Expert: Joseph Logue - 4/15/2008

Question
QUESTION: I am doing a project in school on Queen Elizabeth I and was wondering if we could interview on her life. Please respond as soon as possible, the project is due soon.  I only have a few questions and would not take very much time out of your busy life.
Thank you!
Jarie

ANSWER: Well, Jarie, if you want to send the questions along, I'll be happy to try to answer them.  I cannot write the report for you, obviously, so please limit your questions to three (3) that you think are the most important.

Sincerely,

Joseph Logue

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well its kind of had to choose but I'll do my best:
What were some major events that had influence on Queen Elizabeth the
first's life?
What were some decisions made by Queen Elizabeth the first's that her public
accepted/rejected?
Queen Elizabeth I had many stepmothers- did any of them have major
influence on her life or did any become emotionally attached to each other?

Answer
Hello Jarie,

Sorry to make you choose but I don't normally do homework questions so I had to keep it simple.

I think the overriding influence on Elizabeth's life would have to be the trial and judicial execution of her mother, Anne Boleyn.  Not only would this have provided an extraordinary emotional milestone, but it was also the signal that her father, Henry VIII, was on his way to becoming the supreme ruler of England, both temporal and spiritual.  Thus the throne that she would one day inherit had more power than in any time in England's history, since it now governed the Church as well.  The reformist zeal of her brother, Edward VI, who sponsored the Book of Common Prayer and the reign of her sister, Mary I, and the counter-Reformation measures she instituted (often bloodily) had a great impact on England as these two monarchs represented the religious tensions that followed the death of Henry VIII in 1547.  When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 there was a flowering of English letters, exemplified by Shakespeare, but including Spenser and Johnson as well.  It was during her reign that Olde English became Modern English.  There was the fight with her brother-in-law the king of Spain that resulted in the historic defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.  Afterwards, drought and famine struck England for many years, which threw a shadow over the waning years of the queen's reign.  Elizabeth died in 1603; even her death was eventful as it provided for the accession of the King of Scots, James VI (James I of England), who was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Elizabeth's decisions that her country had to contend with I would say were chiefly her decision not to marry.  This provided no natural heir to the throne, which must have caused great anxiety for her people.  A bare throne is antithetical to the concept of "The king is dead, long live the king!"  Elizabeth herself rejected many suitors, notably the French Duc d'Anjou.  In religious matters, Elizabeth played her cards well, encouraging reformation and stability while only persecuting Catholics when they sought to unseat her from her throne.  This was the main charge against Elizabeth's cousin, the Queen of Scots.  Elizabeth, upon the advice of her ministers, was unable to help the suffering brought about by the above-mentioned famine and her people became restive and critical of her reign.  Only her impending death brought about a reconciliation of feeling.

Yes, it's true that Elizabeth had four successive step-mothers:  Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Kathryn Parr.  Jane tried to heal the wounds inflicted by Anne Boleyn's execution and Catherine of Aragon's divorce on their respective daughters.  She hoped to bring Henry closer to his daughters, and lessen his disappointment in their not being sons.  She even had the two princesses living with Henry and Jane when Jane became pregnant with the future Edward VI (she died in childbirth).  Anne of Cleves was married to Henry for about six months before he divorced her, so her impact on Elizabeth's life was negligible (though Anne remained in England after her divorce, she was a lonely exile before dying in 1557).  Catherine Howard was nearer to Elizabeth's age, but her short and tumultuous marriage probably did not provide much room for emotional bonding with her stepchildren.  Kathryn Parr, however, survived the King and had more mature relationships with her husband's children.  While never a "mother" to her three step-children, she was a calming influence on the Tudors in the last years of Henry's reign.

I hope this helps you out Jarie, but you should realize that the reign of Elizabeth I (always use the "I" and don't write "the first") was one of the most epochal in England's history.  Good luck on your project, and thanks for using AllExperts.

Sincerely,

Joseph Logue