Few of the great monarchs of history could match the remarkable reign of Elizabeth I of England. Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister Mary in 1558 and reigned until her death in 1603. Though often urged by Members of Parliament to marry, Elizabeth remained the Virgin Queen—and wise sovereign—of her nation. Her skillful leadership, the enthusiasm she engendered, and the adeptness of her councillors in maintaining a close but benevolent supervision of central local government greatly contributed to the success of Elizabethan England. Indeed, Elizabeth gave her name to an age marked by internal unity, naval enterprise, and artistic brilliance of a kind never surpassed in English history. This search biography by Monroe Stearns presents Elizabeth both as brilliant queen of a powerful nation and as sensitive woman, alive to her own needs as well as to those of her admiring subjects.

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