Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I was born in Greenwhich on September 7, 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Her early life was full of uncertainties, and her chances of succeeding to the throne seemed very slim when her half-brother Edward was born. She was then the third in line behind her half-sister, Princess Mary. Elizabeth succeeded to the throne at the age of twenty-five after her sister's death to cancer. The image of Elizabeth's …

…was, in essence, "married." Elizabeth was a puzzling figure. Although vain and deceitful, she managed to gain and hold the love of her subjectss to the end of her long life. Elizabeth ignited a great era that led England to rule for four hundred years in world power. She died at Richmond Palace on March24, 1603, having become a legend of her lifetime. The date of her accession remianed a national holiday for two hundred years.