Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I was the second daughter of King Henry VIII. She was preceded by her older half-sister Mary I (Bloody Mary). Mary's strict Catholicism caused the relationship to be strained, and for awhile Elizabeth was locked up. She was released, however, and named by Mary as her successor before Mary's early death. Elizabeth remained unmarried throughout her life and therefore produced no heirs. Queen Elizabeth I chose her cousin James VI of Scotland(James I) to succeed her, somewhat ironic since she put his mother Mary Queen of Scots to death.

In 1558 Queen Elizabeth I took the throne and became one of many noteworthy monarchs of England. After almost forty five years of ruling she died in 1603, the ruler of one of the most powerful and influencial nations of that age. Queen Elizabeth I was able to skilfully manage and keep peace between the Parliament and many religious conflicts that were arising. In 1588 she also trimphed over the massive Spanish Armada that made an effort to invade England. At that time Spain was the most powerful nation in Europe. The loss of the Spanish Armada was the beginning of a fairly rapid lose of their top nation status. Queen Elizabeth's successful rule is called the Elizabethan Age.

For many centuries England had been considered a European backwater, situated on a remote and cold island. But this very fact now made England powerful. Freed from any European entanglement by repudiating the Pope, England turned its back on Europe and looked to the world, a process started during the reign of Elizabeth I. Sending ships and people across the globe, England founded many countries that are very important today: the USA, Canada, and Australia, to name just three.