Arguably the most able monarch in English history, at one time Elizabeth Tudor found herself a distant third in line to the crown behind her ten-year old half-brother and vindictive Catholic half-sister. Because King Henry VIII had desperately wanted a son and disparaged the existence of his two daughters, both girls were ostracized once their half brother Edward was born ("Elizabeth I." Historic World Leaders). These circumstances and other events in her early life greatly influenced Elizabeth’s judgment and led to the implementation of controversial policies and methods as she dealt with foreign powers and her subjects throughout her reign.
Elizabeth’s early life shaped her personal views on politics and the general public. Elizabeth’s father, King Henry VIII, had a pronounced influence on her early life in particular. Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn, was imprisoned and beheaded by Henry and charged with high treason, for plotting to kill him and sleeping with four of the his servants and her brother. Henry also spread rumors of Anne using witchcraft to force marriage and affairs with over 100 men. For this reason, “Elizabeth is known to have talked about her mother only twice[, and]” when she did, it was in private (Adams 14; “Elizabeth I 1533–1603 English Queen."; Sapet 20-21; Thomas 22-23, 25). But, in …show more content…
The many influential experiences of her past built the foundation for her reign as queen. Her hardships and difficult decisions followed her into her reign as she dealt with men and the subject of marriage. She used this, along with piracy and espionage, to her advantage in her relations with other nations. In the end, most of her people held her in the highest regard as “the Virgin Queen” ("Elizabeth I." Historic World Leaders). The true test of fate as was shown in the case of Queen Elizabeth I is not how big of an impact you make, but how you make