Learn about the life and achievements of Elizabeth I , the Virgin Queen who ruled England from 1558 to 1603. Explore her political, religious, and cultural policies, her foreign wars and explorations, and her impact on the British Empire. Elizabeth I Armada Portrait George Gower (Public Domain) Elizabeth I reigned as queen of England from 1558 to 1603. Her 44-year reign was so long and packed with momentous events that the second half of the 16th century is now known as the Elizabethan era and still regarded as a 'Golden Age' for England. Elizabeth succeeded her elder half-sister Mary I of England (r. 1553-1558). Exasperating ministers and suitors alike with her prevarication, the queen was a shrewd and capable ruler who ... Elizabeth I was a long-ruling queen of England, governing with relative stability and prosperity for 44 years. The Elizabethan era is named for her. Queen Elizabeth I - What Made Her Great? During Elizabeth 's reign, she attempted, like her father had done before her, to convert the kingdom from Catholicism to Protestantism (another type of Christianity). Fortunately, Elizabeth proved to be a more forgiving ruler than Mary, and she attempted to make England a more equitable environment for all.
