Events

 

In my opinion the four most important events in Queen Elizabeth I's life are: 

 

1. The various religious and political rebellions against her sister, Queen Mary I, in 1554

2.  Her coronation as Queen of England in 1559 

3. The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth's cousin in 1587 

4. The Spanish Armada defeat by the English fleet 1558

 

1. Tudor Rebllions

These rebellions were mainly of economic and religious origin and extermely disruptive. The "Wyatt's Rebellion" for example, it was the most popular uprising in England in 1554. The eponymous Thomas Wyatt was one of the leaders of the rebellion. The cause of this uprise was the concern over Queen Mary I's determination to marry King Phillip II of Spain as he was Catholic. This rebellion instigated Queen Mary's loss of the throne which was also a significant reason in Elizabeth I's ascension to the throne of England. 

 

 

2. Coronation as Queen of England

Elizabeth was crowned Queen of England on January 15th, 1559 at the age of twenty-five. 

 

3. Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots

On July 24th 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate the Scotish throne in favour of James, her one-year-old son. She attempted to regain the throne but was unsuccessful and fled southwards finding the protection of her first cousin once removed, Queen Elizabeth I of England. Mary had previously claimed Elizabeth's throne as her own and was considered the legitimate sovereign of England by many English Catholics. This also included participants in a rebellion known as the Rising of the North. After being in custody for eighteen and a half years, Mary Queen of Scots was found guilty of

plotting to assassinate Elizabeth, and was subsequently executed on February 8th, 1587.

 

 

4. Defeat of the Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada was a battle between the Spanish fleet having 130 ships that sailed from Spain in August 1588 and the English fleet. The purpose of this battle was because the Spanish were escorting an army from Flanders, present day Belgium, to invade England. The main aim was to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I of England and the Tudor establishment of Protestantism in England, with the expectation that this would put a stop to English interference in the Spanish Netherlands and to the harm caused to Spanish interests by English and Dutch pirates. In the end the Spanish fleet was soundly defeated by the English as they used a very clever tactic of sending minature ships set on fire into the midst of the Spanish fleet. Of the initial 130 ships over a third failed to return to Spain.