How Elizabeth I’s death ushered in a tumultuous new era
What happened to Queen Elizabeth I in her final days? How did the legendary monarch’s death in March 1603 bring the Stuart dynasty to the English throne?
Image: The Death of Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1828) by Paul Delaroche | Public Domain
Queen Elizabeth I is among British history’s best-known monarchs. She is indelibly associated with England’s naval triumph over the Spanish Armada in 1588. Her reign from 1558 to 1603 also saw the English theatrical scene flourish, with playwrights like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe making their mark.
All good things, as the saying goes, must come to an end. In Elizabeth’s case, it was 24th March 1603, when she passed away at the age of 69. While the cause of death is unclear to this day, various theories are explored on Sky HISTORY’s Royal Autopsy.
Of more immediate significance was what Elizabeth’s death meant for the kingdom she bequeathed to her distant cousin James I. The Virgin Queen (so-called as she never married or produced offspring) was England’s last Tudor monarch. However, the incoming Stuart dynasty turned out to have a shaky hold on the throne, as we at Sky HISTORY were surprised to learn.
How Elizabeth rescued England from political turmoil
To really appreciate Elizabeth’s acumen, it’s important to consider the volatile political situation she inherited. After her father Henry VIII’s death in 1547, the throne fell to the child king Edward VI. Though his reign saw the state religion shift dramatically from Catholicism and towards Protestantism, Edward died aged just 15 in 1553.
His staunchly Catholic half-sister Mary I was determined to reverse these religious reforms. However, her brutal attempts to do so – including burning religious dissenters at the stake – lumbered her with the disparaging nickname ‘Bloody Mary’. She died childless in 1558, leading her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth to inherit the throne — and restore political stability across the kingdom.
Elizabeth I’s final days
Elizabeth remained sprightly well into her late sixties. However, in the last few months of her life, several friends passed away, sending her reeling. She was especially distraught by the Countess of Nottingham’s death in February.
By March 1603, Elizabeth was keeping herself holed up at Richmond Palace with numerous ladies-in-waiting. Elizabeth resisted lying down out of fear that she would never rise again. When she did eventually go to bed, her health deteriorated. The queen died in the early hours of 24th March.
What did Elizabeth I die of?
We can’t be certain, as the dying Elizabeth insisted that no postmortem be carried out on her body. In the centuries since, many possible causes of death have been suggested – from blood poisoning (attributed to her lead-lined makeup) to cancer.
In Sky HISTORY’s Royal Autopsy, presenter Professor Alice Roberts and pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer weigh up several theories. In the end, they posit that bronchopneumonia was the biggest factor, possibly exacerbated by Elizabeth’s melancholia. The queen’s low mood may have weakened her immune system, making her more susceptible to illness from which she could otherwise have recovered.
Did Elizabeth I ever name an heir?
Given the patriarchal attitudes dominant in Elizabeth’s time, she was understandably reluctant to marry. Had she done so, she would have had to surrender her royal power to her spouse. However, by forgoing marriage, she also denied herself biological children who would have stood to legitimately inherit her throne.
Elizabeth still had distant relatives she could potentially have named as heirs. Nonetheless, for decades, she resisted doing so. This was presumably out of fear that her enemies would plot to overthrow her in favor of her named heir. So, did she finally relent on her deathbed?
According to the contemporary writer William Camden’s Annals, a history of the Elizabethan era, this did happen. This book published in the early 17th century claims that the ailing Elizabeth expressly indicated that James ought to succeed her. However, research suggests that this detail was added long after Elizabeth’s death to give James (by then widely unpopular) a much-needed PR boost.
James I takes over at last
Whatever Elizabeth’s feelings about James’ credentials as her potential successor, she did regularly write to him in the years before her death. So did Robert Cecil, her chief minister. James had already reigned as King of Scots since 1567 – and, largely thanks to Cecil’s diplomacy, smoothly succeeded to the English throne upon Elizabeth’s death.
Unfortunately, James soon found himself in conflict with the English Parliament. The even less pragmatic rule of his own successor, Charles I, eventually brought on the English Civil War, culminating in the English monarchy’s short-lived abolition.
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