By William Scrots – Wikimedia

Top 10 Shocking Facts about Elizabeth I of England


 

Queen Elizabeth, I succeeded the throne on January 15, 1559. She was born in September 1533 to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her mother was beheaded two years after Elizabeth was born.

Following the death of her mother, she was considered an illegitimate child. For this reason, Elizabeth was never meant to sit on the throne.

Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 1559 until her death in 1603. She was referred to as the virgin queen because she was never married nor did she have children.

Before taking the throne, two of her half-siblings were King and Queen. During the reign of Queen Mary, Elizabeth was imprisoned for allegedly supporting the protestant rebels.   

Elizabeth I was known as one of England’s greatest rulers, a legacy that continues today. Here are the top 10 shocking facts about her.

1. Elizabeth was a polyglot

Elizabeth was a highly educated individual and was getting tutored by several governesses and tutors. She learnt calligraphy, music and languages. Elizabeth I was fluent in English, French, Latin and Italian.

Her parents took great pride in getting her the best education, they therefore invested by getting the best tutors.

Elizabeth I became an excellent public speaker, a skill that was not popular with women at that time. This skill came in handy during her time as Queen.

She was also a polyglot, she fluently spoke Spanish, Welsh, Irish, Flemish, Greek and Cornish.

2. She was not meant to be Queen

Photo sourced from Wikimedia

This is shockingly true. Her mother’s marriage to King Henry VIII was annulled after her execution. She was considered an illegitimate child and therefore this automatically cancelled her out.

The other reason was that only men were supposed to take the throne. How she got to become Queen was after her step-mother, Katherine Parr intervened.

Two of her half-siblings had briefly ruled, her half-brother died of tuberculosis and her half-sister Mary ended in a catastrophe.  

3. Elizabeth I almost got killed

When her half-brother Edward died at 15, there was a brief moment of uncertainty on who would succeed the throne. He was the only boy in the family.

Elizabeth and her sister Mary both had partied vouching for them to succeed the throne. Most of Elizabeth’s supporters were Protestants who were considered to be rebels.

When Mary became Queen, she had Elizabeth imprisoned for almost a year for her association with the protestants.

She was released after she cleared her name from any association with the protestants. Mary placed her under house arrest.

4. She never got married

For any ruler of the kingdom, marriage and children were expected so that the throne would have an heir. This was not the case with Queen Elizabeth I.

There were several suitors that approached her but she turned them all down. The Queen had sworn never to get married.  

One of her closest aides, Thomas Seymour, was rumoured to be her lover. Other men that were believed to be her lovers were King Phillip II of Spain, the Archduke Charles of Austria and the French Duke of Anjou.

At one point, parliament tried forcing her to get married, her response was that she was already married to the country and that was enough.

5. Her appearance mattered, so she took her time

By Nicholas Hilliard – Wikimedia

Queen Elizabeth took her looks seriously. She did not leave anything to chance including her time. This process became more intricate the older the Queen grew.

It took her about 4 hours a day to get ready. The queen would wear wigs that matched her hair, as well as wear heavy, makeup to cover scarring got from smallpox.

As the Queen grew older, more layers of makeup were added and this was known as the mask of youth. The makeup however did more harm to her skin.

White lead and vinegar were used on her face. This mixture corroded her face.      

6. Elizabeth I loved the arts

The Queen is fondly remembered for her influence during the Golden Age. This was when major artists produced some of the best art pieces.

Elizabeth I loved music and theatre so much so she created a royal troupe that would entertain her at the court. The troupe was known as Queen Elizabeth’s Men.  

It is also believed that she was close to Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.  

7. She might have been a man

One of the reasons that many believe that she was not a woman. As pressure mounted to have her married, the more she resisted and the more rumours were spread.

To prove that she was a woman, an ambassador bribed one of her maidservants to get her bedsheets. They used the bedsheets to check on her menstrual flow and to determine if it was normal.   

Another rumour was that she was unable to conceive. Some also said that the real Elizabeth died as a baby and was replaced by a boy with red hair just like Elizabeth.

8. Hell hath no fury like an upset Elizabeth I

Photo sourced from Wikimedia

Queen Elizabeth was known to be good-natured but she also had royal anger. She got this from her father Henry VIII.

She would constantly curse and swear. At some point, she threw a pair of slippers to a courtier and spat on another.

9. Elizabeth I was involved in a romantic scandal

Although she did not get married, Elizabeth I was rumoured to have been involved in romantic relationships.

She had turned down proposals from King Philip II of Spain, King Eric XIV of Sweden, Archduke Charles of Austria, and French brothers Henry III and Francis, Dukes of Anjou.

Her one true love was Robert Dudley, unfortunately, got married cutting the chances of them being together.

She was said to have had affairs with high profile men like sir Walter Raleigh, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and Lord Chancellor Christopher Hatton

10. Queen Elizabeth used her charm to get attention

By Robert Peake the elder – Wikimedia

To get attention from her male subjects, Queen Elizabeth I dressed elaborately infusing colour in her outfits. Her ladies strictly wore black or white.

This way, all the eyes and attention would be directed to the Queen. A French nobleman once commented that she was the star of the show. A reaction the Queen wanted.   

She also used her public speaking skills to get her army to defend her territory.

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