TALES OF WOMANWOOD-- Queen Elizabeth l.

image via im.ft-static.com

Women in every societies in the world always play second fiddle to men. A woman in England for instance can only become the Queen in the absence of a male child. However, history have pointed out convincingly women who performed greatly in leadership positions in the face of insurmountable odds. I will be examining Queen Elizabeth l of England. She was the second Queen of England after her half-sister Queen Mary died on the throne. Elizabeth's mother Ann Boleyn's marriage was marred with conspiracy as she (Boleyn) was arranged for the then King Henry Vlll who was desperate to have a male child, Thomas Cromwell king's foreign minister was believed to have made the marriage arrangement and he was related to Boleyn. Cromwell lost his head to the pike as a consequence of this. All of these would not stop Elizabeth from becoming one of the most celebrated monarch in British history.

Elizabeth, the last of the Tudor dynasty was born at Greenwich on 7 September 1533. Her early life was full of controversies. Edward her half-brother was born in 1537 which put her third in succession line after her half-sister Princess Mary daughter of Catherine of Aragon. Elizabeth escaped execution narrowly as the rebellion against her half-sister Queen Mary failed in 1554. Queen Mary had made many enemies in the wake of returning England to Catholicism, so many English citizens to matter how unimportant could not escape Queen Mary's savagery which earned her 'blood Mary'.

In November 1558, Queen Mary died unexpectedly, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne of England as the only remaining child of the Tudor blood line. She was well-educated, fluent in six different languages, and had inherited intelligence, determination and shrewdness from both parents. She lived her childhood life always watchful and suspicious, this made her a very serious minded Queen. Elizabeth settled the religious question with a compromise between catholic and protestant as enshrined in 39 Articles of 1563 which made England avoid religious war such as the one in France at the time between Huguenots and Catholics triggered by the St. Bartholomew massacre.

Elizabeth faced challenges from Spain Phillip ll whose father Charles Vl had abdicated. Phillip ll had married Mary Tudor his cousin, when she died he became a claimant to the throne of England. The Spanish king flirt with Mary Stuart Scottish Queen to conspire and assassinate Elizabeth. How Elizabeth handled the matter was tactical as she secretly sponsor rebellion in Scotland to make it hot for Mary Stuart and smoke her out, Elizabeth knew Mary Stuart next port of call would be England. Mary foolishly took the bait thinking it was an opportunity to kill Elizabeth in her own soil. Mary Stuart planned Barberton conspiracy was exposed and was executed.

A funny episode in Elizabethan era feature Earl of Worchester last gasp effort to woo Elizabeth host a party where 56,000 gallon of wine was drunk, to the Earl utmost dismay Elizabeth turned him down. Earl did not only lose the Queen he also became bankrupt. At another episode, Phillip ll declared war on England in an effort to claim English throne and return it to Catholicism. An Armada of 130 ships set sail from Spanish harbors to England but was blown away by a typhoon as British navy capitalize on this and scored a great victory. Spain was displaced as a naval power as Elizabethan England assume global maritime supremacy. Elizabeth's era also saw many brave seamen achieve successes in voyages including Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh and Humphrey Gilbert not only in America but around the world. Virginia, a state in US got its name from the virgin Queen who never marry nor give birth. Art also flourished illustrated with exploit of Williams Shakespeare.

Although autocratic and capricious, Propagative of every monarch with the then popular 'divine right', Elizabeth was different with the way he addressed parliament, encourage the British navy and their dark hour and her effort to use her beauty to negotiate good position for her beloved England. She is a joy for every woman to emulate her patience, tolerance and endurance in the face of adversaries and insurmountable odds. Elizabeth's monument mightier than Pharaoh Khufu's pyramid at Giza that is the gift from the country she led to the captaincy of the world. This I'd for every WOMAN to emulate.