Elizabeth I (1533-1603) impressed herself more vividly on the memory of the world than any other monarch in the history of England. She successfully established and maintained power while refusing to bow to the wishes of those who believed that no woman was fit to occupy the English throne. One of the mysteries that surround her is her stubborn refusal to marry. Some historians believe that she made a vow already as a teenager to remain single when a romantic love affair ended unhappily. Others think she was shocked by the fate of her mother, Anne Boleyn, who was executed by her husband, Henry VIII. It may well be, though, that she simply wanted to prove that she could rule without a king at her side.
Maybe she realistically avoided the conflicts which unevitably would have appeared between a woman in a usually male position and her husband. So she wisely kept the distance. Maybe all these hypothetic explanations played a role. We do not know.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Catherine the great, Queen Victoria, Maria Theresa of Austria etc. Does one know enough on their lives to make believable comparisons possible? I suppose one does not.
Has she ever been asked for marriage by a man? If not, was the queen allowed to ask a man?
ReplyDeleteMaybe these questions have been important on the continent at that time, but not in England.
The truth is that she had a riding-instructor all the time. That is the way they do in England up to now.
Was the queen allowed to ask a man?
ReplyDelete...
I don't know about Elizabeth but I'm pretty sure Victoria asked Albert.