Elizabeth I (1533 – 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 until her death. The last Tudor monarch, she ruled during a time of religious turmoil, foreign threats, and cultural flourishing, shaping England into a global power.
Born to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, she was declared illegitimate after her mother’s execution. Restored to the succession later, she became queen after her half-sister Mary I. One of her first acts was the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, which established the Church of England. Though pressured to marry, she remained single, earning the title "Virgin Queen".
Her reign saw the defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588), exploration by figures like Francis Drake, and the rise of Shakespearean drama. She skillfully navigated diplomacy between France and Spain while suppressing internal Catholic plots. Her rivalry with Mary, Queen of Scots, led to Mary’s execution in 1587.
Later years were marked by economic challenges and war with Ireland and Spain. She died in 1603, ending the Tudor dynasty. Her legacy as a shrewd, charismatic ruler endures, with the Elizabethan era remembered as one of England’s most celebrated periods.