Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I is perhaps England's most popular monarch. Born in 1533, the product of the doomed marriage between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was heir to her father's title, then disinherited and finally imprisoned by her half-sister Mary. But in 1558, on Mary's death, she ascended the throne and reigned for 45 years. Respected by her subjects and idolised by future generations, her fierce devotion to her country and its people truly made her England's fairest queen and icon. Here is her story.