On 17 November 1558 Elizabeth I became Queen of England

On 17 November 1558, at the age of 25, Elizabeth I became
Queen of England. 

During a speech she declared her intentions:

"My lords, the law of nature moves me to sorrow for my sister, the burden 
that is fallen upon me makes me amazed and yet, considering 
I am God's creature, ordained to obey His appointment, 
I will thereto yield, desiring from the bottom of my heart that I may 
have assistance of His grace to be the minister of 
His heavenly will in this office now committed to me. 
And as I am but one body naturally considered through 
by his permission a body politic to govern, so shall I desire you all... to be 
assistant to me that I with my ruling and you with your service may make 
a good account to the Almighty God and leave some comfort to our 
posterity on earth. I mean to direct all my actions by good advice 
and counsel."

As her triumphal progress wound through the city on the eve of the
coronation ceremony, she was welcomed wholeheartedly by the citizens
and greeted by orations and pageants, most with a strong
Protestant flavour.

Elisabeth's open and gracious responses endeared her to the
spectators, who were wonderfully ravished.

On 15 January 1559, Elizabeth was crowned by the Catholic bishop of 
Carlisle in Westminster Abbey. 

Early life

Elizabeth I was born on 7 September 1533 at Greenwich Palace and was
named after her grandmothers, Elizabeth of York and Elizabeth Howard.

She was a daughter of King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn.

At birth Elizabeth was heir presumptive to the throne of England, her
half-sister Mary, had lost her rights when Henry annulled his marriage
to Mary's mother Catherine of Aragon. 

Elizabeth was baptised on 10 September 1533. Her godparents were
Thomas Cramner, the Marquess of Exeter;

The Duchess of Norfolk;

The Dowager Marchioness of Dorset. 

On 19 May 1536, Anne Boleyn was beheaded. Elizabeth was just
two years and eight months old when her mother died. Elizabeth was
declared illegitimate and deprived of her place in the royal succession. 

Eleven days after Anne Boleyn's execution Henry married Jane Seymour,

who died shortly after the birth of their son Edward in 1537. Edward was
now the undisputed heir apparent to the throne. 

Henry VIII died in 1547 and Elizabeth's half-brother Edward VI became
King at the age of nine. Edward died on 6 July 1553.

Mary I the oldest daughter of King Henry VIII of England became queen.

She married King Philip of Spain.  However from May 1558, Mary was
ill and weak and she died on 17 November 1558 at St. James's Palace due
to influenza. 

The same day, Mary I was succeeded by her half-sister Queen Elizabeth I. 

 

In some of my later blog posts I 'll tell more about the life of
Queen Elizabeth I.

Source pictures: Wikipedia