Queen Elizabeth I, of England, 1533-1603
commissioned Sir Robert Tyree to get any evidence he could against the Admiral from Elizabeth. Elizabeth's closest friends were removed, spies filled her household, and she was endlessly questioned daily. Although Elizabeth cried at first on hearing of the Admiral's imprisonment, she quickly realized her own jeopardy and answered the questions guardedly, not committing herself in anything.
After three weeks of this, the Council realized they would get nothing from her, and proceeded against the Admiral on other evidence. They reprimanded Elizabeth and replaced her beloved governess with another. Elizabeth wept through the night, lowered all the next day, and then wrote the Protector. She remonstrated on the removal of her governess and on the false rumors circulating regarding her and the Admiral. She insisted the Council must put a stop to those tales (she knew where they were coming from). She argued that she was the daughter of Henry VII, a member of the royal family perhaps "destined by Heaven to be Queen of England," so she must keep the love and respect of her subjects. She argued that a statement mst be issued correcting the reports.
The request was granted and a proclamation was issued, but her governess was not returned.
After all this stress, Elizabeth became very ill and her education was discontinued for a year. During this year the Protector, Somerset, was accused of abusing his authority and forced to resign. This opened the door for another schemer to begin planning his own political intrigues. Elizabeth waited through the death of her beloved Edward, the week-long reign of Jane Grey, the five-year-rule of her half-sister who became known as "Bloody Mary," until she became Queen herself when she was twenty-five.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
Belloc, Hilaire, "Elizabeth: Creature of Circumstance," 1942.
King, Darian, "Elizabeth, The Tudor Princess," 1940. (Written for children and young people, this is an easy reading, but extremely informative book.)
Linington, Elizabeth, "Forging An Empire: Queen Elizabeth I," 1961.
Ridley, Jasper, "Elizabeth I: The Shrewdness of Virtue," 1987.
Stanley, Diane and Vennema, Peter, "Good Queen Bess, The Story of Elizabeth I of England." 1990. (Written for children, but an excellent summary of Elizabeth's life.)
Thomas, Jane Resh, "Behind the Mask, The Life of Queen Elizabeth I," 1998.
WEB SITES
If you go to the first two sites listed, you won't need to hunt further for general information about Queen Elizabeth I>
http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/eliza.h... Elizabeth I (1533-1603) (5 stars) Excellent site which includes a short, but informative, biography; copies of poems, speeches, letters, and more that
Latest Articles