How Much Do You Know About Queen Elizabeth I?

Queen Elizabeth I was a ruler of which country?

Australia

England

Elizabeth I was the Queen of England from 1558 to 1603. Her lengthy reign is often regarded as a time of relative peace and prosperity.

Spain

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What was a common nickname for Elizabeth I?

Cutthroat Eliza

Virgin Queen

Elizabeth I never took a husband. She was "The Virgin Queen," renowned for her virtue.

The Deathbringer

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Elizabeth was the daughter of which famous historical figure?

Cleopatra

Joan of Arc

Anne Boleyn

Elizabeth was born to Anne Boleyn, the second wife of the tempermental Henry VIII. Henry had Anne executed during his chaotic reign.

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Why did Mary I imprison Elizabeth for about a year?

Elizabeth was a witch.

Elizabeth stole her scepter.

Elizabeth supported Protestants.

Mary I took the throne and had Elizabeth thrown in prison. Why? Mary was Roman Catholic ... and suspected Elizabeth of supporting Protestant dissidents.

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How old was Elizabeth when she became queen?

15

25

Elizabeth was 25 years old when she rose to the throne. She leaned on her advisors for many of her earliest decisions.

63

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What was one of Elizabeth’s first major actions as queen?

She hatched an assassination plot.

She established the English Protestant Church.

Elizabeth will always be noted for her links to Protestanism. She almost immediately established the English Protestant Church.

She doubled the size of the military.

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What was Elizabeth’s leadership style like?

She ordered people around left and right.

She was moderate and deliberate.

Elizabeth a was a deliberate monarch, one who took her time with important decisions. And she was far more conservative than her half-crazed father, Henry VIII.

She was a tyrant.

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As a child, Elizabeth was noted for which trait?

seriousness

After losing her mother to beheading as a toddler, Elizabeth was a reserved child. At a young age she was noted for her seriousness ... and her precocious nature.

stupidity

a weird honking laugh

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In 1588, Elizabeth became renowned for a military victory against which country?

Libya

Iceland

Spain

In 1588, Spain, a frequent rival of the English, sent a huge fleet of ships to defeat Elizabeth. The English won out against all odds ... and Elizabeth was deemed a hero.

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True or false, did Elizabeth I ever have romantic relationships?

true

In spite of her "Virgin" label, Elizabeth did flirt with numerous relationships during her lifetime. But those courtships never culminated in marriage.

false

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What sort of education did Elizabeth receive?

She had grade school knowledge.

She was barely literate.

She was highly educated and intelligent.

Elizabeth had private tutors in her formative years. She was fluent in at least four languages and understood at least four more.

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How did England fare during Elizabeth’s reign?

It remained a backwater.

It became a major European power.

Elizabeth’s leadership pushed England to a starring role on the stage of European politics. The Elizabethean Age was a good one, indeed.

It declined a lot.

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Why did Elizabeth never marry?

She despised men.

She thought marriage was an outdated concept.

perhaps for political reasons

No one really knows why the queen never married. But it’s very like that political considerations played into her decision making.

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A much older man named Thomas Seymour tried his best to marry Elizabeth. What happened to him?

He was exiled.

He impregnated Elizabeth.

He was beheaded.

Thomas Seymour was the creepy old guy who showered young Elizabeth with far too much affection. Other leaders supected him of plotting to take the throne for himself ... and so had him beheaded.

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How did Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII, treat her?

with outright hatred

with affection

Henry had a temper and could treat his opponents with extreme cruelty. But with all of his children he was seemingly a relatively nice and affectionate father.

with cruelty

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How did Elizabeth approach foreign affairs?

She was very conservative.

Elizabeth approached foreign affairs with the same kind of caution she exhibited throughout her reign. She was especially careful with regard to Spain and France.

She attacked multiple countries at the same time.

She refused to even engage with other leaders.

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True or false, was Elizabeth mostly just a symbolic figurehead in English politics?

true

false

Many monarchs of the age were simply figureheads. Not Elizabeth. Not only was she a dazzling spectacle of royal splendor, she really was a shrewd and active politician.

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The queen liked to live by this motto: "video et taceo." What does that mean?

“Cross me and I’ll have your tongue."

“I see but say nothing."

Thoughtful and calculated, Elizabeth lived her life by certain principles, such as "video et taceo." That means, "I see but say nothing."

“I’ll love tacos forever."

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How did English citizens react when Elizabeth ascended to the throne?

They were jubilant.

After the oppressively Catholic leadership of Mary I, the English were thrilled at Elizabeth — an ally of the Reformation — taking the throne.

They were disgusted.

They hardly noticed.

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What was England's military like during Elizabeth’s early reign?

small and weak

When Elizabeth took the throne, the country’s military was small and weak. That fact meant that the queen had to be an exceptionally wise diplomat.

moderate-sized

huge and powerful

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In 1562, what challenge did Elizabeth face?

She contracted smallpox.

In 1562, the queen came down with smallpox and nearly died. She had no husband or heir ... facts that caused political strife following her recovery.

She had an unplanned pregnancy.

She was imprisoned.

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When it came to final decisions about the country, who really had ultimate power?

a royal council

Parliament

Elizabeth

Many queens (and kings) of the era didn’t really have power to make big decisions. Not so with Elizabeth — she listened to her advisors, but ultimately she called the shots.

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How did Elizabeth put her numerous high-profile courtships to use?

She was always deeply in love.

She used the men for their money.

She used them as political tools.

Elizabeth’s courtships caused a tizzy throughout the country because of their implications for the succession of power. The queen leveraged these bouts of national excitement to play her political rivals against one another.

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How long was Elizabeth the queen of England?

12 years

44 years

In a time when other monarchs were deposed across the lands, Elizabeth held on to her crown. She was queen for an amazing 44 years.

72 years

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Elizabeth’s emotional behavior on the throne could be described as what?

completely impassive

manipulative

She was Henry VIII’s daughter, all right. One moment she’d be engaging and funny, the next, cool and unmoved. Elizabeth was a master manipulator.

hateful

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What was Elizabeth like in public?

She was very awkward.

She was an excellent public speaker.

Elizabeth had full command of public situations. She was a fabulous public speaker and even spoke directly to troops heading into combat, all the better to whip them up for a fight.

She almost never appeared in public.

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What aspect of Elizabeth inspired a cult-like following during Elizabeth’s reign?

Her love of material wealth.

Her virginity.

In a time when royal marriages were part of political manueuvering, Elizabeth was famous for her virginity. That aspect of her life became exalted as virtue and inspired a cult-like devotion from some followers.

Her ruthlessness.

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