Elizabeth I: The Unexpected Queen
You might think being a king's daughter guarantees an easy life, but Elizabeth I faced rejection from day one. Henry VIII was gutted when she was born - he desperately wanted a son to continue the Tudor royal line, not another daughter.
The biggest challenge? Most people genuinely believed women couldn't rule effectively. Society saw female leaders as weak and inappropriate, which meant England risked looking vulnerable to enemies. Elizabeth had to prove everyone wrong whilst dealing with massive pressure to marry and produce an heir.
Elizabeth made the bold choice to stay unmarried, putting England's security above her personal life. Marriage would have meant handing over her power to a husband - something she refused to do. She'd also witnessed two of Henry VIII's wives die in childbirth, which terrified her.
Key Point: Elizabeth's decision to remain childless created a succession crisis - if she died without an heir, different groups might fight for the throne, potentially causing civil war.
When Elizabeth became queen in 1558, she inherited a mess of religious conflicts, poverty, and foreign threats. Yet she transformed England into a stable, prosperous nation through clever political decisions and strong leadership that lasted 45 years.