ELIZABETH I

Princess Elizabeth’s birth, on 7th September 1533, was a bitter disappointment to her father, King Henry VIII, who wanted a male heir after his daughter Mary,  born of Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, 17 years earlier.
Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Bolene, was Catherine’s lady-in-waiting (dama di compagnia). Henry had fallen violently in love with her, but she refused to throw herself at Henry’s feet until they were married.
Henry then tried to convince the Pope to annul his marriage to Catherine, but Rome did not comply to his request, so the King opted for, so to speak, a homespun (semplice) solution. He put an end to papal power and named himself Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England.
He married Anne and repudiated Catherine. As a result, Mary, his first daughter, was declared illegitimate.
Childhood (infanzia) was fot Elizabeth a period of excitement, terror and tragedy. Soon Henry was in love with another woman, Jane Seymour, and Anne was accused of adultery and be headed, when Elizabeth was only two years old. Her mother’s death was a terrible blow for her. The years that followed were full of trouble. Her fate depended on the political changes her father wrought (autig = to work) and on his marriages.
She was alternately the heir to England and a bastard.
The adversities of early life taught her the importance of self-reliance (fiducia in se stessa) and subtlety (xxx) as necessary tools for survival. She received an outstanding education: she spoke six languages fluently, was a superb calligraphist, an excellent musician  and knew painting and poetry very well.
In 1558 as soon as she was crowned Queen, the questions of marriage and succession were raised
Elizabeth was the last of her dynasty, and she was expected to find a husband and have an heir.
The court then buzzed with suitors (ronzava di pretendenti) and European ambassadors, each trying to advance the suit (richiesta) of their respective masters. Elizabeth was the most courted woman in Europe.
She rejected some of the offers and allowed other suitors to remain hopeful, but she did not see the urgency for marriage and often declared that she preferred the single life.
Religious and political reasons made the choice of a husband very difficult, and she did not want to give any power over English affairs.
Matters were further complicated by her passion for Lord Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
They first met when they were children. It seems Dudley said much later: “I have known her from her 8th year, better than any man upon earth. From that date she has invariably declared that she would remain unmarried”
It was obvious from the beginning of her reign that he was to be her favourite. He shared the Queen’s love of music, dancing and horse riding, and she spent more time with him than with anyone else. Marriage to Dudley, however, would have given aise to competition within the English nobility and would not have provided England with a foreign ally. Furthermore, he was already married when he died in 1588, Elizabeth was devastated and it is said she locked herself away in her apartment for days. She put the letter he had sent her into her treasure box and it was still there when she died ,15 years later.
For over 20 years, Elizabeth had been courted by the most eligible (idonei) men in Europe.
The “marriage game” had became an important part of foreign relations and was always a useful card to play when it seemed that England was losing friends. But the list of candidates became so long that it caused a royal scandal which threatened the political stability of England.
When Elizabeth became older, however, she could no longer use the marriage as a diplomatic weapon, and became the Virgin Queen.