Elizabeth's England

Elizabeth's England banner Win hearts, and you have all men's hands and purses.
William Cecil (1520–98)

[Bypass ]

'The Queen is dead, long live the Queen'
Elizabeth Tudor came to the throne at the death of her half-sister, Mary I, on 17 November 1558. Although the succession was smooth compared to those in the past, as Mary had reluctantly acknowledged Elizabeth as Henry's next heir, 'The Queen is dead, long live the Queen', must have been said with some trepidation by all sectors of society. A nervous government, church and people must have been wondering what kind of ruler this young, single woman would be? Click on the headline to read more...

Elizabeth's coronation
Mary I was buried on 14 December 1558 after a deliberately long delay, which allowed Elizabeth to ease herself into her new role. 15 January 1559 was chosen as the date for Elizabeth' s coronation and the festivities kicked off on the 14th with a coronation procession through London. Click on the headline to read more...

Restoring the English currency
When Elizabeth came to power, she inherited one of the most debased coinages in history. Since the coins were issued by the Crown, debased coinage not only impaired international trade relations but also undermined confidence in the monarchy. It was essential to restore the integrity of the coinage in order to restore the credibility of the Crown and to facilitate trade. Click on the headline to read more...

The religious settlement: the middle way
Upon her accession in 1558, Elizabeth inherited a nation that had suffered religious flux between Protestantism and Catholicism for many years. Elizabeth wished to create a new moderate religious settlement derived from Henry VIII's break from Rome. Click on the headline to read more...

Utility Links

Homepage Links

Elizabeth's England

Utility Links