Today I want to find out what happened during Elizabeth I's first days as Queen. After years of imprisonment and constant danger, she suddenly found herself ruling England at only twenty-five years old.
Elizabeth learned that Queen Mary I had died on the 17th of November 1558 while she was at Hatfield House.
Although Elizabeth appeared calm and confident in public, it is quite possible that she felt nervous. She had spent much of her life watching people around her fall from power. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, had been executed when Elizabeth was only two years old. She had seen queens imprisoned, nobles executed and religious beliefs change with each new monarch. She knew better than almost anyone that wearing the Crown did not guarantee her safety.
Rather than rushing into massive dramatic changes, Elizabeth was careful. One of her first decisions was to keep the government functioning by confirming that most of Queen Mary's officials could remain in their posts temporarily. This avoided any panic and showed that England would continue to be governed in an orderly way while she chose the people she really trusted.
Within weeks she started appointing her own advisers. Her most important choice was William Cecil as her Principal Secretary. Cecil became one of her closest and most trusted advisers for decades. She also appointed trusted nobles and experienced administrators to the Privy Council, deliberately making it smaller than it had been under Mary. Elizabeth wanted loyal, capable advisers, but she made it clear that any final decisions would always be made by her.
Elizabeth also chose to make London the centre of her government. She still continued to visit other royal palaces around the country, but she established her principal court at the Palace of Whitehall, where she could oversee government, meet ambassadors and remain close to Parliament. Its central location next to the River Thames and close to Parliament made it an ideal base.
Elizabeth was faced with several urgent challenges during her first few months on the throne. She ordered a review of the finances, because she had inherited a country that was burdened by debt after years of war and heavy spending. Religion also needed to be handled carefully. Rather than introducing any immediate changes, Elizabeth took a cautious approach. She allowed time for Parliament to establish a religious settlement and made only small changes to church services. Ambassadors from across Europe also pressed the question of her marriage, hoping she would strengthen political alliances by choosing a husband. Elizabeth listened to the proposals but she refused to be rushed, she was determined that such an important decision would remain entirely her own. Meanwhile, preparations began for her coronation on the 15th of January 1559. The ceremony and the grand procession through London were carefully organised, and Elizabeth’s warmth towards the cheering crowds helped to create a strong bond with her people from the very beginning of her reign.
Many powerful men expected that, because she was a young unmarried woman, they would be able to influence or even control her. Foreign rulers hoped that she would marry one of their relatives, some English nobles believed that a husband should govern in her place. Elizabeth quickly proved them wrong. She listened carefully to advice but rarely allowed anyone to dictate her decisions. She understood that being underestimated was sometimes one of her greatest strengths.
Being a woman and a monarch presented her with unique challenges in the sixteenth century. Many people believed that women were naturally unsuited to rule. But she famously declared that although she was a woman, she had both the heart and courage needed to rule her country.
The reaction across much of England was positive. After years of religious conflict and uncertainty, many people hoped that the young Queen would bring greater stability. Large crowds welcomed her as she travelled towards London for her coronation, and many believed that a new chapter was starting.
It is impossible to know exactly how much Anne Boleyn influenced Elizabeth's decisions, as Anne died when Elizabeth was very young. But, Elizabeth never forgot who her mother was. Anne had been intelligent, highly educated and politically aware, and Elizabeth inherited many of those same qualities. She knew how quickly her mother's fortunes changed, so Elizabeth may also have learned an important lesson. She trusted carefully, thought before acting, and never allow others to control her.
Elizabeth's first days as Queen were remarkable. It showed many of the qualities that defined her forty-four-year reign. She remained cautious but decisive, she was willing to listen but she was determined to rule in her own way. Those first decisions laid the foundations for one of the most famous reigns in English history.
Do you think that Elizabeth's difficult childhood helped her to make her one of England's greatest monarchs?
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