17th November 1558 – Elizabeth I Becomes Queen

On this day in history, 17th November 1558, Mary I died after a reign of just five years and Elizabeth I came to the throne and ruled for over 44 years. One sister has gone down in history as “Bloody Mary” and the other as the queen who brought in a golden age and who is known as “The Virgin Queen” and “Gloriana”. One is maligned, the other adored, but both suffered at the hands of a tyrannical father who treated their mothers cruelly and both rose above their pasts to become Queens of England and to make an impact on English history.

Mary I was far more than “Bloody Mary” and please read “The Myth of Bloody Mary” if you believe that. And Elizabeth I was far more than “The Virgin Queen”. Too often are these women remembered by the salacious details of their lives – Mary’s persecution of Protestants, Elizabeth’s relationship with Robert Dudley, Mary’s phantom pregnancies, Elizabeth’s treatment of Mary Queen of Scots… – let’s remember them today for their achievements and here are just a few of them:-

Mary I’s Achievements

In a BBC History Magazine article, David Loades lists Mary I’s achievements as:-

• Mary I preserved the Tudor succession
• She strengthened the position of Parliament by using it for her religious settlement
• She established the “gender free” authority of the crown
• She restored and strengthened the administrative structure of the church
• She maintained the navy and reformed the militia

And let’s not forget that she fought successfully for her crown in July 1553.

Elizabeth I’s Achievements

• Defeating the Spanish Armada
• Carrying on her father’s work with the Navy and making England a strong naval power
• Defending England from the Scots and turning Scotland into an ally
• Expanding England overseas
• Founding the Church of England as we know it today through her religious settlement
• Raising the status of England abroad
• Surviving and defeating the plots and revolts against her
• Ruling as Queen in her own right
• Her promotion of the Arts
• Her understanding that a monarch needed to work with advisers and Parliament, to be able to rule successfully

Both queens should be respected and appreciated, they were both amazing women.

You can read more about Mary I’s death and Elizabeth I’s accession in “The Death of Mary I and the Accession of Elizabeth I”

Notes and Sources

• The Bloody Queen by David Loades – BBC History Magazine, March 2006
• The Myth of Bloody Mary