15 Fascinating Truths About Queen Elizabeth I

On January 15, 1559, Queen Elizabeth I ascended to the English throne, reigning until her passing in 1603. Explore 15 lesser-known facts about the iconic Good Queen Bess.

Her path to the throne was far from certain.

Elizabeth's rise to the throne was a result of extraordinary fortune—or misfortune, depending on one's viewpoint. After her father, King Henry VIII, passed away, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession, behind her younger half-brother Edward and older half-sister Mary. Edward became king at age 10 in 1547 but reigned for just six years before succumbing to a fever.

Shortly before his death, Edward designated his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his successor, pushing Elizabeth further down the line. However, Jane's reign lasted a mere 13 days before Mary orchestrated her removal and claimed the throne, ruling as Queen Mary I for five years. When Mary died of influenza in 1558 without an heir, Elizabeth finally ascended as the queen of England, Wales, and Ireland.

She was jailed for her alleged involvement in a revolt against her half-sister.

In 1554, Elizabeth faced trial and imprisonment under suspicion of supporting Wyatt’s Rebellion, a revolt against Queen Mary I, widely believed to be driven by the desire for Protestant freedom.

She had an immense passion for fashion and an extensive collection of attire.

While Elizabeth is famously known for her stylish outfits, it’s astonishing to discover the sheer size of her wardrobe. Reports suggest she might have possessed up to 2000 pairs of gloves.

The queen had a deep faith in the practice of astrology.

Elizabeth maintained a close relationship with her personal consultant, John Dee, a celebrated mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, and self-proclaimed alchemist. She depended on Dee’s advice for timing significant occasions and, as some stories claim, for lifting a dangerous “death curse.”

The queen was encircled by a devoted group of followers.

After Elizabeth ascended to the throne, her advisors promoted a style of flattering portrayals in her portraits. Over time, representations of Queen Elizabeth I in art and literature started to draw parallels with mythological goddesses such as Venus, Astraea, and Diana, aiming to associate her with divine purity. This artistic movement is referred to as the Cult of Elizabeth or the Cult of the Virgin Queen.

Elizabeth introduced laws aimed at providing food for the impoverished.

Beyond spreading propaganda, Elizabeth’s government implemented meaningful reforms. The queen initiated the country’s first efforts to alleviate poverty, including measures like compulsory taxation, which eventually led to the establishment of the 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law.

She was proficient in multiple languages.

Besides her native English, Queen Elizabeth I was fluent in French, Italian, and Latin, even translating extensive works into these languages. It is also believed she could converse in Spanish, Welsh, Irish, Flemish, Greek, and the now-endangered Cornish.

Some theories suggest a romantic connection between her and Shakespeare.

A highly intellectual ruler, Elizabeth actively supported the theatrical arts during her reign. Her passion for the stage sparked numerous speculations about her ties to William Shakespeare. Certain historians propose that the queen shared a close bond with the playwright, who subtly references her in a romantic manner in the second act of A Midsummer Night’s Dream:

That very time I saw, but thou couldst not / Flying between the cold moon and the earth, / Cupid all arm'd: a certain aim he took / At a fair vestal throned by the west, / And loosed his love-shaft smartly from his bow, / As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts; / But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft / Quench'd in the chaste beams of the watery moon, / And the imperial votaress passed on, / In maiden meditation, fancy-free.

She found herself embroiled in yet another romantic controversy.

If 16th-century tabloids had been around, Queen Elizabeth I would have been their favorite subject. She declined marriage proposals from prominent figures such as King Philip II of Spain, King Eric XIV of Sweden, Archduke Charles of Austria, and the French brothers Henry III and Francis, Dukes of Anjou. Despite numerous suitors, her heart remained with her childhood companion, Robert Dudley. However, his marriage to Amy Robsart prevented them from uniting, a union Elizabeth deeply desired.

Even after Robsart’s unexpected death in 1560, Elizabeth chose not to marry Dudley. Years later, he married Lettice Knollys, whom Elizabeth reportedly treated with intense disdain.

Her scandals extended far beyond rejected marriage proposals.

Beyond the numerous high-profile marriage proposals, Queen Elizabeth I was often the subject of whispers about clandestine romances with prominent men. Among the most notable were explorer and writer Sir Walter Raleigh, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and Lord Chancellor Christopher Hatton.

She holds the unique distinction of being the only English queen who never married.

Although countless suitors sought her hand in marriage, Elizabeth never took a husband. She stands alone as the only English queen to remain unmarried, though eight kings before her also chose lifelong bachelorhood, including Æthelstan, Eadred, Edward the Martyr, Harthacnut, Edgar the Ætheling, William II, Edward V, and her brother Edward VI.

The Tudor dynasty concluded with Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth was not only the last unmarried monarch but also the final ruler of England before its union with Scotland. She passed away in 1603, the year the Treaty of Union (or the Union of England and Scotland Act) came into effect under her successor, James I. Additionally, she was the fifth and last Tudor ruler.

During her reign, Elizabeth was among the oldest monarchs in English history.

At the time of her death at 69, Elizabeth I held the record for the oldest English monarch, surpassing Edward I, who died at 68 in 1307. She retained this record for 151 years until King George II reached 70 in 1754, ruling over what was then Great Britain. He later died at 76 in 1760.

Interestingly, the current record belongs to Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022 at the age of 96 years and 140 days.

Her appearance often masked the truth.

After recovering from smallpox in the 1560s, Elizabeth I experienced facial scars and thinning hair, though these were cleverly concealed. She maintained her regal image with elaborate wigs and the use of white makeup, which was fashionable at the time.

She had a reputation for using strong language.

Elizabeth was well-known for her fondness for vivid and expressive speech, a trait believed to have been passed down from her father, Henry VIII.