Queen of England 1533-1603
She never married to preserve the independence of Britain and was known as the "Virgin Queen",
"Patience and time are often more effective than strength and anger."
This is the best sentence of Queen Elizabeth I of England. From the noble heir to the throne, to the lowly servant, to the supreme king, in this intricate trajectory, Elizabeth I finally achieved her glorious life with her strength and forbearance.
Elizabeth was born in 1533 to a family of officials in Greenwich, England (present-day London), the son of Henry VIII, the leader of the Reformation in England. She was named heir to the throne at birth, but since her mother's execution, at the age of 3, she has fallen from a happy paradise to a miserable hell. Not only was she stripped of her right to the throne, but she was also reduced to a servant of her half-brother, Prince Edward, in a very bleak situation.
In 1547, Henry VIII died and Prince Edward ascended the throne, which was held by the Duke of Somerset
Take control of state power. This complicated environment involved the otherwise innocent and kind 14-year-old Elizabeth in a dark court struggle, where she was subjected to endless close surveillance and brutal interrogation. She gradually realized that only supreme power could change her destiny, so she developed a cold, greedy and smooth character, which was evident in her later political rule.
Although such a huge change has left a deep imprint on Elizabeth's heart, it has not made her lose the courage and confidence to live. She is diligent in her studies, has a wide range of knowledge, has a keen and unique vision, and has a steady personality.
According to Henry VIII's will, Elizabeth could only inherit the throne if Edward and his half-sister Mary died childless. Just when Elizabeth felt that her future was uncertain, fate pushed her onto the country's political stage. In 1558, at the age of 25, Elizabeth got her wish to inherit the throne.
Elizabeth I understood the importance of power from an early age, so she vigorously strengthened the absolute monarchy and worked to consolidate Britain's national independence as soon as she took office. She declared that the king represented the divine will of God and was the ruler of the earth, and therefore his subjects must be absolutely subordinate to the king, and stipulated that all religious organizations in England must be absolutely subject to the king's leadership. These measures not only established the dominant position of the Church of England, but also directly excluded international Catholic interference in British affairs.
Unwilling to lose control of England, however, the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth I in 1570 and plotted to overthrow her rule. Elizabeth I fought-for-tat, suppressed Catholic rebellions many times, and rejected the marriage proposal of the king of Spain, completely smashing Spain's plot to turn Britain into a vassal state through "marriage." These moves of her consolidated the sovereignty of the British state and were warmly welcomed by the British people.
The era of Elizabeth I coincided with the flourishing of English capitalism. In order to conform to this historical trend, she formulated many policies conducive to the development of capitalism: selling large amounts of land belonging to the church and the royal family to the bourgeoisie and the new aristocracy; advocating the enclosure movement and promoting the rapid development of the enclosure movement; supporting and rewarding the British for their maritime raids as an important means of fighting Spain, their fierce rival at sea; It vigorously advocated domestic and international trade and encouraged merchants to expand to the East. According to relevant records, the total value of property looted by Britain from the sea during the reign of Elizabeth I exceeded 12 million pounds, which was an important source of original accumulation of British capital. For the old power, Spain, the rise of Britain posed a serious threat to it, which aggravated the contradictions between them, and war was already inevitable. In order to gain absolute superiority in the war for hegemony, Elizabeth I actively expanded its armaments, developed a powerful navy, and was ready to go to war at any time.
In 1588, Spain sent more than 100 ships known as the "Armada" to attack Britain in a big way. Elizabeth I calmly responded to the battle, not only decisively using Hawkins, Drake, and other famous generals to lead the army to the battle, but also personally delivered an impassioned speech in the marching team to boost morale. This unprecedented naval battle ended in a British victory, and Britain became a worthy world maritime hegemon, and this absolute superiority continued until the 20th century.
At the same time, the British also carried out many expeditions, such as Martin Frobisher and John Davis to Russia to discover the northwest route to the Far East, and Lord Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the world through California.
Due to the extensive development of the international and domestic markets, the British economy began to develop rapidly, and Elizabeth I also ushered in the heyday of her rule. Political stability and economic prosperity provided fertile ground for the development of culture, and London became the commercial and financial center of Europe at that time.
It can be said that during the 45 years of Elizabeth I's reign, Britain has experienced unprecedented economic development, unprecedented cultural prosperity, and unprecedented naval strength, and these achievements deserve to be attributed to her, Elizabeth I, one of the most outstanding rulers in British history.