A Woman Ahead of Her Time (pt 3)
In my last post, Queen Mary had died and the young Elizabeth, as the sole surviving heir, is crowned Queen of England. As to be expected, Elizabeth quickly re-established the Anglican Church. However, there was one huge difference between Elizabeth and Mary. Instead of threatening her subjects if they refused to convert, she announces to the English public that their faith was a personal relationship between themselves and God, and as long as it did not interfere or jeopardize with her rule or the governing of England, she would not interfere or seek retribution. This set the tone for Elizabeth’s reign as Queen. Her moderate views on religion helped to stabilize England, which had suffered religious persecution under Edward (Protestant) and Mary (Catholic). Whereas matters of the State are now completely separated from the Church, in Elizabethan England, the two were intimately and irrevocably joined. Though some religious upheaval and religious-political intrigues were unavoidable (especially threats from ultra-conservative Catholics who sought to remove Elizabeth from the throne), Elizabeth didn’t allow it to dominate her decisions as a monarch, or to punish those who dared have a different set of beliefs.
Due to tragedy and circumstances beyond her control, and despite all of her father’s efforts, Elizabeth ultimately came to sit on the throne, as England’s Queen. She took over at a particularly difficult time when the country was in turmoil religiously and politically. The deftness she used to resolve the problem and restore peace to England is admirable. Especially because it comes from such a young Queen who was not raised in court, and with no prior experience in politics or dealing with the powers who moved and shaped England. In a daunting male world, despite resistance and scorn (no matter how well masked), Elizabeth managed to do what the Kings and Queens before her could not, and set England on the road to prosperity and growth, that would be known as the ‘Golden Age’ of England.
