| Queen Elizabeth I, one of the greatest politicians the world has ever known. Inheriting a bankrupt country riven by religious persecutions, in her 44-year reign she led England to a golden age of peace and prosperity, encouraging exploration and the arts. Known in her later years as "Gloriana," she managed to rule in her own right, unmarried, and gain the respect of even her enemies, in an age where women were considered defective and in need of husbands to handle the challenging world of politics.1 |