A Woman Ahead of Her Time (pt 1)
One figure who is still remembered and respected today for her strong leadership is Queen Elizabeth l of England. Let me give a little background. Queen Elizabeth was also known as the “Virgin Queen’ because she refused to marry. This may not sound like such a big deal, but in her day (1533–1603), her decision shook England and the rest of Europe. It was inconceivable that a female- and a young female at that- could possibly have the ability or strength to lead a nation. However, Queen Elizabeth 1 went on to become one of the greatest monarchs in Britain’s long and illustrious history.
Despite being born a princess, Queen Elizabeth’s early childhood was filled with tragedy and loneliness. Elizabeth’s father, King Henry VIII, divorced his first wife Catherine of Aragon because she was unable to give him a son, only a daughter, Mary. By marrying Anne Boleyn, King Henry hoped to secure an heir to the English throne. The divorce, however, came at a great price. As Henry could not get the Pope to agree to the divorce, he decided that England would leave the Roman Catholic Church altogether. This move would prove to have a great impact on England and set the stage for much turmoil after Henry’s death. But more on that later.
Unfortunately, after she gave birth to Elizabeth, Anne had difficulty conceiving and suffered from many miscarriages. The only son she gave birth to was born stillborn. When Elizabeth was two, Henry had Anne Boleyn executed for treason, adultery, and incest. Henry also promptly had Elizabeth stripped of her title of princess and claimed her to be a bastard. Banished from the court and her father’s royal presence, she spent her early years unloved and forgotten.
Being a daughter of a King had some perks, however, and she was able to receive a truly remarkable education in all subjects. In fact, it is safe to say that Queen Elizabeth I was the most educated woman of her time. In addition to the skills that she would have been taught as a high-born lady (music, art, and embroidery just to name a few), Elizabeth was well versed in all subjects like math, science, philosophy, theology, history, and literature. Of course, she was also taught Latin, ancient Greek as well as modern languages like French, Spanish and Italian. At the end of her studies, Queen Elizabeth I was able to speak 6 languages. I really admire her for her tenacity, and being able to survive while being alone, unloved, and forgotten for most of her early years. Maybe that was preferable to being at the mercy of her father’s fickle whims and tempers, or the gossip and viciousness of court. In the end, her early years tempered her to be strong, smart and resilient.
