Elizabeth I of England
From Turtledove
| Elizabeth I of England | |
| |
| Historical Figure | |
| Timeline: | OTL |
| Nationality: | England |
| Religion: | Anglicanism |
| Date of Birth: | 1533 |
| Date of Death: | 1603 |
| Cause of Death: | Natural Causes |
| Occupation: | Queen of England |
| Spouse: | None |
| Children: | None |
| Relatives: | Henry VIII (father); Anne Bolyen (mother); Mary I (half-sister); James I (cousin); Mary Queen of Scots (cousin) |
| Timeline: | Ruled Britannia |
| Timeline: | Atlantis |
| Appearance(s): | The United States of Atlantis (posthumous reference) |
Queen Elizabeth (1533-1603) was Queen of England in the late sixteenth century. She was a member of England's House of Tudor, the second daughter of Henry VIII. She ascended to the throne in 1558 upon the death of her sister, Mary. A Protestant, she made that religion the official state religion of England, as it had been under her father and younger brother, Edward VI; Catholicism had been the state religion under Mary. Elizabeth also persecuted Catholics in much the same way her sister persecuted Prostetants. For these reasons, she was excommunicated by Pope Pius V in 1570.
Elizabeth I in Ruled Britannia
Elizabeth's entire reign was marked by tense diplomatic relations with Spain. Knowing her nation would most likely lose in a war against its much stronger enemy, Elizabeth, with the assistance of her counselor, William Cecil, avoided a war as she could, but her support for Protestant rebels in the Spanish colony of the Netherlands forced the issue. In 1588, King Philip II of Spain launched the Spanish Armada, a massive fleet of 138 warships, against England. The Armada defeated the English fleet and landed its armies on England's shores. The Spaniards easily defeated the amateur English army, and Elizabeth was soon overthrown. Philip's daughter Isabella was made Queen of England. Philip ordered that Elizabeth be imprisoned in the Tower of London, saying "Though she herself murdered a Queen* I will not do the same."
Elizabeth remained in the Tower for ten years before a plot set in motion by Cecil and executed by his son, Robert, expelled the Spanish and restored Elizabeth to the throne. She became exceedingly grateful to English playwright William Shakespeare for glorifying her in his play Boudicca. She granted him knighthood; patronage for his acting troupe formerly Lord Westmorland's Men and afterward known as The Queen's Men; a divorce from his wife, Anne Hathaway; the parole of Lope de Vega; permission to perform King Philip; and a substantial monetary reward despite the depleted state of her treasury.
*She had executed her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, a year before being overthrown.
Elizabeth I in Atlantis
In the eighteenth century, schoolboys were forced to learn the details of Elizabeth I's greatness on pain of corporal punishment. When Victor Radcliff became the first Consul of Atlantis, Meg Radcliff was excited to think that some day that would be true of her husband as well. Victor found the idea vaguely horrifying.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mary I of England (briefly co-ruled with Philip II of Spain) | Queen of England 1558-1603 (OTL); 1558-1588 (Ruled Britannia) | Succeeded by James I of England (OTL); King Albert and Queen Isabella (Ruled Britannia) |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by King Albert and Queen Isabella | Queen of England (Ruled Britannia) 1598-present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
