On September 7, 1533, at Greenwich Palace near London, a baby girl came into the world. The proud parents were the King and Queen of England, King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.(Starkey 10) The baby girl was named Elizabeth. The birth of Elizabeth had been that she would have been male, so that he could have been heir to King Henry the VIII. It wasn't until two years later that Henry realized he wasn't going to get a healthy male heir from Anne Boleyn. She had miscarried twice before delivering a stillborn son. When Elizabeth was two, her father had her mother arrested, sent to the Tower and beheaded for adultery and treason. (Weir 342) Elizabeth was declared illegitimate after her mother's execution. This was not Henry's first wife. Elizabeth's father, Henry VII

The coronation of the new Queen on January 15, 1559, marked the beginning of an extraordinary rule. On her succession, England's low fortunes included religious strife, a huge government debt, and failure in wars with France. Queen Elizabeth's reign is often called the Golden Age or the Elizabethan Age because it was a time of great achievement in England. The first church of England was a Protestant denomination and it was built under Queen Elizabeth's reign. She brought in new types of architecture. The first theatre was also built under her rule. Shakespeare wrote plays and she had them performed in her theatre. It was also a time of great literary achievements. William Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, and Edmund Spenser all wrote their great works during Elizabeth's lifetime. She encouraged exploration. She chose to become ruler of the people and the church.(Http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/eliza.htm)

I had annulled his marriage with Catherine of Aragon and had broken with Rome to marry Anne Boleyn. His first wife, Catherine had also born him a female child, which they named Mary. He had divorced Catherine in hopes that he would get a male heir from Anne.(Erickson 16) Between the time of Elizabeth's mother's death and 1537, Henry married yet again. The woman was named Jane Seymour and she cared greatly for Elizabeth. She forced Henry to take Elizabeth back into the house, as Elizabeth had been sent away for schooling. In 1537, Elizabeth's new stepmother, Jane Seymour and her father Henry, were eagerly awaiting the son he hoped Jane Seymour was carrying. As it turned out, she was indeed to bear Henry a son, Edward. The birth of this much awaited son however, brought about the death of his mother Jane. She was taken by bed fever.(Weir 346)

Once Edward had been born, Elizabeth faded into the background, everyday receiving less and less attention. As they were growing up, Edward and Elizabeth were very close. They spent all of their spare time together. The only time that the two of them were apart, was when it came to schooling. As the daughter of a King, Elizabeth had many responsibilities. Starting in 1544, Elizabeth was tutored by the great scholar, Roger Ascham. Her tutoring lasted until she was 15 years old in 1549. Under his guidance, Elizabeth studied Greek and Roman classics, read history and theology, and learned both classical and modern languages. (www.luminarium.org/renlit/aschbio.htm)

When Elizabeth died on March 23, 1603, she was mourned throughout England. She had created an era of peace in England that would come to be called the Elizabethan era. Her greatest accomplishment during her reign was, defeating the Spanish Armada, firmly establishing England's naval power and giving many years of peace and prosperity to England. She changed the way the world looked at Britain and how Britain looked at the world. The first Elizabeth may be regarded as the greatest female ruler in history.(Http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/eliza.htm)

Some topics in this essay:
Tower Erickson, Anne Boleyn, Queen Mary, Jane Seymour, Catholic Mary, Oh Fortune, Thomas Wyatt, Jane Grey, Mary Guildhall, Edmund Spenser, jane grey, henry viii, lady jane, lady jane grey, queen mary, male heir, catholic mary, jane seymour, king edward, henry viii's sister, elizabeth arrested, tower london, queen elizabeth's reign, jane proclaimed queen, king henry viii,