Queen Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I was the last Tudor ruler of England. She was born in 1533, the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
Her older sister, Mary, had tried to reestablish the Catholic Church in England in her short, 5-year reign, but Elizabeth reversed her half-sister's actions and reestablished the Church of England.
Queen Elizabeth refused to marry, so she was known as the "virgin queen". She managed to end wars with France and avoided most war with Spain. The Queen did not care too much about the religious conflicts in England. She once said: "There is one Jesus Christ, the rest is a dispute over trifles."
One of the most important events in her reign was the Spanish Armada attacking England. Spain put together a fleet of 130 ships and attacked the English shores. The English put up a good fight and drove the Spanish away. Most of the enemy ships got wrecked in a storm later.
The Queen loved music, playing the lyre, and watching plays. During her time, great playwrights like William Shakesphere and Christopher Marlowe wrote many of their most famous plays.
Queen Elizabeth was loved by her people because of the peace and prosperity that her reign brought to England. This period of time was called the Elizabethan Period or England's Golden Age. Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, after a long, 44-year, reign.
