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Elizabeth I: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As The Virgin Queen • Good Queen Bess
Born September 7, 1533 • Greenwich • England
Died March 24, 1603 (aged 69) • England
House / Dynasty House of Tudor
Notable Family Members father Henry VIII • mother Anne Boleyn
Role In Battle of Cadiz

Did You Know?

  • Elizabeth 1 wore her coronation ring on her wedding finger as a sign of her symbolic marriage to her country and subjects.
  • Elizabeth survived a bout of smallpox, which killed many in England at the time. She carried the scars the rest of her life.
  • Elizabeth may have died from blood poisoning caused by the toxins in the heavy makeup she wore.
  • Elizabeth I enjoyed hunting, dancing, and horseback riding well into her 60s.

Photos and Videos

Elizabeth I
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I wearing an ornate jeweled gown, lace ruff, pearl necklace, and crown, set against a dark background.
Oil painting by Robert Peake the Elder showing Queen Elizabeth I carried under a canopy in a grand procession, surrounded by courtiers and attendants in elaborate dress.
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I in elaborate, jeweled clothing with a large lace collar, holding a rainbow, known as the Rainbow Portrait, Hatfield House, circa 1600-1602.
Painting of Queen Elizabeth I in an ornate gown knighting Sir Francis Drake with a sword as he kneels on a red carpet aboard the Golden Hind, surrounded by onlookers and ships.
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I wearing a richly embroidered gown with puffed sleeves, pearl jewelry, and a lace ruff, holding a fan, against a dark background.
Queen Elizabeth of England
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I in elaborate, jeweled clothing with a large lace collar, holding a rainbow, known as the Rainbow Portrait, Hatfield House, circa 1600-1602.
Mary I
Elizabeth I
How did Elizabeth I become queen?
Why did Henry VIII form the Church of England?
Explore the great men from Elizabeth I's reign such as Francis Bacon, Walter Raleigh, and William Shakespeare
The video thumbnail image shows a collage of Queen Elizabeth I holding up a gingerbread man, surrounded by ginger cake, a gingerbread pig, gingerbread house, and heart-shaped gingerbread cookies.
The famous rivalry between Queen Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots as portrayed by two actresses
See All Videos and Images →

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