 1558, Mary died, leaving the twenty-five-year-old Elizabeth to ascend the throne as Elizabeth I. Also called “Good Queen Bess,” “Gloriana,” and the “Virgin Queen,” she ruled for a forty-four year “golden age.” The girl whose birth was seen as a disappointment because of her sex was, in fact, destined to be the longest-reigning and most beloved monarch of the Tudor dynasty and one of the most legendary English rulers of all time.
