Facts About Queen Elizabeth 1

Many rumors about the life of Queen Elizabeth 1 are still told today. Here are some known facts about her life.

1.  Elizabeth 1 was born on the 7th September 1533 at Greenwich Palace.

2.  Elizabeth 1 was named after her two grandmothers, Elizabeth Howard and Elizabeth of York.

3.  Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn.

4.  Elizabeth’s mother Anne Boleyn was executed by order of her father when Elizabeth was just two years old. **Note**: Henry had Anne investigated for high treason. Most historians believe she was innocent and it was a conspiracy planned and executed by Thomas Cromwell

5.  Elizabeth I did not speak of her mother very much but did always wear a locket ring containing miniature of herself and her mother.

6.  Although her father had her mother executed, Elizabeth was still very fond of him.

7.  Queen Elizabeth I was known by many names: Elizabeth I”, “Elizabeth of England”, and “Elizabeth Tudor” was just a few. Some even called her the virgin queen due to the fact she was never married. “Good Queen Bess” and “Gloriana”.
Elizabeth herself gave nicknames to people she loved and trusted – She called William Cecil her “Spirit” and Robert Dudley her “eyes”. **Note** Elizabeth 1 reputedly told her friend, Robert Dudley, “I will never marry”.

8.  Elizabeth I died on 24th March 1603 at Richmond Palace. Her funeral took place on 28th April 1603 and she was buried at Westminster Abbey.

9.  Elizabeth I became queen at the age of 25 and was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 15th January 1559. Queen Elizabeth I was Queen between 1558 and 1603. Elizabeth’s reign was called “The Golden Age” because of England’s strong and prosperous time.

10.  Elizabeth I never married.

11.  When Elizabeth 1 was very young there was scandal that her governess Kat Ashley found that Catherine Parr’s husband, Thomas Seymour, was tickling and slapping Elizabeth in bed and coming into her room in his nightclothes. Although in the beginning governess Parr thought it was innocent fun but she later sent Elizabeth away. It was even rumored that Elizabeth had a child by Seymour. Elizabeth’s true feelings for Seymour are not known, but when she heard of his execution she reportedly said: “This day died a man of much wit, but very little judgment”.

12.  Elizabeth I’s motto was “Semper Eadem”, meaning “Always the Same”.

13.  Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

14.  Elizabeth founded the Church of England and was thought to be a protestant but she was tolerant of both Catholic and Protestant viewpoints and famously said: “There is only one Christ, Jesus, one faith, all else is trifles” and that she had “no desire to make windows into men’s souls”.

15.  Elizabeth I’s skin was badly scarred by smallpox in 1562. She used face paint and vinegar to cover these scars.

16.  Her favorite dress colors’ were white and black which symbolized purity.

17.  Elizabeth I, was very superstitious and consulted John Dee, a astronomer and astrologer of that time. It was even rumored that she asked him to undo a death curse she believed had been put on her.

18.  Elizabeth I frequently swore – When angry, she would curse and swear.