elizabeth i 1533-1603
semper eadem
always the same

young bess
elizabeths life was troubled from the moment she was born. henry viii had changed the course of his countrys history in order to marry anne boleyn, hoping that she would bear him the strong and healthy son that catherine of aragon never did. but, on september 7, 1533 in greenwich palace, she bore elizabeth instead.
anne did eventually conceive a son, but he was stillborn. by that point, henry had begun to grow tired of anne and began to plot her downfall. most, if not all, historians agree that henrys charges of incest against anne were false, but they were all he needed to sign her execution warrant. she was beheaded on the tower green in may, 1536, before elizabeth was even three years old.
elizabeth was sent away from court, as she was a reminder to henry of anne. henry has remarried and was eagerly awaiting the son he hoped jane seymour was carrying. as it turned out, she was...