Below are notes I took while watching the Channel 4 documentary ‘The Queens That Changed the World’, episode 1, which was on Elizabeth I. Future episodes will be on Queen Anne, Queen Victoria, Hatshepsut, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Boudica, all of which I will add to this blog as I watch the episodes. I enjoyed this episode, with notable historians including Tracy Borman and Estella Paranque.

Across centuries and around the world women ruled kingdoms and built empires.

Discover real stories of 6 iconic queens.

History’s most important female monarchs.

Find out how they overcome prejudices of their times, and challenges facing reigns.

How they changed their world and ours.

9 August 1588 Elizabeth I about to make most important speech of her life.

“Undoubtedly the greatest danger Elizabeth ever faced” – Tracy Borman.

120 Spanish ships on their way to invade England remove Elizabeth from throne.

Defining moment in female sovereignty.

50 years earlier idea Elizabeth would be warrior queen was unimaginable.

May 1536 Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn, imprisoned in Tower of London.

Elizabeth had difficult childhood, and only just managed to escape with her life.

Anne Boleyn accused of incest with 5 men including her own brother, but real crime was failure to give Henry VIII a male heir.

1533 Anne Boleyn gave birth to Elizabeth; crushing disappointment to Henry VIII.

Not an age when England accepted queens.

Anne Boleyn doted on daughter, having her on cushion beside her rather than in nursery.

Some suggestion Anne wanted to breastfeed daughter rather than giving her to wet nurse.

On king’s orders Anne Boleyn beheaded, Elizabeth not quite 3 years old.

Hatfield Palace 20 miles north of London – Elizabeth brought here at 3 months old and where she grew up.

Probably at Hatfield when she knew her mother had died.

Asked why she was now being called Lady Elizabeth rather than Princess Elizabeth – bastardised.

Feeling insecure about own safety and security – if mother beheaded what might happen to her?

Aware that people didn’t expect any good of her because of who her mother was “little whore” compared to mother being “great whore”.

Set out to promote image of purity and soberness – morally beyond reproach.

Elizabeth developed survival strategy to never say what she really thought.

Estelle Paranque – Elizabeth pretended to be what they wanted her to be.

November 1558 Elizabeth sitting under oak tree at Hatfield when she learns half-sister Mary I has died, and she is queen.

Elizabeth last in line of sibling succession – preceded by Edward VI and Mary I.

Supposedly either eating an apple or reading a book when she learned she was queen.

“It is the lord’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes”.

Keen to assert authority and 3 days after ascending to throne she called privy council at Hatfield – asks councillors to commit to her and her reign.

Inherited kingdom in trouble – brother instituted unpopular prayer book which led to uprising and allowed enclosure of land which also led to rebellion.

Mary’s reign brief and disastrous, tried to re-institute Catholic religion.

Elizabeth needed to reconstruct nation – huge job.

Overwhelming, scary, and few people thought that she would succeed. Women considered second class citizens in every respect.

Rule of women against God’s natural order; requires accidents for men to die.

Elizabeth would prove world wrong.

Estelle Paranque “Elizabeth is the definition of a bad-ass queen”.

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