Good Queen Bess
Wednesday January 14, 2004
On January
15, 1559, after a fabulous procession through the streets of
London, Elizabeth Tudor was crowned Queen Elizabeth I at Westminster
Abbey. Her 45-year reign would witness the defeat of the Spanish
Armada and the English Renaissance of Letters, and is sometimes
considered the end of the Middle Ages in Britain. Find out more about
"Good Queen Bess" in our Who's Who resource, and be sure to test your
knowledge in the Liz
Quiz.
Comments
it was a 44 year reign, not 45.
If you mark her reign from her coronation (January, 1559), yes, it’s 44 years. However, she was officially queen upon the death of her sister in the preceding November, so it’s usually figured as a 45-year reign (1558-1603). Anyone who wants to get, um, retentive about it can call it a 44-and-a-half year reign. Or a 44-year, 4-month reign. Or a 44-year, 4-month 7-day reign. Or a 44-year, 5-week reign.
But thanks for noticing