Claim: Elizabeth I of England was the last of her line, having failed to produce an heir or even take a husband.

Elizabeth I -LRB- 7 September 1533 -- 24 March 1603 -RRB- was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death . Sometimes called The Virgin Queen , Gloriana or Good Queen Bess , the childless Elizabeth was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty .   Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn , his second wife , who was executed two-and-a-half years after Elizabeth 's birth . Anne 's marriage to Henry VIII was annulled , and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate . Her half-brother , Edward VI , ruled until his death in 1553 , bequeathing the crown to Lady Jane Grey and ignoring the claims of his two half-sisters , Elizabeth and the Roman Catholic Mary , in spite of statute law to the contrary . Edward 's will was set aside and Mary became queen , deposing Lady Jane Grey . During Mary 's reign , Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels .   In 1558 , Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister to the throne and set out to rule by good counsel . She depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers , led by William Cecil , 1st Baron Burghley . One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church , of which she became the Supreme Governor . This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England . It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir to continue the Tudor line . She never did , despite numerous courtships . As she grew older , Elizabeth became famous for her virginity . A cult grew around her which was celebrated in the portraits , pageants , and literature of the day .   In government , Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been . One of her mottoes was `` video et taceo '' -LRB- `` I see but say nothing '' -RRB- . In religion , she was relatively tolerant and avoided systematic persecution . After the pope declared her illegitimate in 1570 and released her subjects from obedience to her , several conspiracies threatened her life , all of which were defeated with the help of her ministers ' secret service . Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs , manoeuvring between the major powers of France and Spain . She only half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective , poorly resourced military campaigns in the Netherlands , France , and Ireland . By the mid-1580s , England could no longer avoid war with Spain . England 's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 associated Elizabeth with one of the greatest military victories in English history .   Elizabeth 's reign is known as the Elizabethan era . The period is famous for the flourishing of English drama , led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe , and for the seafaring prowess of English adventurers such as Francis Drake . Some historians depict Elizabeth as a short-tempered , sometimes indecisive ruler , who enjoyed more than her share of luck . Towards the end of her reign , a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity . Elizabeth is acknowledged as a charismatic performer and a dogged survivor in an era when government was ramshackle and limited , and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardised their thrones . Such was the case with Elizabeth 's rival , Mary , Queen of Scots , whom she imprisoned in 1568 and had executed in 1587 . After the short reigns of Elizabeth 's half-siblings , her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped forge a sense of national identity .