Good Queen Bess' ABC Primer

A

Armada

In 1588 the Spanish Armada was sailing to attack England. The bad weather and England's small ships defeated the Spanish. Also credited for the victory was Queen Elizabeth, whose rousing speech inspired the English Navy to persevere and win this important battle. This victory would win Queen Elizabeth her subjects' loyalty and admiration.

B

Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was Queen Elizabeth's mother. She was a prominent figure in English history since she sparked King Henry VIII's separation from the Catholic Church and subsequent creation of the Church of England. Shortly after Queen Anne gave birth to Princess Elizabeth, she was executed by King Henry VIII for treason, a crime she did not commit. Her execution however freed King Henry to marry again and father a male heir.

C

Commons and Council

During Queen Elizabeth's reign she relied heavily upon the advice of her trusted advisors. This group of advisors was made up entirely of men and consisted of the House of Commons as well as the Privy Council. The House consisted of commoners while the Privy Council was composed of Lords and Bishops in the Queen's favor.
Queen Elizabeth was paranoid of an overthrow by her cousin Queen Mary of Scotland. She had a network of spies led by the Privy Council and Sir Walsingham. In the end, while she trusted this close network, she did not always follow her advisors' direction. For example, she would not marry even after her Council's urging to produce an heir.

D

Debt

When Elizabeth became Queen in 1559, she did not only inherit the crown, she inherited the debt left by her predecessor, Queen Mary Tudor. In addition to raising taxes, Queen Elizabeth was forced to sell lands worth over $800,000 to many of her Council members. These funds were needed in order to promote the creation of a stronger fleet of ships for the English Navy to defend against other European powers.

E

England

Queen Elizabeth was born and raised in England. Having never married, she remained faithful to her country until the day she died. One of her most famous speeches included wording that stated no other royals could ever love England as much as she did. This meant she focused all of her strength and power on her beloved England.

         F          

France

Before, during and after Queen Elizabeth's reign, France was England's rival. When Queen Elizabeth's cousin and challenger for the English throne, Queen Mary of Scotland married King Henry of France, a powerful alliance against Queen Elizabeth's England was formed. Queen Elizabeth avoided attacks from France for the most part by dangling marriage alliances with other European powers such as Spain and other rich dukes and earls from France.

G

Good Queen Bess & Gloriana

Good Queen Bess & Gloriana were two of Elizabeth's nicknames. Good Queen Bess began shortly after her coronation parade when she stopped and let many commoners kiss her hand. Up until this time, royalty was not to be touched by commoners. Another example of her kindness was she once stood out in the rain to watch a poor little boy perform for her. Gloriana came from her elaborate, glorious wardrobe. It was said people gasped whenever she walked into the room.

H

Henry the Eighth

King Henry VIII was Elizabeth's father. King Henry was not a very supportive father and hardly ever paid attention to Elizabeth once King Edward - his male heir- was born. In fact King Henry sent Elizabeth away at a young age to a country estate away from court. He needed urging and reminders from her personal servants to even provide enough money for her food and clothes. Much like his other daughter Mary Tudor, Elizabeth was quickly discredited in her father's eyes simply because she was a girl.

I

Imprisoned

Mary Tudor, Elizabeth's older sister and predecessor, was forever in fear of an overthrow by Elizabeth. Queen Mary imprisoned Elizabeth when she was 19 in the Tower of London for two months and then placed her under house arrest for a year after that because of this fear. The boat that Elizabeth rode on to the Tower of London passed under the famous Traitor's Gate - adorned with the heads of traitors impaled on spikes. During this time of imprisonment, Elizabeth's letters of innocence were ignored. Even after she was released from house arrest, she was still closely watched by Queen Mary's ladies in waiting.

J

James the Sixth

Despite Elizabeth's efforts to prevent Mary Queen of Scots from inheriting the English throne, Queen Mary's son, James the Sixth was Elizabeth's successor. James the Sixth was born from the marriage between his mother Queen Mary and a wealthy English lord who Elizabeth tried to control so she could spy on Queen Mary. King James would sign the charters that permitted the English settlers to explore and colonize Jamestown.

K

King Edward

King Edward, son of King Henry & his third wife Jane Seymour and Elizabeth's stepbrother, preceded Elizabeth to the throne at age nine as the only male Tudor heir. King Henry protected Edward and treated him favorably, unlike his daughters. King Edward reigned for only six years and died at the age of 16 from tuberculosis and measles. Since Elizabeth and Edward grew up together in the same household, they were very close. Even though Edward the younger brother would precede her to the throne, she did not deny him her affection.

L

Latin

Latin was just one of the languages Queen Elizabeth studied and spoke. She was fluent in English, Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, and Greek. Sometimes she and her tutor Roger Ascham would speak to each other in Greek and Latin. Roger Ascham called her "the brightest star" of all the girls he taught. Elizabeth was also skilled at playing the virginal (an instrument similar to a piano), needlework, horseback riding, and dancing. Later in her life she became a talented hunter.

M

Mary Tudor

Mary Tudor nicknamed Bloody Mary was the child of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, and step sister to both Edward and Elizabeth. Once her mother's marriage was annulled, Mary Tudor lost many privileges and became referred to as an illegitimate child. When Queen Elizabeth was born, Mary Tudor, the eldest daughter was then denied her royal place at the table and place on transportation vehicles - boat and carriage. It wasn't until her step brother Edward's death that she became Queen. She was named Bloody Mary because during her reign as a staunch Catholic she was responsible for ordering the burning at the stake of hundreds of Protestants and Puritans. Her reign lasted for six years until Elizabeth ascended to the throne.

N

New World

During Elizabeth's reign and many years after, the New World was a source of raw materials, riches, land, and power. It was believed that there was a hidden trade route to China. Since Spain had already settled in Florida and France was exploring the regions of Canada, Queen Elizabeth was determined to colonize land in the New World as well. England's rocky shores limited farming space, and London as well as many other cities were polluted and crowded. Elizabeth hoped to find the fresh water, abundant trees, fertile soil, and gold that was running out in England. She also hoped to build her empire and create a stronger, more powerful army. This conquest led her to the shores of Virginia.

O

Orator

During Queen Elizabeth's reign, she made many great speeches and was a talented orator. Each one stated her love, loyalty, and trust for her people and for England. Unlike her predecessor, Queen Mary Tudor, she was much loved by her people, and constantly reminded them that their love was returned. Before a battle she told them that she would, "live or die with them". Her speeches roused the country against the Spanish Armada and made them believe that England was a powerful, loving nation that could accomplish anything. Among all political matters, Queen Elizabeth always found time to listen to her people and remind them of what a great nation England was and could become.

P

Protestant?

Queen Elizabeth was raised by Protestant servants, but later in life enjoyed Catholicism and its elaborate ceremonies. When she became Queen, the Protestants thought she would convert the country to their religion, but instead Elizabeth decided upon Catholicism - her Father's first religion. Religion was a big deal to all of the European countries. France's Civil Wars over religion helped distract the King of France from attacking England. For monarchs the Catholic Pope had the power to make and break their power and relation to the church. So it would be dangerous for a monarch to get on the wrong side of the Catholic Church.

Q

Queen

Queen Elizabeth was discredited in the eyes of her Father, many high Lords and powerful Englishmen because she was a woman. That was why King Edward, the youngest, inherited the throne before Mary, the eldest, and Elizabeth, the middle child. Queen Elizabeth was able to overcome the stereotype that women are less than men, by leading England through many battles and making many famous speeches. She made great economic choices that were recognized by her council and helped her become one of the most powerful and successful monarchs of Europe.

R

Roanoke & Raleigh

The first colony Queen Elizabeth tried to settle was Roanoke. She hired her trusted assistant, Sir Walter Raleigh, to lead the expedition. After setting up the settlement, Sir Walter Raleigh left the settlers well supplied. He came back three years later and all trace of the settlers had vanished. The only clues left were the word "Roanoke" carved on a tree and "Ro" carved on a fence board. This scary tale prevented settlement in the New World for many more years, because no volunteers wanted to explore where there had been mysterious disappearances.

S

Settlement

Queen Elizabeth sent out parties of investigators to Roanoke, but they only stayed a couple of days at this first English settlement. No one could find any more clues, and yet France and Spain were becoming ever more powerful. Queen Elizabeth realized a new plan for the settlement was going to have to be devised before France and Spain took up all of the "fresh" water, tall trees, and fertile ground. It took her a long time to receive the news of Roanoke's downfall; it was three months to get to the site, and three months back. Sir Walter Raleigh waited three years to go back and investigate, so it took those four years to realize something was terribly wrong. That meant four years less planning time for a new and future settlement, Jamestown.

T

Treason

Many councilors Queen Elizabeth thought she could trust were secretly planning to overthrow her and put the Catholic Queen Mary of Scotland on the throne. For example, the Earl of Essex tried to start a riot against Queen Elizabeth simply because he could not run the wine trade. He wanted to be Lord Protector, which meant he could control Elizabeth's decisions. Fortunately, the Londoners were more loyal to their Queen than to an Earl, and the Earl was sentenced to death for treason.
Elizabeth's cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, also tried to overthrow her. Luckily, Sir Walsingham caught wind of the plot and warned Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth had been housing Mary in various old castles because Mary's two countries-France and Scotland-would not take her back as their respective Queens. Elizabeth signed the death warrant, and then, when the deed was done, blamed it on her advisors and said she had not given consent.

U

Unification

Another one of Elizabeth's talents was unification. Her speeches unified the country as one. As Queen Elizabeth loosely constructed some religious boundaries. You could practice your own religion, but you had to do it quietly. This made the country feel more as one, not several groups classified by religion living closely together. Elizabeth made her speeches to the poor and the wealthy, signifying they all deserved England. Before Elizabeth's reign, Londoners and Englishmen went about their own business and believed only they were right. Elizabeth opened up new ideas of compromise and teamwork.

V

Virgin Queen & Vigor

Virginia is named in honor of the vigorous Virgin Queen. Queen Elizabeth never married because she didn't want all of her power to go to a King. She was married to England. This was a problem though; she needed an heir. While she did have affections for her childhood nursery friend Sir Robert Dudley, since he was already married and not of royal blood, they could never marry each other, but instead remained lifelong friends.
Elizabeth was an energetic Queen who once said, "...I have the heart and stomach of a King, and of a King of England, too..." Elizabeth enjoyed the power of decision making, though believed "...to wear a crown is more glorious to them that see it than it is a pleasure to them that bear it." This means that Elizabeth also felt a lot of pressure, since she was the one who ultimately made the decisions. While the people of her time only lived into their 40s and 50s, Elizabeth lived into to her late 70s, surviving small pox at a young age.

W

Wardrobe

The clothing Queen Elizabeth wore came from her prodigious wardrobe. She needed many ladies-in-waiting to help her dress, and it was often hard to support her glorious dresses. First, she put on the bodice, which was made of whalebones, wood, or steel, and fastened with ribbons that laced in the back. It was meant to make a woman's waist look smaller. Second, she put on the petticoats. They were worn underneath the dress to make the skirt look fuller. Elizabeth often had to wear a series of wooden hoops to hold up her gold and velvet dresses. Then came the gown. Elizabeth owned many elaborate gowns imported from all over Europe lined with glittering jewels. After that, lacy ruffs were placed at the Queen's neck and wrists. The sleeves were separate and had to be attached to the dress.

Z

Zealous

Queen Elizabeth never gave up; she had unending love and support for her beloved England. She was zealous in all aspects of her life and was said to out dance younger subjects in lively, enduring dances. Even her passion for dressing and practices of court went above and beyond what was expected. She insisted upon taking fast walks in the gardens and pacing her rooms until the day she died. When she was on her deathbed, she still held a heavy crossbow near her heart.



                             Shown                              here is the Spanish Armada sailing to battle England as the breath                              of Elizabeth's great speech blows them away.
                                                           A                              portrait of Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth's mother.
                                                           Elizabeth                              as Queen with her trusted council.
                                                                                         Shown                              here is Elizabeth's hand grabbing whatever money she can get,                              and Englishman protesting the taxes she had to raise.
                                                           The                              personal flag for Queen Elizabeth I hanging in the palace.
                                                           Elizabeth's                              engagements (represented by the ring) were her shields against                              many European countries, including the enemy France.
                                                           Good                              Queen Bess receiving flowers from a child- her kindness and faith                              in her subjects was rewarded by their love and gifts.
                                                           A                              replica of a famous portrait depicting King Henry with Elizabeth                              and Edward, clearly favoring Edward and not paying Elizabeth any                              mind.
                             

                             King                              James VI holding Elizabeth's crown and standing in Scotland, his                              home country.
                                                           Here                              is a ceremony proclaiming Edward King. Elizabeth is pledging her                              loyalty to her beloved brother.
                                                           Elizabeth                              studying her many books in all of the languages she knew. Latin is                              behind her, and French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, and English are                              in front of her.
                                                           Depicted                              here is a portrait of Mary Tudor, Elizabeth's half- sister and                              predecessor.
                                                           A                              map of the settlements in the New World two centuries after Queen                              Elizabeth's reign.                              
                                                           Queen                              Elizabeth inspiring her soldiers with one of her many great                              speeches, specifically the battle against the Spanish Armada in                              1588.
                                                           Elizabeth's                              statue with rounded jaw and hunched shoulders is displayed in St.                              Dunstan's Church.
                             

                             Even                              though Elizabeth is a woman, she is respected by all of her                              soldiers, subjects, and servants.
                                                           The                              lost colony of Roanoke with the carving of "Ro" and "Roanoke",                              a broken branch, and a small drop of blood on the fence.
                                                           An                              illustration of a scene out at a calm sea, a ship sailing to the                              New World.
                                                           A                              young traitor spies on the English government as Elizabeth peeks                              from behind a curtain.
                                                           A                              painting of England filled with the unified faces of many                              Englishmen and ladies.
                                                           This                              picture illustrates Queen Elizabeth I and several other couples                              dancing at a royal ball.
                                                           These                              are the many different layers and accessories for Queen                              Elizabeth's wardrobe.
                                                           Even                              on her deathbed Elizabeth still holds a heavy cross bow to her                              heart - always a fighter for her beloved England.
                                                           
                             

Bibliography

Eding, June. Who was Queen Elizabeth.
The Penguin Group, New York, N.Y, 2008.

Thomas, Jane Resh. Behind the Mask.
Clarion Books, New York, N.Y, 1998.

Stanley, Diane, and Peter Vennema. Good Queen Bess: The Story of Queen Elizabeth I.
HarperCollins, New York, N.Y, 2001.

Starkey, David. Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne. HarperCollins, New York, N.Y, 2001.

Website:

Elizabeth R. by Heather Thomas: www. elizabethi.org

Queen Elizabeth's Fictional love letters to a dear friend during important time periods in her life.
Dear Robert,
Every day I spend at the palace is a misery. Can thy imagine?! Every day filled with useless chatter from my maids, lectures from my father, and waiting for my tutor. He has fallen ill, and I pray he shall be all right. He is my only hope for a decent life here. Instead of sitting on the back of a horse working on posture or threading a needle, I can become learned in many languages. I had just started to write French when he fell ill. It was lovely to have him explain arithmetic to me in Greek. He always said: "To put thou learning into practice is the greatest learning of all." I agree! Dost thou?
I hope thou feel well, too. I couldn't bear to lose both lights of my life, and all at once too.
My fondest wishes,
Elizabeth
Well, it certainly seems Elizabeth is grieving for her ill teacher! A tutor is a teacher, and arithmetic is math in other words. Back then, people used fancier words the richer they were to signify their supposed intelligence and importance. Also, they wouldn't have used contractions, though I put them here to make it more relatable and comprehendible.
Dear Robert,
Things have been busy here. It seems even the humming bees are truly quiet compared to our clatter. Matters of warfare with France are being discussed by the men in the courtroom. To think, only a fortnight ago I was learning how to speak that native language! Here, I have still been dutifully dipping my needle in and out of cloth, since it has been too rainy to ride lately. If we have rain so much, why do we act as if it is unacceptable to go out in it?
I seem to grow more like the court's perfect model every day. Needlework, curtsying, and choir. I just can't get more ladylike! I do enjoy the virginal. As it is like the grand piano, I find it easy to play. I only wish they wouldn't make me practice for so long, as my fingers ache from the playing all day!
Dost thou fare well? I hope thee art enjoying thyself at thy fair. Thy seem to mock my use of these words, but I cannot rid myself of the habit.
To your Luck,
Elizabeth.
The virginal was an instrument like the piano. In fact, you might even say it was the earlier version of the organ. The reason why Elizabeth isn't doing much but "Ladylike" things is because at that time women were simply figurines, maids, and connections to rich families (by marriage.)
Dearest Robert,
Now my closest maid has taken ill. The castle is draped in black and everyone scurries about silently, whispering and avoiding the sickly ones. It's become a sort of prison here, what with the rain drumming outside. I don't mind it, but especially during this epidemic, none of the royal family is to venture outside. My tutor seems to grow worse every day. I pray at the Christian chapel, but little does my father know, I pray to the Protestant God in Protestant Ways! And all for my Protestant tutor, who little gains consciousness, as I have heard.
Didst thou ship make it to thy dock? Thee worry me every day. The New World is a dangerous place for thee. I fear our letters shall be farther apart the closer thy ship gets to thy destination. I wish thee well!
And now of my studies. They lack. I haven't done much but wash, eat, sleep, and read by candlelight. Then of course, I write to thee. Besides that, I haven't even sewed. "When shall I study again?" I asked Mistress Tiana of Archery, and she simply shakes her head. "Not soon, my lady." The same answer every time.
But thee hast hopefully made it to thy dock!
My best Wishes,
Elizabeth.
So it looks like Elizabeth's pretend lover is on an adventure! Here she also describes her religion, Protestant, which later changed to Catholic.
Dear Robert,
Dost thee fare well? I am starting to feel feverish, and not because of ill, or at least I wish not. This castle is half ghost town, half beehive, and I can't decide where I'd rather be! The beehive is socially adequate, for I like to see people and talk to them with joy over the recovered. The beehive half is where my freshly healthful tutor chatters away in Roman to me. The ghost town half is certainly quieter. There is many a place to lay down or read a book, and yet here there is sorrow. This half is full of family members who lost a dear one to the outbreak. At least in this half my father is resting, and not shouting. His leg is swollen again, and mother tends it gently, lest she tug too hardly.
I have not much else to write. I have continued my practice with bow and arrow, written French, and multiplied algebraic fractions. Every day, I take Wheezer out for a ride. He's the fine horse of a recently deceased Lord, named Wheezer for his owner's sickliness. I feel guilty riding him, but he also brings me quiet joy. He always seems to know where the serenest places are, ours for the using.
Pray take care. I haven't heard from thee in a while, and yet thee must have made it to thy dock by now!
With Worried Prayers,
Elizabeth
And now a letter from our silent lover.
Dear Elizabeth,
I write quickly now. The Indians are on our trail, and we have little ink, pens, or paper to write with. I'd just like to let you know it's been busy over here too. I love you, Elizabeth. I am sorry to say this may be my grave. I miss you, Lizzy. You are my heart and soul, and I-

Oh no! It looks like something happened to Robert before he finished the letter! He certainly seems in love with "Lizzy". Poor Lizzy! Now let's hear more from "Lizzy"!
Thy sea glimmers
Thy light shimmers
Oh almighty
Plead my thanks
Thee art my only occupation
Of heart and mind
And if thy temple
Be this or that
I shall pray
To thy holiness!

Dear Father,
My tutor wishes more books, and my garb runs low. Pray send this soon, for thine filled storage must be enough for me! I hope thee art well.
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I
Your Father hath not enough for large feasting. Hope this is enough for you.
Head Butler