Elizabeth's "commandment" was that her emissary read out her letters of disapproval publicly before the Dutch Council of State, Leicester having to stand nearby. [131] This public humiliation of her "Lieutenant-General" combined with her continued talks for a separate peace with Spain [k] irreversibly undermined Leicester's standing among the Dutch. The military campaign was severely hampered by Elizabeth's repeated refusals to send promised funds for her starving soldiers. Her unwillingness to commit herself to the cause, Leicester's own shortcomings as a political and military leader, and the faction-ridden and chaotic situation of Dutch politics led to the failure of the campaign. [133] Leicester finally resigned his command in December 1587. [134] Spanish Armada Portrait from 1586 to 1587, by Nicholas Hilliard, around the time of the voyages of Francis Drake Elizabeth continued to maintain the diplomatic relations with the Tsardom of Russia that were originally established by her half-brother, Edward VI. She often wrote to Tsar Ivan the Terrible on amicable terms, though the Tsar was often annoyed by her focus on commerce rather than on the possibility of a military alliance. Ivan even proposed to her once, and during his later reign, asked for a guarantee to be granted asylum in England should his rule be jeopardised. [158] English merchant and explorer Anthony Jenkinson, who began his career as a representative of the Muscovy Company, became the queen's special ambassador to the court of Tsar Ivan. [159]

For several years she also seriously negotiated to marry Philip's cousin Charles II, Archduke of Austria. By 1569, relations with the Habsburgs had deteriorated. Elizabeth considered marriage to two French Valois princes in turn, first Henry, Duke of Anjou, and then from 1572 to 1581 his brother Francis, Duke of Anjou, formerly Duke of Alençon. [84] This last proposal was tied to a planned alliance against Spanish control of the Southern Netherlands. [85] Elizabeth seems to have taken the courtship seriously for a time, and wore a frog-shaped earring that Francis had sent her. [86] Croft, Pauline (2003), King James, Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 978-0-3336-1395-5 . Also in 2017, the Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their seventieth (Platinum) wedding anniversary. They held a private celebration at Windsor Castle. Westminster Abbey, where they were married, held a three-hour bell ceremony. [33] Platinum Jubilee [ change | change source ] In 2017, the Sapphire Jubilee marked the Queen's 65 years as monarch. She was the first British monarch to have a Sapphire Jubilee. Instead of large celebrations, as usual, the Queen spent the day in "quiet reflection" because the day was also the anniversary of her father's death. Commemorative stamps and coins were made in honour of the Jubilee, and a portrait of the Queen wearing sapphire jewellery was reissued. [32] After Essex's downfall, James VI of Scotland referred to Robert Cecil as "king there in effect". [201]

MacCaffrey, Wallace T. (1993). Elizabeth I. E. Arnold. ISBN 0-3405-6167-X. OL 1396177M. political biography summarising his multivolume study: Among other marriage candidates being considered for the queen, Robert Dudley continued to be regarded as a possible candidate for nearly another decade. [72] Elizabeth was extremely jealous of his affections, even when she no longer meant to marry him herself. [73] She raised Dudley to the peerage as Earl of Leicester in 1564. In 1578, he finally married Lettice Knollys, to whom the queen reacted with repeated scenes of displeasure and lifelong hatred. [74] Still, Dudley always "remained at the centre of [Elizabeth's] emotional life", as historian Susan Doran has described the situation. [75] He died shortly after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. After Elizabeth's own death, a note from him was found among her most personal belongings, marked "his last letter" in her handwriting. [76] Foreign candidates To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me, the teachings of Christ, and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example. [21] The new state religion was condemned at the time in such terms as "a cloaked papistry, or mingle mangle". [227]

Upon her half-sister's death in 1558, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne and set out to rule by good counsel. [b] She depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers led by William Cecil, whom she created Baron Burghley. One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the supreme governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir; however, despite numerous courtships, she never did. She was eventually succeeded by her first cousin twice removed, James VI of Scotland, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots. Rozett, Martha (2003). Constructing a World: Shakespeare's England and the New Historical Fiction. State University of New York Press. p.129. ISBN 978-0-7914-5551-7. Flynn, Sian & Spence, David (2003), Elizabeth's Adventurers in Elizabeth: The Exhibition at the National Maritime Museum (2003). Thomas Seymour nevertheless continued scheming to control the royal family and tried to have himself appointed the governor of the King's person. [26] [27] When Parr died after childbirth on 5 September 1548, he renewed his attentions towards Elizabeth, intent on marrying her. [28] Her governess Kat Ashley, who was fond of Seymour, sought to convince Elizabeth to take him as her husband. She tried to convince Elizabeth to write to Seymour and "comfort him in his sorrow", [29] but Elizabeth claimed that Thomas was not so saddened by her stepmother's death as to need comfort. In 1997, Prince Charles' ex-wife Lady Diana Spencer died in a car crash. The royal family went through a period of criticism from the media and public because the divorce had been very controversial.Elizabeth's personal religious convictions have been much debated by scholars. She was a Protestant, but kept Catholic symbols (such as the crucifix), and downplayed the role of sermons in defiance of a key Protestant belief. [53] Gristwood, Sarah (2008). Elizabeth and Leicester. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-1431-1449-9. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021 . Retrieved 1 August 2020. Allardyce Nicoll (2002). Shakespeare Survey With Index 1–10. Cambridge University Press. p.90. ISBN 978-0-5215-2347-9. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019 . Retrieved 22 October 2020. The Queen had been credited with keeping the monarchy popular in the UK and the other Commonwealth Realms. After her death, support republicanism in the UK has increased. Elizabeth's first policy toward Scotland was to oppose the French presence there. [104] She feared that the French planned to invade England and put her Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, on the throne. Mary was considered by many to be the heir to the English crown, being the granddaughter of Henry VIII's elder sister, Margaret. Mary boasted being "the nearest kinswoman she hath". [105] [i] Elizabeth was persuaded to send a force into Scotland to aid the Protestant rebels, and though the campaign was inept, the resulting Treaty of Edinburgh of July 1560 removed the French threat in the north. [j] When Mary returned to Scotland in 1561 to take up the reins of power, the country had an established Protestant church and was run by a council of Protestant nobles supported by Elizabeth. [107] Mary refused to ratify the treaty. [108]

Raynor, Gordon. "Diamond Jubilee: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge given key role in service at St Paul's," The Telegraph, 29 May 2012; retrieved 2012-6-3. The metaphor of drama is an appropriate one for Elizabeth's reign, for her power was an illusion—and an illusion was her power. Like Henry IV of France, she projected an image of herself which brought stability and prestige to her country. By constant attention to the details of her total performance, she kept the rest of the cast on their toes and kept her own part as queen." [197] The picture of Elizabeth painted by her Protestant admirers of the early 17th century has proved lasting and influential. [217] Her memory was also revived during the Napoleonic Wars, when the nation again found itself on the brink of invasion. [218] In the Victorian era, the Elizabethan legend was adapted to the imperial ideology of the day, [211] [w] and in the mid-20th century, Elizabeth was a romantic symbol of the national resistance to foreign threat. [219] [x] Historians of that period, such as J. E. Neale (1934) and A. L. Rowse (1950), interpreted Elizabeth's reign as a golden age of progress. [220] Neale and Rowse also idealised the Queen personally: she always did everything right; her more unpleasant traits were ignored or explained as signs of stress. [221]Elliott, J. H. La Europa dividida (1559–1598) (Editorial Critica, 2002). ISBN 978-8-4843-2669-4, 333. Elizabeth was born in her grandparents' home at Mayfair, London on 21 April 1925, although it was kept secret until a year later because her parents wanted everyone to think she was slightly younger. Her father was Prince Albert, Duke of York, who later became George VI. Her mother was Elizabeth, Duchess of York. Doran, Susan (1996), Monarchy and Matrimony: The Courtships of Elizabeth I, London: Routledge, ISBN 978-0-4151-1969-6 . Szönyi, György E. (2004). "John Dee and Early Modern Occult Philosophy". Literature Compass. 1 (1): 1–12. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2004.00110.x.