Queen Elizabeth Regina Gloriana

Elizabeth was born of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, on September 7, 1533. Her early life was troubled as Henry went through his various wives, eventually having a son, Edward, who would become king after him. Edward’s reign was short and her older sister, Mary, became queen, restoring England to the Catholic faith. Elizabeth was even locked away under suspicion of involvement in a Protestant plot.

Mary died in 1558 and Elizabeth assumed the throne. She guided England through a glorious renaissance and elevated its station in the world. Her defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 helped usher in a future era of British dominance of the oceans. Her wise—and at times boisterous—rule has few rivals in English or any other nation’s history. To this day, Elizabeth the Great is remembered as England’s finest monarch. She died in 1603, having reigned 45 years.

“And though you have had and may have many mightier and wiser Princes sitting in this Seat, yet you never had nor shall have any that will love you better.”

—Queen Elizabeth I, 1601