Elizabeth I was Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII’s daughter. She came to the throne in 1558 after the reign of Mary Tudor when the reign was heavly dependent on Spain because of the marriage between the Catholic queen Mary Tudor and the king Philip II of Spain.

The Elizabethan Age was an age of progress, peace, stability and religious tolerance. On behalf of the religious issue between puritans and christians she adopted a policy of compromise to establish religious unity after years of persecutions of Catholics and Protestants (bloodymary). She re-established the Anglican Church following her father,'s Henry 8, beliefs.

In 1559 with the Second Act of Supremacy she restated the independence of the Anglican Church of England and with the Act of Uniformity she forced the read of Book of Common Prayer as compulsory.

During the Elizabethan reign wealth and commercial power progressed. England began to gain power by expanding its orizons in commerce and industries. Private enterprises were encouraged (for example The famous East India Company, involved in  overseas trades). The queen supported new explorations as she realized the overseas potential in colonies. The creation of a powerful fleet known as the Royal Navy and new Merchant Companies were chartered. Elizabeth's cousin Mary Stuart, Catholic Queen of Scotland, was one of her biggest threath to the crown since she was fully chatolic. Because Mary Stuart was kept virtually prisoner for nineteen years by the queen to prevent protest that could have occured with her death. Eventually she was executed giving birth to a war between England and Chatolic Spain. In 1588 Philip II of Spain tried to invade England with a huge fleet called ‘Invincible Armada’. Queen Elizabeth 1 gave and important speech to the invincible armada. The England’s victory saved her independence and increased her prestige in Europe.