The Legacy of Queen Elizabeth I - Assignment Example

THE LEGACY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH – I Proud and haughty, as although she knows she was born of such a mother, she nevertheless does not consider herself of inferior degree to the Queen, whom she equals in self-esteem; nor does she believe herself less legitimate than her Majesty, alleging in her own favor that her mother would never cohabit with the King unless by way of marriage, with the authority of the Church.... She prides herself on her father and glories in him; everybody saying that she also resembles him more than the Queen does and he therefore always liked her and had her brought up in the same way as the Queen. – Giovanni Michiel, Venetian Ambassador, spring 15571. Born on the 7th of September, 1533, and daughter of King Henry the VIII & Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth Tudor was and even today, regarded as one of the most enigmatic monarchs in the history of England. She assumed the throne in the year 1588 at a relatively young age of twenty five and during her reign survived several scandals and threats with grace and grit. During her reign from 1588 – 1603 A.D., Elizabeth displayed her strong characteristic traits including proficient political dexterity and a resolute and strong willed personal character which helped in putting a tattered country on a road to unprecedented economic and political success, simultaneously rejuvenating her country’s dejected sense of pride. Circumstances of her birth Elizabeth Tudor was born on the 7th of September 1533 at the Greenwich Palace to the second wife of King Henry the VIII; Anne Boleyn. The circumstances of her birth are regarded as one of the most exhilarating political events in the 16th century European history especially considering the uproar and mayhem caused by the birth of an ineffectual infant. Elizabeth’s father, King Henry had boldly resisted the papacy and the Holy Roman Emperor in a quest to marry Anne urged by love and longing for a male heir to succeed him to the throne. However, the birth of a female child caused severe criticism and disappointment all over which is evident from the description of the ‘event’ offered by Eustace Chapuys, the Imperial Ambassador to England and an enemy of Queen Anne, as a great disappointment and sorrow to the King, the Lady and others of her party2. Her Childhood Queen Elizabeth’s childhood was very difficult especially since her much awaited birth was considered as a huge disappointment for the King who had longed for a male heir. She was given a generous christening in the Chapel of the Observant Friars which, however, was marked by the absence of her father. On attainment of three months of age the Queen was bestowed with her own household keeping in tune with the traditions of the old Elizabethan era. Her half sister Mary was summoned to the care of her younger sister who was showered with utmost love and affection and all the civility due to a Princess of royal blood. Her nursery was well looked after and under the personal surveillance of both her parents. She was given the best of clothes to wear especially tailored to reflect the culture and status to which she belonged. However, her lavish lifestyle took a drastic turn with the downfall of her mother Anne Boleyn who suffered a miscarriage and was subsequently arrested for treason and adultery. Even before Elizabeth could attain the age of three Anne Boleyn was beheaded and buried. She was stripped of her title of a Princess, declared illegitimate and hence deprived of her chances of succeeding the throne.3 Relationship with her father and siblings Elizabeth had one older half sister Mary and younger half brother Edward VI each by the first and third of her father King Henry VIII’s wives. She spent considerable amount of time with each of her siblings during the reign of her father. Her relationship with her brother Edward was relatively easier as compared to that with her sister Mary who was almost seventeen years her senior. As years progressed and the political scene intensified Elizabeth began to feel increasingly threatened by her relationships with her siblings since they were the heirs to the throne and hence in a sense political competitors4. Her Adolescence The adolescent years of the Queen were as tragic as her childhood years with quick succession of several stepmothers who were divorced, beheaded or passed away in child birth. This left a significant impact on her young mind and according to some scholars one of the possible reasons for her refusal to marriage. After the demise of her father in the year 1547, his young son Edward was crowned the king and Elizabeth became increasingly vulnerable of being perceived as a political pawn as she was second in line to the throne after her half sister Mary. During her teenage years her alleged relationship with Thomas Seymour was a topic of debate and was implicated of treason for attempting to plot against the king but was subsequently acquitted after she proved her innocence. Her Education Queen Elizabeth was believed to be immensely talented and intelligent. She had the opportunity to share her half brother’s tutors which helped her considerably since they were extremely knowledgeable and were considered to be highly intellectual from the Cambridge University. She was taught the rudiments of English Grammar and her reading and writing skills too were honed to perfection. She received education that was given to the royal children which included a range of subjects such as grammar, history, rhetoric, philosophy, arithmetic, logic, literature, geometry, and music. Her education involved other non academic subjects that were usually taught to a Lady of her stature and significance which included embroidery, music, dancing, archery, riding, as well as hunting5 and was fluent in languages including French, Italian and Latin6. Her succession to the throne Some have fallen from being Princes of this land to be prisoners in this place; I am raised from being prisoner in this place to be Prince of this land. That dejection was a work of Gods justice; this advancement is a work of His mercy. Elizabeth I at the Tower of London, during her coronation ceremonies, 15597. Elizabeth was crowned the Queen at age twenty five on November 17, 1558 and was the fourth monarch since the demise of her father, King Henry. I will be as good unto ye as ever a Queen was unto her people. No will in me can lack, neither do I trust shall there lack any power. And persuade yourselves that for the safety and quietness of you all I will not spare if need be to spend my blood. – Elizabeth I, on the day of her coronation She was believed to be an unlikely ascent to the throne since the marriage of her mother Anne Boleyn to her father Henry VIII was regarded as invalid and void and she herself was dismissed as an eligible candidate to succeed the empire. Moreover her sister Mary was a devout Roman Catholic while Elizabeth was Protestant. On November 17th when she received the news of death of her older sister Mary, and was informed that she would succeed the throne she exclaimed “It is Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes”. Elizabeth showed immense dexterity and sense of power and excelled in political science just like her father. She had inherited his supremacist view of the monarchy but displayed great wit by declining to provoke or upset the Parliament.8 Conspiracies Throughout the forty five years of her reign as Queen, Elizabeth had to constantly deal with repeated attempts of treason, deceit, and conceited political schemes to dethrone her. There were approximately sixty conspiracies recorded in history which attempted to assassinate her. A group of Jesuit revolutionaries and assassins from Spain were sent on a mission to convert England and sowed the very first seeds of treason and revolt. However, in the face of such critical adversity Elizabeth showed unparalleled grit and determination and by surviving such countless attempts and foiling the plots of her enemies. After the defeat of Mary, the Queen of Scots, who later sought political asylum from her cousin Elizabeth, and consequently put under house arrest the attempts to assassinate her continued. Mary Stuart was a representative of Spain which was predominantly Catholic. The year 1580, was marked by the infiltration of the Jesuits Edward Campion and Robert Persons who intended to plan an uprising but Elizabeth foiled their efforts and emerged victorious. Meanwhile Mary Stuart was charged for treason and held guilty of plotting to overthrow Elizabeth and hence was sentenced to death. The execution of Mary was seized by the Catholic world to launch a crusade against the predominantly Protestant England. Queen Elizabeth assembled an army of her soldiers and motivated them to fight the battle at Tilbury in the following words: “I am come amongst you, as you see, 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 Kingdom, and for my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak and 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 dishonor 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.” 9 Appointment of advisors Elizabeth was an exceptionally intelligent monarch who diplomatically held the reigns of the empire which she inherited and made the most use of her power to control the political chaos that surrounded her when she ascended the throne by wisely selecting the cabinet of ministers – her advisory board. Her choice of surrounding herself with smart and intelligent advisors further contributed significantly in the enormous popularity that the Queen enjoyed during the period of her reign which included the likes of Lord Burleigh – William Cecil, Francis Walsingham, Robert Dudley – Earl of Leicester, Sir Christopher Hatton, Sir Walter Raleigh, Robert Devereux – Earl of Essex, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Philip Sidney. “The judgement I have of you, that you will not be corrupted by any manner of gifts, and that you will be faithful to the State; and that without respect of any private will, you will give me the counsel you think best”. – Elizabeth to William Cecil on making him the Secretary of State. She excelled in the art of demonstrating farsightedness in her decision making and was often opposed by Burleigh in some of her decisions although in spite of his apparent dissatisfaction he remained utterly loyal and faithful to the Queen during the time of his service. He retired from service as Elizabeth’s advisor in the year 1571 and commented “My service hath been but a piece of my duty, and my vocation has been too great a reward”10. Religious Settlement in the Elizabethan Era Like her father, Elizabeth too was a Protestant and the very first goal she hoped to achieve immediately post her accession to the throne was to restore the Protestant Church of England. The political events that unfolded subsequent to such actions were regarded as “The Elizabeth Religious Settlement” and comprised of two significant acts – The Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity. The former act bestowed ultimate control of the Church of England in the hands of the Queen and the Head of the Church was replaced by Supreme Governor of the Church, as a move to assuage the widening dissatisfaction of the two dominant sects. The Act of Uniformity on the other hand was the most defining act so far since it recognized a pre defined form of worship where prayer books were amalgamated into one and Church attendance on Sundays and holy days was made obligatory11. Political turmoil in England After the death of her older sister Mary, who left the country in a mess, Elizabeth assumed the throne and initiated the task of rejuvenating the kingdom by building on its strength and power. Elizabeth inherited a kingdom which was in tattered state with the existing disagreement between the two most dominant religious beliefs – The Roman Catholics and The Protestants that threatened to disrupt the political harmony of an already imbalanced economy, the almost empty royal treasury which was bled to ruins by her predecessors especially Mary and her advisors, the loss of Calais by Mary which left the country with no continental possessions post the advent of the Normans in the year 1066, and the growing distrust of the eligibility of Elizabeth as an eligible candidate to assume the throne. After her succession to the throne Elizabeth resolved to resuscitate the state of her ailing empire by taking concrete steps to eradicate the religious differences and stabilize the religious conflict with the help of her army of faithful advisory council including Sir William Cecil. The passage of acts such as The Act of Uniformity and the Act of Supremacy are regarded as one of her greatest achievements till date. Elizabeth I – The Virgin Queen During her lifetime Elizabeth had several suitors whom she categorically declined to accept since she gave more prudence and priority to the ongoing crisis in her country and assumed the task of establishing political and economic stability in her battered empire of more significance than her marriage. “And to me it shall be a full satisfaction, both for the memorial of my Name, and for my Glory also, if when I shall let my last breath, it be ingraven upon my Marble Tomb, Here lieth Elizabeth, which Reigned a Virgin, and died a Virgin” – Elizabeth I to the Parliament in 1559. She was severely criticized for her failure to accept the proposals of her suitors, of marriage and of providing an heir as her successor to the throne since she was expected to enter into matrimony. But Elizabeth maintained that her position as Queen demanded her attention to be diverted to rejuvenating the existing turmoil which her sister Mary left behind. Besides her position attracted and encouraged several conspirators who wished to overthrow her and hence in her view naming a successor would further subvert her rule and propound inducement to the rebels and perpetrators to execute their evil designs. Age of Exploration During the Elizabethan era several explorers gained popularity but the age of exploration that thrived in her reign was largely dominated by the Spanish and the Portuguese explorers such as Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Sir John Hawkins, Sir Richard Grenville, and Sir Martin Frobisher to name a few. Fuelled by the spirit of Renaissance the explorers mainly hoped to explore new lands in search of wealth, spices, scientific discoveries and spreading Christianity. The Elizabethan era also fondly remembered as the age of exploration thrilled the explorers with the thoughts of bringing about untold riches and fame and indulging in adventurous activities. The death of a Queen Queen Elizabeth passed away on March 24, 1603 at age 70 and marked the end of the Tudor dynasty. Her death caused severe dissentment amongst her subjects since she was single handedly responsible for bringing about huge reforms and restabilizing the country’s political and economic situations. In her later years when her health suddenly started to deteriorate she still hadn’t made any choices of her successor but although it was not expressly said, she showed an inclination towards her nephew, ironically the son of her older sister Mary of Scotts, whom she had prosecuted as an eligible candidate for the post. Her death bade farewell to the centuries long rule of the Tudor dynasty and a sad ending of the impressive and glorious reign of a brave, determined and resolute monarch – Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen. “I may not be a lion, but I am a Lion’s cub, and I have a Lion’s heart” – Queen Elizabeth I References: Queen Elizabeth I: The Tudor Monarchs, (2008). Viewed: November 25, 2008, from: < http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/eliz1.html> Childhood of Queen Elizabeth, (2008), viewed: November 25, 2008, from: < http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/childhood-of-queen-elizabeth-i.htm> Miller, N. J., (2006). Sibling Relations and Gender in the Early Modern World, Ashgate Publishing Ltd., Pp.77 Education of Queen Elizabeth, (2008), viewed: November 25, 2008, from: < http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/education-queen-elizabeth-i.htm> Ashworth, L., (2002). Queen Elizabeth I, Cherrytree Books, Pp. 1543 Thomas, J. R., (1998). Behind The Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I, Clarion Books, Pp.74 Queen Elizabeth I, (2008) viewed: November 25, 2008, from: < http://www.reformationsa.org/articles/Queen%20Elizabeth%20I.htm> Queen Elizabeth I, (2008), Elizabeth and Her Advisors, viewed: November 25, 2008, from: < http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/elizabeth/section6.rhtml> Read More