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She came close on two occasions
Queen Elizabeth II famously married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947 and they then remained together until his death in April 2021, yet going back a few hundred years, Queen Elizabeth I ultimately decided against having a husband.
That led to a lot of concerns about who might succeed Queen Elizabeth I in the event that she passed away, so Parliament looked to push her into marrying someone.
However, Queen Elizabeth I declared that she would not marry anyone because she was ‘already bound unto a husband which is the Kingdom of England‘, following two efforts to marry.
Queen Elizabeth I may have been clear in her not to get married, but she did almost get married on two occasions.
Early in her time on the throne, she thought she had found her long-term suitor in the form of the ambitious and handsome Lord Robert Dudley.
As Master of the Horse and Privy Councillor, Dudley had an influential role and his position was envied due to his access to the Queen.
Many voiced their opposition to this couple, as it was seen at the time that Queen Elizabeth I shouldn’t marry a subject. Additionally, Dudley had already been married but became widowed in 1560, when his wife died in suspicious circumstances.
Rumours continued to persist about Dudley‘s past and eventually Queen Elizabeth I took the decision that she could not marry him.
Instead, she opted to make Dudley the Earl of Leicester in 1564. The two had a close relationship until his death in 1588.
The second person that Queen Elizabeth I considered marrying was Francis, Duke of Anjou, who was the brother of King Henry III of France.
Despite Queen Elizabeth I‘s interest in the much younger Duke, her council were not so keen on the idea of an Anglo-French alliance, as well as the fact that he was Catholic.
Eventually, in 1581, Queen Elizabeth I called off the negotiations after bowing to the pressure.
Therefore, having been unable to marry either of the two men she would have liked to marry, Queen Elizabeth I opted to remain single for the rest of her reign.
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