10 facts about queen elizabeth 1

Top 10 facts

1. Elizabeth was born on 7 September 1533. Her mother was Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife. 
2. Elizabeth had a half-sister, Mary, and a half-brother, Edward. Both ruled England before she became queen.
3. Elizabeth I was the last Tudor monarch – she never married.
4. Elizabeth I is famous for having red hair, like her father Henry VIII.
5. During Elizabeth I's reign lots of English explorers searched for new lands and treasures. The explorer Sir Francis Drake  was knighted by Elizabeth for services to his country.
6. The time when Elizabeth I was Queen is known as England’s Golden Age.
7. In 1588 the King of Spain, Philip I, sent a fleet of ships called the Arma
   •

   Elizabeth became Queen in 1952, aged 25, after the death of her father, King George VI.

   During the last 70 years the Queen has devoted herself to her role as Head of State - taking part in national ceremonies; working with her Prime Ministers and governments; travelling around the globe meeting other world leaders.

   In that time she’s also been a mother, and become a grandmother, and a great grandmother.

   And our country has changed a lot in that time, too.

   Elizabeth was crowned Queen during the Coronation of 1953. And people all around the country were able to join in and watch it because of a recent invention: the television. In most streets, only one or two families had one, so everyone else crowded in to try and get a glimpse.

   It was a special day full of excitement - but everyday life in 1953 could be very different.

   Many families lived in crowded housing with poor facilities. And childhood didn’t last as long. Most children left school to start work when they were just 14 or 15. Many of the jobs available were in heavy industry, so the work was often hard, dirty, and exh

   •

   Almost 500 years ago, a princess called Elizabeth became Queen of England.

   People were worried. It was unusual to be ruled by a woman, because at the time, they were seen as weak and not as clever as men.

   But Elizabeth proved them wrong!

   She was strong, loved by many, and some say, became one of England's greatest ever rulers.

   Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII. She didn't expect to be Queen. She was third in line to the throne. Both her brother and sister died without having children so Elizabeth became Queen.

   To show people she could rule the country well, she had portraits painted of her as strong, mighty and rich, just as a queen should be.

   But Elizabeth had enemies like King Philip of Spain.

   In 1588, he sent the Spanish Armada, a fleet of more than 100 ships, to invade England. Elizabeth stayed strong. She told her soldiers and sailors: "I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too." Her ships attacked and the weather helped blow the Armada away from Englan