Imagine you are a king or queen. What do you envision? Do you see yourself sitting on a throne in a gorgeous palace wearing a thick, ermine robe and big, jeweled crown? Or possibly you think of a beautiful gold carriage drawn through the streets by stomping black steeds, a sea of people waving and yelling happily as you pass by. Or maybe you think of dancing in a fancy ballroom with chandeliers, mirrors, and musicians. Well, all of that is certainly true for many modern royals. But many centuries ago, being a king or queen wasn’t an easy job. Yes, they had jewels and palaces – but they were also surrounded by enemies, treachery, and lies. A famous quote from history states, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Meaning, if you were a king or queen, you did not rest easily; you had to make difficult decisions and face scary situations. In those days, life wasn’t all about parties and ponies, palaces and parades like royal life today. Often, it involved family members plotting against you to kick you off the throne – or even kill you! Sometimes it involved kidnapping and locking you away in a dungeon. To be a successful ruler in olden times, you needed intelligence, cunning, loyal advisors, and trustworthy friends. You needed a will of iron, boundless courage, and the strength of a warrior. You needed to be seen as a fierce fighter as well as a compassionate leader. You needed to protect your country from invasion by neighboring kingdoms and make tough laws to keep the peace.
That is why, through the centuries, most rulers were men – men who charged into battle on a thundering war horse wearing thick armor and carrying heavy swords. They kept their crowns many times by facing their foes on the field of battle.
One such king was King Henry VIII of England. He became king in 1509 at the age of 17. He was a big, powerful man standing over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a fighting spirit. He was a fierce competitor in battle against the French, Scots, Irish, and even enemies within his own realm. He ruled England for 38 years and had six wives, but the one thing he didn’t have was a slew of sons to inherit the throne. At that time in history, the crown was generally passed down to the males in the royal family. But King Henry VIII had two daughters, Princesses Mary and Elizabeth, and only one son, Prince Edward, who was sickly and weak.
Both Mary and Elizabeth had an unhappy childhood due to the whims of their father. King Henry divorced Mary’s mother, Queen Catherine, because she could not produce a son. He sent her into exile and she eventually died alone and abandoned by the king and court.
King Henry did something worse to his next wife, Queen Anne Boleyn. He tired of her manipulations and inability to birth a son. He ordered her executed based on false accusations concocted by her enemies at court. Their daughter, Princess Elizabeth, was just 2 years old when she lost her mother. King Henry then declared that Elizabeth was “illegitimate” – not a true royal princess or heir – and sent her away to live in the country. Elizabeth quickly learned that life can change in an instant: one minute she was a princess and the next she was abandoned by her father and kicked out of the line of succession, meaning she would never sit on the throne. She determined that she must study and learn all she could to survive in this world. She practiced many languages, including French, Latin, Italian, Flemish, Welsh, Cornish, Scottish, Irish, German, Spanish, and Greek. She studied people and their personalities, learning valuable skills about diplomacy and public relations. She cultivated her charm, poise, cunning, and intelligence.
When she was 10, her father changed his mind about Elizabeth and restored her princess title and her succession to the throne behind Edward and Mary. He died four years later and Elizabeth, then 14, was sent to live with his last wife, Catherine Parr, and her new husband. Unfortunately, Catherine’s husband was a scoundrel and used to tickle, tease, and corner Elizabeth when she was alone or asleep. Elizabeth tried to dress very early in the morning, or have her servants around her at all times, so that her stepfather would not try something tricky, like marry her in secret, in the hopes of becoming king if Elizabeth ever became queen.
King Henry’s son, Edward, was now king at only nine years old. But Edward was very sickly and died when he was 15 from tuberculosis. Before he died, Edward, a Protestant, drafted a will to make his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, also a Protestant, the next ruler instead of his older sister, Mary, who was a Catholic.
Lady Jane Grey was then proclaimed queen against her wishes and thrust on the throne based on Edward’s will, plus the manipulations of powerful men in her family and at court. She knew in her heart that Edward’s oldest sister, Mary, should be the rightful queen. And Mary thought so, too! Mary quickly gathered troops and rode to London, throwing Jane off the throne and locking her in the Tower of London. Jane Grey lost her life at only 16 years old on Mary’s orders due to her nine days on a throne she never wanted. As you can see, kings and queens in those days did not sit easily on a throne. Anything could happen to throw them off of it – angry enemies, untrustworthy family members, manipulative counselors, or faithless friends.
Mary then took the throne and became Mary I. She was a very strict queen and had many people burned at the stake for their religious beliefs, thus gaining the nickname “Bloody Mary.” She was an ardent Catholic and wanted everyone to practice that religion, but she knew that many in her kingdom were Protestant, including her younger sister Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, now 19, possessed a charming personality and keen intelligence. Mary grew very jealous of Elizabeth and thought Elizabeth was plotting to overthrow her and take her crown. Mary ordered that Elizabeth be taken captive and rowed by boat in the pouring rain to the Tower of London and imprisoned. Elizabeth passed under “Traitor’s Gate” proclaiming her innocence. She was held in the Tower for two months before she was released and sent to a country home, where she was held under house arrest.
Queen Mary I only ruled for five years before dying of stomach cancer at the age of 42. At the time, she was married to Prince Philip of Spain, but they had no children.
Thus, on January 15, 1559, Princess Elizabeth, age 25, was crowned Queen Elizabeth I in Westminster Abbey. She arrived at the Abbey a young beauty in an elaborate gold gown, shimmering jewels, ornate crown, and fur-lined robe. No one thought that the little, red-headed toddler, the only child of King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn, a traitor’s daughter, would one day be queen. Through her intelligence, iron will, and perseverance, Elizabeth survived a tyrannical father, the execution of her mother, abandonment by her family, imprisonment and false accusations by her half-sister, and a sly stepfather, to survive and thrive. She became the ruler of a powerful nation as a single woman in her own right. She never married nor had children. She ruled for 44 years, much longer than her siblings, or even her all-powerful father. She survived several assassination attempts, foiled the Spanish Armada, and thwarted various plots to overthrow her. One of these plots was allegedly masterminded by her own cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. Her reign was called the “Elizabethan Era” and saw literary achievements by William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlow, plus successful sea exploits by Sirs Walter Raleigh and Francis Drake. She was called “The Virgin Queen,” “Glorianna,” and “Good Queen Bess.”
In honor of this historic queen and her coronation in January, consider visiting your local library to find a book about her life and reign, or listen to our prior episode, “History of the Spanish Armada and Queen Elizabeth.” This young princess-turned-queen lived in a world of men and rose to the highest position of power and prestige during a ruthless time in history. She knew that if she married, her husband would assume control over her and her country; therefore, she never married and kept her power. Throughout her life, she had few people she could trust. Everyone around her, including her own family members, courtiers, counselors, and other rulers, plotted against her for power, position, or property. Being a queen during that time was one of the loneliest jobs in the world. And with no children, she had no one to love or mentor as the next monarch.
Today, British monarchs no longer make laws or act as the sole ruler of the United Kingdom. They are considered a “figure head” – or symbol – of their nation, while their parliament rules the kingdom and makes the laws. Kings and queens today approve bills, appoint Prime Ministers, and open Parliament every season. They no longer make laws, start a war, or order their enemies imprisoned or executed. Instead, they tour the country speaking with their countrymen, listening to their concerns and shining a spotlight on organizations and causes. They conduct outreach to other nations to foster peace and goodwill. Their life is much different in many respects than the kings and queens of the past. Today, a monarch’s power rests not in their swords but in their statesmanship. They work for the betterment of their people and promote their interests. In many respects, the weight of the crown today is much lighter and the risks much fewer.
What do you think of Queen Elizabeth I and her rocky road to the throne? Would you have liked to live as a king or queen during that time in history? Does her story change your opinion of royalty? If so, how? Do you live in a country with a king or queen? If so, where?