Extracts for English Reading 9+/10+ Test 5

Queen Elizabeth I

by Ken Nelson

• Occupation: Queen of England
• Born: September 7, 1533 in Greenwich, England
• Died: March 24, 1603 in Richmond, England
• Best known for: Ruling England for 44 years

Growing Up as a Princess

Princess Elizabeth was born on September 7, 1533. Her father Henry the Eighth was the King of England, but King Henry did not want a daughter as an heir to the throne. He wanted a son to take over as king someday. He had a son, Prince Edward.

Growing up

Elizabeth was quite clever and learned to read and write in different languages. She also learned how to sew and play music.

Her Father Dies

When Elizabeth was thirteen years old her father, King Henry, died. Her father left the throne to his son Edward.

Sister to the Queen

Soon, young King Edward became sick and died at thirteen years old. Elizabeth's half-sister Mary became Queen. The people of England didn't like Queen Mary. She had Elizabeth put in prison. Elizabeth actually spent two months in a jail cell at the Tower of London.

From Prisoner to Queen

Elizabeth was in the tower when Mary died. In just a few moments, she went from prisoner to Queen of England. She was crowned Queen of England on January 15, 1559 at the age of twenty-five.

Being Queen

Elizabeth worked hard at being a good queen; the English people liked her. She visited different cities in England and avoided fighting wars. She did not want to conquer other countries, yet during her reign, many people explored the world. She only wanted England to be safe and become richer. During her long forty-four year reign, people tried to kill her so she set up a spy network.

Interesting Facts about Queen Elizabeth I

• In 1562 she became sick with a disease called smallpox, but managed to survive.
• Elizabeth liked to have pictures painted of her.
• Elizabeth enjoyed dressing in fancy gowns with wide sleeves.
• By the end of her reign, there were around 200,000 people living in the city of London.
• She was a huge fan of William Shakespeare's plays.
• One of her nicknames was Good Queen Bess.