Bloody Mary
Queen Elizabeth 1 had been on the
throne for six years. She had succeeded her sister Mary (the daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon), who was a Roman Catholic. MAry had tried to restore Catholicism as the main religion in England. And she persecuted without mercy those
people who remained Protestants. Hundreds of people were burned to death at the stake and because of this she was known as ''Bloody Mary''. Only her death saved the
country from a rebellion against her bad goverment and her reign to terror. So when her sister, Elizabeth, who was the daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn, and a Protestant, came to the throne there was
great rejoicing.
Queen Bess
England was in a bad state when the young Elizabeth became Queen. The country was almost bankrupt after a disastrous war with France. It had no army or navy and no money to build them. And the religious disputes had left the country unsettled. Some Roman Catholics wanted to continue Mary''s work. And some Protestants - the Puritans - wanted an extreme form of Protestantism to be the main religion.
Fortunately, Elizabeth proved to be a strong ruler who did not believe in extremes. She was clever and well educated. She loved music and dancing and she adored pretty clothes and jewels - as her portraits show. She liked to be admired by handsome, young men. But she could also be strong-minded, quick-tempered and stubborn.
However, with the people, she was always straightforward and honest. She was determined to unite the country and give it peace and prosperity. And the people loved her because of her forthright character and her wish to make England great. They called her ''Good Queen Bess''.
The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
Elizabeth''s advisers were very concerned that she should marry and produce an heir. This was because the next in line to the throne was Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary, believed that she was the rightful heir to the English throne; and she plotted against Elizabeth all her life. Despite this, ELizabeth tolerated her until her last Catholic plot was uncovered. This was to murder Elizabeth and place herself on the throne with the help of the Catholic King of Spain. Mary was tried and found guilty. She was executed in 1587.
More summaries about the Mary-Queen of Scots