On this day in history, 15th January 1559, Queen Elizabeth I was crowned queen at Westminster Abbey by Owen Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle. It was a triumphant moment for the 25 year old woman who had spent part of her half-sister’s reign imprisoned or under house arrest and who was the daughter of Anne Boleyn, the queen Elizabeth’s father had executed for adultery and treason.
Far from distancing herself from her mother’s memory on that defining day, Elizabeth incorporated many elements from Anne Boleyn’s lavish 1533 coronation and you can read about that in my article “The Tale of Two Coronations”.
You can find out all about Elizabeth I’s coronation in my article over at the Elizabeth Files, see “The Coronation of Elizabeth I – 15th January 1559”
Also on this day in history…
- 1535 – King Henry VIII proclaimed that he was now Supreme Head of the Church of England: “Memorandum that the King in his privy chamber, 15 January 26 Hen. VIII., in presence of Sir Thos. Audley, lord Chancellor, Thos. duke of Norfolk, treasurer of England, Thos. earl of Wiltshire, keeper of the Privy Seal, Thos. Crumwell, chief secretary, and others, ordained that his style should henceforth be “Henricus Octavus, Dei gratia Angliæ et Franciæ Rex, Fidei Defensor et Dominus Hiberniæ, et in Terra Supremum Caput Anglicanæ Ecclesiæ.”” LP viii.52
It is amazing and wonderful that daughter’s of Anne was the best ruler of England.
I would like to say I am honoured to share a day with so great a woman! This day is my anniversary of marriage. This is the Day Elizabeth crowned a queen. The Queen to become Queen of the Golden Age! God rest her and her great mother Anne!
Why are so many of us enchanted by the story of Elizabeth Tudor? I think it is because it is all about someone rising from darkness into light. In 1554 Elizabeth was a prisoner, friendless and trapped in the Tower of London without even a chance to walk outside in the sunshine. A little over four years later and she was Queen, and soon to be crowned in 1559 amid brilliant celebration, pageantry and light. It is, therefore, also a story of liberation and hope, winter into spring, ignorance into knowledge, and so it will never cease to be remembered or to be told in one form or another.
Anne’s victory 🙂
I’ve been offline several days, but wanted to say I like the new page header (removing Henry for Anne’s falcon badge instead). I like it!
There are so many reasons to adore Elizabeth–her sheer courage one of them. And her ruling so well in spite of the prejudice against her. Her wit and wisdome. Well, I could go on and on. I’m curently writing about her court and I must say, she is a wonderful character to try to capture in fiction. I’m having such fun!
I see her as a ‘Phoenix’ rising out of the ashes of her mother’s death, going on to overcome all that could have destroyed her, and achieve what the monarchs before her struggled to, as a woman this was fantastic in the male dominated world in which she lived… She rocked 🙂
Anne must have been smiling to look down and see her daughter being crowned!!!! Anne must have been very proud 🙂
Just think how wonderful Queen Anne would have been to live and see, Elizabeth crowned Queen. Never has a mother paid such a high price ,then to give her life,to see that her child would one day be a Queen,she was a great Queen and a selfless women to die for Elizabeth, one of the greatest Queens to sit on the throwne. I am sure Anne was looking down ,with all the love she had for her Elizabeth ,when she was crowned Queen of England.Well so much Henry and the King he never had, hope he was looking down on Elizabeth to.
I agree with all of you, and particularly Baroness Von Reis’s statement. I’ve been to England and twice to the chapel and listened to her story 4 times (how can I not, it’s a wonderful story). One thing that stood out about Queen Anne, was how intellegent and methodical to detail she was. I am absolutely sure that she assigned someone to tell Elizabeth about her, her desires for the affairs of England and of her love for her daughter.
I long to get my husband to England, since the Chappell’s are all from there. Imagine my surprise last night while doing my genealogy, that I descend from Brolyen and Hoo.