The general rejoicing that greeted Elizabeth's ascension to the throne of England in 1558 could not disguise the magnitude of the problems that the young queen faced. Not only was she “but a woman” in a hard and uncompromising age, but her kingdom had been torn by religious strife for more than ten years. Her reign was to be remembered as one of the most glorious of English history, yet Elizabeth's contemporaries could never forget that she was a woman. The greatest men in the kingdom competed for her favor, and the greatest princes of Europe vied for her hand. Throughout her reign, she used her sex as a source of strength, not weakness, and she was to leave behind her a truly united nation, and the legend of a golden age.

Neville Williams was the Deputy Keeper of Public Records. His numerous books include Elizabeth, Queen of England, Henry VIII and His Court, Chronicle of the Expanding World, 1492-1762, and Chronology of the Modern World, 1763-1965.