One of the most loved and admired rulers of all time was born on September 7, 1533 at Greenwich Palace. Although in the years to come Queen Elizabeth I would be famed for her extraordinary abilities and achievements, her birth was a huge disappointment on her fathers behalf. Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. He had wanted a son to continue his reign because he had already had a daughter to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
During Elizabeth's childhood years she was well taught, excelled in her studies, and remarkably gifted. It was popular amongst nobility to educate daughters as well as sons. She was especially interested in different languages and by adulthood she could speak five languages fluently.
Elizabeth finally obtained the throne on November 17, 1558. For her it was a sense of accomplishment for the unwanted daughter who was cast aside and forgotten. Now as the Queen, Elizabeth was going to enjoy her freedom and live life to the fullest. She was crowned on Sunday, January 15, 1559. During the next couple of months she worked on re-establishing the Protestant Church perhaps to satisfy the Catholics or those who didn't believe that a woman could become the head of the Church, she became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
She was a committed conservative Protestant and prayed consecutively each day with candles and crucifixes in her private chapel. She liked church music and enjoyed the traditional style of worship which defied with the sermon based service that was typically held in Protestant worship. Queen Elizabeth didn't like religious extremists and didn't want to persecute any of her people for their religious beliefs.
Queen Elizabeth loved all different varieties of sports. Amongst her favorites she especially had an interest for horse riding. In the early years of her reign she spent a good deal of time riding.