Elizabeth and Victoria

Elizabeth I lived in the 16th century. Her father was Henry VIII. He had 6 wives ; among these was Elizabeth’s mother, who was beheaded in 1536: Ann Boleyn. Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1558 and she reigned for 45 years. In that second half of the 16th century she was far from idle; she restored the Anglican Church which her father had created, she fought against Spain and defeated the Invincible Armada -no longer invincible- which Europe feared most, she created the East India Company and started the colonization of America. Her era is known as the Golden Age of Britain, a period when art and literature were encouraged.

Queen Victoria lived in the 19th century. She ruled over England for 64 years, from 1837 to 1901, nineteen years longer than Elizabeth! She ascended the throne when she was barely eighteen, and her reign is associated with industrial expansion, economic progress, the Great Exhibition of 1851, the introduction of postage stamps and empire. Indeed, when she died, it was said that the sun never set on the British empire. As far as foreign policy is concerned, she felt concerned with peace and reconciliation; that’s why she did not intervene in the war between Prussia, Denmark and Austria.

Doc. 1. Queen Elizabeth I	Doc. 2. Queen Victoria

- Henry VIII
- Ann Boleyn
- industrial expansion
- economic progress
- the Great Exhibition

sovereign: souverain
idle: désoeuvré, inactif
era: ère
her people: son peuple
barely: à peine