Elizabeth I (reigned 1558–1603)

Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. She came to the throne after the death of her half-sister Mary I in 1558. Elizabeth restored Protestantism in England, re-establishing the Church of England and undoing Mary's Catholic restoration.

Elizabeth's religious settlement tried to find a middle ground, and while tensions remained, she largely avoided the extreme religious persecution of her predecessors.

In 1588 Philip II of Spain — who had been married to the late Mary I — sent a large fleet called the Spanish Armada to invade England. The English navy, led by commanders including Sir Francis Drake, defeated the Armada. Bad weather also played a role in scattering the Spanish fleet.

The defeat of the Armada was seen as a great national triumph and confirmed England's growing naval power. Elizabeth's famous speech to her troops at Tilbury, in which she declared she had "the heart and stomach of a king", became one of the most celebrated moments of her reign.

Elizabeth's reign is often called a Golden Age. English explorers such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh sailed to the Americas and beyond, expanding trade and England's global reach.

The arts flourished: playwrights including William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe wrote some of the greatest works in the English language during this period. The theatre became hugely popular, with the Globe Theatre becoming a famous venue in London.

Elizabeth never married, earning her the title "The Virgin Queen". She died in 1603 and was succeeded by James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England, uniting the English and Scottish crowns.