What were Queen Elizabeth's1 goals or achievements ?

Answer 1

When she came to the throne at the age of 25, "Good Queen Bess" had a number of hurdles to overcome.

Her treasury was nearly empty. The country was still traumatized from the reign of her half-sister, "Bloody Mary" (daughter of Catherine of Aragon). Queen Mary, a devout Roman Catholic, had attempted to wipe out the recently established (by her father, Henry VIII) Church of England. To add to all this, the royal court was crawling with spies and agents of Spain, France, Scotland, The Vatican, and anybody else with an agenda and hopes to manipulate the young queen.

Queen Elizabeth also had to face down enemies within: those who considered her to be illegitimate with no valid claim to the throne, given that the was born of the marriage between Henry and Ann Boleyn. This marriage was the real cause of the rift with the Church of Rome and the establishing of the Church of England. The Vatican considered the Boleyn marriage to be adulterous, and any issue illegitmate, as it had refused to grant an annulment to Henry's previous marriage to Catherine. There were many advocates of the Roman Catholic church, both secret and overt, who agreed with this position, and didn't consider Elizabeth's claim to the throne to be valid.

Queen Elizabeth I had to overcome all these challenges, and do so in the form of a woman, and a headstrong one at that! I've always believed that her decision not to marry was both personal and political. If she'd chosen to marry, she'd have had to choose from among the princes of the European royal houses. This would have given one nation undue influence in the affairs of England, and would've made made enemies of the all the rejected ones. To marry an English noble would have caused similar, internal problems. Given her intelligence and education, I believe that she would have had personal issues "bowing" to the dictates of a king consort.

By most accounts, Bess was a vain woman who was jealous of her courtiers' and favorites' attention if it was lavished elsewhere. Given her momentous accomplishments, I believe that she was entitled to her little quirks.

For half a century, she ruled an England that was peaceful and prosperous. She pretty much saw an end to most of the European nations' ambitions to annex England -- most notably with the definitive defeat of the Spanish Armada.... Although this was due as much to the weather as good generalship. Queen Elizabeth I was able to establish internal harmony by advocating tolerance and freedom of religious practice. Her court was rich in culture and the arts. Shakespeare and Marlowe are but two of the shining lights of English literature that were nurtured and encouraged during her reign.

Her achievements are greater for having been accomplished in the face of the challenges she overcame.

Answer 2

If you mean, 'what was her greatest achievement' then I would suggest it was avoiding a harmful marriage to the Catholic King, Philip I of Spain. During the Reformation, England had been on a religious rollercoaster and Elizabeth had the unenvious challenge of appeasing both Catholic and devout Puritan factions, whilst remaining Supreme Head of the Church in England. Her sister Mary had done little to create a harmonious religious atmosphere in England, as had her brother and father before her. The general opinion of the time was that a woman would be a weak and ineffective queen. To quash these rumours, Elizabeth refused to marry, either a foreign European monarch, or (I believe) her true love, Robert Dudley. She was married to her country, an alledged 'Virgin Queen', who fought to have her image and persona recognised as a strong and courageous monarch (such as her image of herself as St George slaying the dragon of Catholicism, and through her use of make-up, dress and styling.) Her power was confirmed through the defeat of the Spanish Armada. One could argue it was doomed to fail, and circumstances outside Elizabeth's control were the deciding factors as to why the spanish lost, but the outcome remains the same; Elizabeth defeated an attack from the most powerful country of the sixteenth century. (You could also give references to the stealing of Spanish treasure, the discovery of the Americas helping to extend her power and empire (potatoes, tobacco, coffee and chocolate were all brought back to England during her reign), and her use of propaganda to add to her list of achievements)

Answer 3

Right now, to get to her next Jubilee. After the next, she will like 1 year to match Queen Victoria's time on the Throne. Queen Victoria is the LONGEST REIGNING MONARCH EVER of Great Britian. Queen Elizabeth feels obligated to beat it, simply as a byproduct of being Queen. She feels it is a Job for Life.

Answer 4

To make money and she is very good at it