Golden or Gilded?

Golden or Gilded?

Queen Elizabeth I was one of the most decorated rulers to ever take the English throne. She has been hailed as the greatest leader England has ever had, but as with any distinguished person her life story is full of enigmas and controversy. There are many things that make Elizabeth stand apart from other leaders of her time but prominent among them are her political reforms, religious revisal, and her personal life. In each of these matters she made monumental changes, whether they were for better or worse is debatable.
Politics in the age of Elizabeth were a twisted and rather corrupt system. Leaders in government were often bought into voting a certain way or proposing plans. This crooked practice was found to some extent in all administrations. “The politics of the Court retain, therefore, an enigmatic quality” (Haigh 55) but Elizabeth’s Court was different. She ran her country how she felt was best, only accepting council from people she genuinely trusted. “Elizabeth’s circumstances, shortly after her coronation and the opening of her first Parliament, were such that the demands on her resources-mental, psychological, and spiritual- were pitiless.” (Luke 52) But despite these hurdles she ran a phenomenal government, one that set a very high standard for following generations.
Among her prominent, yet lesser-acknowledged, political advances was her encouragement of overseas exploration. With her support and financial backing many Englishmen set off for the New World. Settlements and colonies were made opening economical door for raw materials that in turn added great wealth to the home country.
Possibly the most well known of Elizabeth’s political conquers was the underdog defeat of the Spanish Armada. At the first hint of trouble Elizabeth, without the approval of her council, moved all the land army to a town called Tilbury to prepare them for battle. The queen also moved with her troops and lived among them to serve as inspiration and oversee...

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