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Marriage (Suitors (Archduke Charles: In 1567 Elizabeth considered marrying…
Marriage
Suitors
Archduke Charles: In 1567 Elizabeth considered marrying Archduke Charles of Austria but his Catholic faith meant there were the same religious differences as with King Philip of Spain, and in the end there was no match.
Francis Duke of Alencon: Marriage negotiations went on for nearly a decade with Francis, who was heir to the French throne. There were many political advantages to be gained from this alliance, for example influence over French policy in the Netherlands, and Elizabeth used this to her advantage. However, Francis died in 1584 and after that Elizabeth was destined to be alone.
King Philip of Spain: In the 1560s, King Philip proposed to Elizabeth. He was a Catholic who had been married to Mary, Elizabeth’s sister. MPs were not in favour of this alliance for fear of causing religious unsettlement and creating a foreign influence in government. Elizabeth cautiously rejected this offer.
Robert Dudley: Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, was an ambitious, good looking courtier. Elizabeth spent a lot of time with him and people thought they were in love, but there was a big problem: he was already married. When his wife was found dead there was a scandal and rumours circulated. This led Elizabeth to withdraw from Dudley as her reputation and position as queen were threatened.
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MPs and the Privy Councillors expected her to marry in order to secure the succession and many foreign princes and English noblemen wanted to marry her
She kept her thoughts on the subject private, but we can speculate as to why she never married. Some historians think she chose not to marry in order to protect England’s security; she wanted to remain independent of any foreign influence which marrying a foreign prince would have brought.
The "Virgin Queen"
Elizabeth emphasised her “Virgin Queen” image by portraying herself as a monarch who put the stability and security of England before her personal happiness. She would not marry anyone who might jeopardise England’s position.