Queen Elizabeth I
(1533 – 1603)
I am a day late on this I know, but I decided to dedicate this month's "Historical Moment" to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth the I that occurred on: January 15th 1559. I am adding her as a result of the few monarchies that were and are held by women currently and throughout history. I also wanted to add richness to my post on Christine de Pizan's, "The Book of the City of Ladies." Christine de Pizan would have looked upon Queen Elizabeth as a triumph for women to prove to the world that women are as able as rulers as men. Famous political philosopher John Stuart Mill used the Queen's glorious and long reign as England's monarch as evidence that if given the chance to rule, women would show they are able to do so. Alas, women still have not been given sufficient chance to prove they are able leaders of nations. Fortunately, the few women who have ruled, like Queen Elizabeth I, have shown quite a lot of evidence that they are up to the challenge of leading their nations.
Sadly, little faith in women and their ability to reign or lead has been gained going into the modern time. I personally have experience men and, regrettably, even women today insisting that women are not capable of being leaders. One woman co-worker was told me that women are too emotional to lead and will not be able to do as good a job as men. I responded to her by saying, "It is interesting that I, a man, a member of the sex who is notorious at abusing members of your sex, has greater faith in your sex to lead." I also reminded her that human beings male and female share a similarity in brain functions and emotional centers. Often people think anger is not an emotion, sadly, men are frequently prone to angry outbursts.
I personally have every confidence in women to rule, reign, and lead their people. Queen Elizabeth I's reign was a triumph in relation to evidence that women are able to lead with the best of them.
Remembering "The Virgin Queen."
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| Coronation of Queen Elizabeth I!!! |
Important Events, Contributions, and Accomplishments
Elizabeth was born in a time of uncertainty for English monarchs and religious turmoil and conflict in 1533. At the beginning of her life even all throughout was under constant threat from enemies within and without the Kingdom of England. Being well educated and inheriting the intelligence and shrewdness from her parents she survived threat after threat and one challenge after another to complete a successful and long reign on England's throne.
Background
- The last Tudor Monarch
- Child of King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn
- Survived the reign of Bloody Queen Mary
- Queen Elizabeth was well educated: Fluent in 6 languages, inherited intelligence and shrewdness from her parents, politically insightful, and a good judge in choosing capable people to help her govern.
Reign
- One of the greatest reigns in English history
- Secured The Church of England: The laying down of the 39 Articles of 1563 helped prevent future religious conflicts in England this created a compromise between Catholics and Protestants.
- She personally oversaw the appointments of 600 officials of state.
- Her reign was an age of discovery: Explorers: Sirs Drake, Raleigh, and Gilbert.
- The East India Company was created in 1600 which introduced England to an age of prosperity and trade.
- Artists like William Shakespeare, William Byrd, and Thomas Tallis were at their prime. The Queen herself attended the first showing of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
- Her reign survived several attempts of forced removal, assassination, and foreign invasions.
- She crushed France in their invasion attempt from Scotland.
- She crushed the Spanish Armada of 1588
- She put down rebellions and survived the Papal Bull of 1570
- She survived her Scotish cousin's support of her demise in the Babington Plot of 1586. The result of the plot was the execution of Mary Queen of Scots.
- She died in 1603 after 45 years of being Queen
Marriage
- She never married
- "The Virgin Queen."
- She was married to England
- Her reign was considered a selfless reign as her interest was to her people
- The vast majority of her people liked her
- Her accession date was celebrated as a national holiday for 200 years
Primary Source Document:
A message to her army at Tilbury on the eve of the
Spanish Armada,
1588
""My loving people, we have been persuaded by some that
are careful of our
safety, to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed
multitudes for fear of
treachery; but, I do assure you, I do not desire to
live to distrust my faithful
and loving people.
Let tyrants fear; I have always so behaved myself,
that under God I have
placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal
hearts and good will of
my subjects; and, therefore, I am come amongst you as
you see at this time,
not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved,
in the midst and heat of
the battle, to live or die amongst you all - to lay down
for my God, and for my
kingdoms, and for my people,
my honour and my blood even in the dust.
I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I
have the heart and
stomach of a king - and of a King of England too, and
think foul scorn that
Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare
to invade the borders of
my realm; to which, rather than any dishonour should
grow by me, I myself
will take up arms - I myself will be your general,
judge, and rewarder of every
one of your virtues in the
field.
I know already, for your forwardness, you have
deserved rewards and
crowns, and, we do assure you, on the word of a
prince, they shall be duly
paid you. For the meantime, my Lieutenant General
Leicester shall be in my
stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble
or worthy subject;
not doubting but by your obedience to my General, by
your concord in the
camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly
have a famous victory over
these enemies of my God, of
my kingdom and of my people.""
Informational Online Sites:
Books
- "Mary Queen of Scots," Antonia Fraser
- "The Life of Elizabeth I." Alison Weir
Documentaries
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