The ‘Virgin’ Queen
What's the principle reason at the back of the Queen’s virginity?
“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,” 1 indicates Elizabeth I. There were patterns of female monarchs who weren’t successful in England – Empress Matilda (Lady of the English) and Elizabeth’s sister; Mary I (also known as ‘Bloody Mary’). Elizabeth I was the first genuinely successful female monarch 2. She acknowledges that her body may not be that of a king, but that she feels inside like a strong ruler, quite simple like a king. By differentiating between a king and a king of England, Elizabeth puts herself above the princes of Europe, but at the same time making the people
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She negatively perceived love and marriage because it led to the axe, as it did with her mother Anne Boleyn, and Catherine Howard 7. Elizabeth did not want to be ruled by her husband, and therefore she remained unattainable 8. She thought that if she stayed in control of her relationship, she would also stay in control of her country 9. A woman rejecting marriage was seen as defying the laws of nature, but Elizabeth was only concerned with the rule and dominance she had as the headship of England 10. It has been argued that the reason for her singleness was rooted in religious conservatism, but by more extensive evidence, it is more clearly shown that she was only concerned with her country’s well being. Wives were expected to be submissive and obedient to the husband, which did not appeal to the Queen 11. Elizabeth did not want to lose her newly gained freedom, which she had never had before. Her childhood years were dominated with rule from her father, and stepmothers 12.
There were other, deeper reasons for Elizabeth's reluctance to marry, chief of which, historians believe, was her fear of losing her independence as Queen 13. In the 16th century, a sovereign was regarded as holding supreme dominion over the state, while a husband was deemed to hold supreme dominion over his wife 14. Elizabeth knew that marriage and motherhood would bring some erosion of her power. "I will have but one
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She had caught a chill after walking out in the cold winter air, and complained of a sore throat as well as aches and pains. "I am not well" she declared, but refused the administrations of her doctors. It was the opinion of her peers that she would have recovered from this illness if she had fought against it, but she did not want to. She was old, she was tired, and she was lonely. Weary of life, she was ready to slip into the world where all those she had loved had gone before her. It was clear to all of those around that the great Queen was dying. A few weeks later she died. Queen Elizabeth I was given a great funeral at Westminster Abbey in London. This was the same place that her coronation took place. Her tomb was decorated cheerfully with gems and stones. Her tomb is at the Westminster Abbey and can still be visited today. After her death, people named her time of reign "The Golden Age". Her people remembered and recognized all of the things that this great Queen had done to make her country powerful and successful. Elizabeth I had proved to the people that a woman could be a strong and inspiring leader on her own. During her life she was eager to show them that a woman alone could be just as good as a man. During the Spanish Armada she told her army, "I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king. 18" In the end, Queen Elizabeth I did prove that she,
Queen Elizabeth I spoke about her faults as a woman and the fact that she, a woman, has a “heart and stomach of a king” (6). This shows that women were aware they were being looked down upon as they compared a strong heart and stomach to one that only a king could have. This speech shows that its
Early on, Elizabeth is confronted with the issue of a struggling marriage. She and her husband John find that their relationship is rather strained because Elizabeth
Another reason Elizabeth never married was the issue of succession and religion. The specific focus was on her producing an heir to the throne, and also the religion of the male heir. The constant pressure on Elizabeth to marry was rooted in the national obession over the issue of succession. This was significant in a country that was divided by Catholicism and Protestantism.
She created a lasting legacy that people around the world continue to remember. Overcoming the problems with her family allowed her to become the strong, fearless lady that she was. Because of her skill and determination, she was able to reestablish the Protestant religion and defeat the Spanish Armada. Queen Elizabeth I was as tough as any man, and she proved to be when she ruled without the help of a husband. Elizabeth’s accomplishments before and during her reign are what make her a remarkable queen who will remembered for years to
According to Jane Resh Thomas, Elizabeth won the personal respect of both enemies and friends, and she led England at the dawn of its influence as a great nation. Despite her gender and the patriarchal society, she established and maintained her power, carved a career and a life on her own, and refused to marry. (Thomas n.p.) Elizabeth was born in Greenwich Palace, near London on September 7, 1533. She was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was thirty-two years old.
“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.” - Queen Elizabeth the 1. Throughout Elizabeth’s reign a lot was accomplished for England, and many say Elizabeth was a great queen. Her life did not start as glamorous, but as she worked harder she achieved the life she wanted. She stood firm on her beliefs, and would not let anyone tell her what to do. Even though her childhood was not the best, she did not let that stop her from becoming a great queen, and then even after her death, she changed England forever.
Throughout the series we can see what a mastermind Elizabeth truly is. She did not only had to fight her way up in order to become worthy of the title of a queen, but she also had to help her family, who were seen as misplaced at court, to gain influence and help her protect her children. Just as in history and as in Game of Thrones, as Cersei does, Elizabeth also fights hard to protect her children. She accepts planning plots against her enemies and also is ready to give up on all her wealth only to save her
I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king, and of a king of England” (“Elizabeth I: Speech against the Spanish
Elizabeth became the most sought out woman in England. She received offers of marriage from the King of Spain, Prince Eric of Sweden, and many other royal men. There were no high hopes that England would have a royal family again. She did not plan to getting marry anytime in the future. Queen Elizabeth was a strong, independent woman that did not want a man telling her how to run things in her mind.
Elizabeth used her prospect of marriage for political gain, but never wanted to give up her power and her kingdom to foreign princes. She stated she was married to the country of England, and she became known as the “Virgin Queen”. With Elizabeth’s choice of not marrying and having an heir made rebellions easier on her. Some wanted to over thrown her and put her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, a Catholic, in her place. Mary was the victim of her own demised, and later became Elizabeth’s prisoner for years.
While growing up in a royal family, Queen Elizabeth had to correspond to many expectations, but it was easy for her since she inherited intelligence and determination from both her parents ("Queen Elizabeth I."). Queen Elizabeth was fluent in six languages and was talented in the world of arts and music. Despite the fact that people did not want her to take the throne, Queen Elizabeth became one of the most successful leaders of her
If anyone else tried to do what she did it would have been disastrous. Queen Elizabeth's reign was informally known as the golden age in England because she remained unmarried, settled the church dispute and expanded her overseas
In the biography, entitled, “Elizabeth l”, Milton Meltzer discussed the unconventional policies of Queen Elizabeth. They were not having to marry, having the right to have the same education as king, having spies for protection, and how these policies affected her kingdom. One of these unconventional policies initiated was not having to marry. “Ever since Elizabeth was eight, however, she said again and again “I will never marry” (Meltzer, pg. 425). This justifies the point that Elizabeth never wanted to marry since she was a child.
As it was often believed that they were the inferior sex. Queen Elizabeth combats the notion. Saying that she was just as strong and capable as any man. Well, actually, not just any man. She is comparable in strength to even English kings before her.
Elizabeth was the fifth and the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. She was never married and never had any children. Even though Elizabeth never married, she did have many suitors. Elizabeth’s reign lasted from 1558, when her half-sister died until her own death in 1603.