By Georgia Weir| 4 days ago
When succeeding the throne in the British royal family, an heir may choose to use their regnal name.
This was the decision of Queen Elizabeth when she became the unlikely heir to the throne after the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII in 1936.
But when it came time to declare her royal moniker after the untimely death of her father, King George VI, Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II, as she was the second Elizabeth to rule England.
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Like Elizabeth II, Elizabeth I was also the unlikely heir to the throne. Born in 1533, Elizabeth I was the second daughter of Henry VIII, the king famous for wanting a male heir to the throne.
Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had their first daughter, Mary Tudor, who became Mary I – and colloquially 'Bloody Mary'.
Elizabeth I was the product of Henry VIII's second marriage to Anne Boleyn. As Boleyn did not produce a male heir, she was beheaded. Elizabeth was just two years old at the time.
Henry VIII married Jane Seymour shortly after and was finally given an heir to the throne, Edward VI. Shortly after this Elizabeth I and her half-sister Mary I, despite being born first, were both declared bastards and illegitimate.
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This was done through a series of succession acts passed by Henry VIII so he could legally bypass his two first daughters in favour of his son Edward VI.
Elizabeth was raised as a fervent Protestant, the religion her father had created to legitimise his multiple divorces.
However, Mary was a zealous Catholic which inevitably and famously would create tensions between the two.
When Henry VIII passed away in 1547, Elizabeth's younger half brother Edward VI inherited the throne at just nine years old. But ill health would inevitably catch up with him, it became clear he would not live beyond the age of 15.
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When Edward VI died in 1553, the succession act was thrown out as Mary I became heir-presumptive. The people feared Mary would persecute any and all protestants as she was a devout Catholic. By getting rid of the Succession Act, Edward VII's cousin Lady Jane Grey became heir-apparent.
Mary I marched to London with an army and her half-sister Elizabeth at her side and overthrew Lady Jane Grey after a nine-day reign.
Under Mary I's rule, she became known as Bloody Mary for her slew of executions ranging from political opponents to religious foes.
She decided to marry her foreign-born cousin Phillip, who was heir to the throne of Spain.
Queen Mary I even almost executed her sister and the future queen of England, Elizabeth, for her embroilment in a plot to overthrow the increasingly unpopular queen.
However, Elizabeth's life was spared and instead she was held as a prisoner in the dilapidated gatehouse of Woodstock Manor for a year, the manor still stands today.
Mary I desperately needed a Catholic heir to the throne to push her Protestant half-sister back in the line of succession.
When Mary's pregnancy went into their tenth and eleventh months with no signs of labour, she suffered a massive public humiliation. It's believed Mary I most likely suffered a combination of a hysterical pregnancy and a tumour.
As the succession of Elizabeth became a reality, Mary I sped up the persecution of protestants in England, thus earning her nickname, Bloody Mary.
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Mary I would die in 1558 at the age of 42. With no heir, Elizabeth I became the unlikely heir at 25 to the throne just like the eventual Elizabeth II who ascended the throne at 27.
Elizabeth I focused on restoring peace and religious tolerance across England and Ireland. The new Queen was also famously not interested in marrying despite offers from numerous European monarchs. In a famous speech to Parliament, Queen Elizabeth I declared she was "married to England."
Under Elizabeth I, England fended off a series of attacks from Spain and other European countries. Trade flourished and the people of England were considerably wealthy under her reign.
Art and culture also flourished under the Queen; William Shakespeare is the most notable figure to have lived under her rule.
However, a bout of small pox when the Queen was younger resulted in her using highly potent lead makeup to hide facial blemishes. This and a bad diet caused the loss of hair and her teeth to blacken.
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Historians believe the Queen used high-necked collars and elaborate wigs to distract from her various ailments.
Elizabeth I died at 70 years old with no heir to the throne, James IV of Scotland was named King James I of England, thus uniting England, Ireland and Scotland under one king.
Like Elizabeth II, Elizabeth I was remembered as a queen that devoted her life to the crown.
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