Elizabeth I (AW52)

Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was the unwanted daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn, both of whom were desperate for a son and heir.
She survived a precarious and perilous childhood and young adulthood and outlived her half-siblings to eventually be crowned Queen of England, aged 25.
A clever, wily and highly educated woman, she presided over a glittering court and a remarkable era of prosperity, peace and expansion for the kingdom. The Virgin Queen was an enthusiastic lover of the arts, and under her rule an illustrious group of poets, playwrights, musicians and artists produced enduring works of genius.