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Elizabeth I of England chose not to marry, possibly due to political reasons and fear of losing power. She created a personal myth as the Virgin Queen, gaining respect in a patriarchal society. Her eligibility as a wife may have prevented foreign attacks. Elizabeth proved that a woman was capable of ruling her own nation.
Elizabeth I of England is sometimes referred to as the Virgin Queen, referring to her choice not to marry. However, the reasons behind choosing her are quite complex; Elizabeth certainly enjoyed the company of men, for example. It would seem that Elizabeth’s reasons for remaining chaste were probably political, and her chastity has indeed been questioned by some biographers, as she certainly had many close friends with whom she appeared to be quite intimate.
The early years of Elizabeth’s reign were characterized by instability and uncertainty, partly due to the Queen’s eligible status. She assumed the mantle of the Virgin Queen herself, declaring herself wedded to England. In doing so, the Queen created a sort of personal myth, associating herself with mythological virgins such as Diana, the Virgin Huntress, and Mary, the mother of Christ. By becoming the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I set herself apart from other women, which may have made it easier for her to gain respect in a very patriarchal society.
That patriarchal society was probably one of the driving reasons for Elizabeth’s decision not to marry. Since men had more authority and respect than women in Tudor England, Elizabeth would have become queen consort if she married, essentially losing all power over her. Elizabeth was probably also soothed by her father’s multiple marriages, some of which ended in her executions. Given the abuse of authority demonstrated by her father, Henry VIII, Elizabeth may have been afraid to marry because she feared losing her authority and her life.
Politics was also a major concern. The Queen she might have been afraid of creating factional strife in England by marrying an Englishman, and she might have been concerned about getting involved in foreign disputes if she married a foreign man. The queen’s potential eligibility as a wife may also have prevented foreign powers from attacking England, as even after she became the “Virgin Queen,” foreign kings may have wanted to keep their options open.
Elizabeth often claimed to rule by divine right and may have felt that creating a character like the Virgin Queen reinforced this idea in the eyes of her people. By all accounts, ‘Good Queen Bess’ was much loved by the English people and certainly contributed much to England during her career. She once said, “I know I have only the body of a feeble, weak woman; but I have the heart of a king, and also of a king of England,” acknowledging that many in her society questioned her fitness to rule. She went from the bastard son of the king’s beheaded wife to Gloriana, the virgin queen, proving to English society that a woman was perfectly capable of ruling her own nation. Other powerful and talented women have ruled England since then, including Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II.
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