Friday, August 7

     Welcome to the Wannaskan Almanac for Friday.

     It's the birthday, in 1533, of Elizabeth Tudor who became Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). Elizabeth was born in an age when governments were ramshackle and dynasties began and ended on the chopping block. Her own mother had been beheaded, basically for producing a girl rather than the boy Elizabeth should have been. Her father was the infamous Henry the Eighth. Henry's own father had pushed his way to the throne after the combatants in the Wars of the Roses had killed each other off.
     Henty VIII knew in his loins that a male heir was essential to stabilize the Tudor Dynasty which had only begun with his own father. His first queen, Catherine of Aragon (Spain), had given him only a daughter, Mary, so he had the marriage annulled. This made him the enemy of Catholic Europe and brought England itself to the brink of civil war.
     With Catherine out of the way, Henry was able to marry Anne Boleyn, an English noblewoman he fancied. Anne was soon pregnant and the court astrologers predicted a male child. Elizabeth was born instead. Anne had two miscarriages in the next two years. Henry thought Anne's failure to give him a son was God's judgement. He began carrying on with wife number three. He got rid of Anne by accusing her of witchcraft, treason and incest.
      Henry then married Jane Seymour. She soon gave him a son. Jane's position was secure, except that she died almost immediately. Elizabeth meanwhile faded into the background and watched what she said. When Henry died in 1547, his son was crowned Edward VI. He was nine years old and the country was ruled by regents. Edward died six years later and Elizabeth's half-sister Mary became queen.
     This was a dangerous period for Elizabeth. Mary was a Catholic and tried to undo her father's breach with the pope. Elizabeth had been raised as a Protestant and for a while was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Mary married Phillip the future King of Spain. If they had a child, Elizabeth would have been out. But Mary died childless in 1558, and Elizabeth became queen at age 25.
     Elizabeth's first act was to confirm the Protestant Reformation in England. A lot of people were unhappy about this, but their leaders eventually died off and Catholics became second class citizens. Elizabeth is remembered as a great ruler. She was a moderate, which was exactly what the country needed. Her navy defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. She ruled during the age of Shakespeare which added to her luster. Historians say she had her faults, but I won't go into those here. It's her birthday!

Lucky lady