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Today in History: Wednesday, January 15

1559: Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England

On January 15, 1559, two months after the death of her half sister, Queen Mary I of England, Elizabeth Tudor, the 25-year-old daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, was crowned Queen Elizabeth I at Westminster Abbey in London. The two half sisters, both daughters of Henry VIII, had a stormy relationship during Mary’s five year reign. Mary, who was brought up Catholic, enacted pro-Catholic legislation and made efforts to restore papal supremacy in England. A Protestant rebellion ensued, and Queen Mary imprisoned Elizabeth, a Protestant in the Tower of London on suspicion of complicity. After Mary’s death, Elizabeth survived several Catholic plots against her, although her ascension was greeted with approval by most of England’s lords, who were Protestant. The long reign of Elizabeth, who became known as the “Virgin Queen” for her reluctance to endanger her authority through marriage, coincided with the flowering of the English Renaissance. By her death in 1603, England had become a major world power in every respect, and Queen Elizabeth I passed into history as one of England’s greatest monarchs.