Princess Elizabeth's letter to Catherine Parr, year 1547

Source:

Handwriting of the Kings and Queens of England, W. J. Hardy, 1893

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.21209/page/n105/mode/2up

Above: Elizabeth as princess, formerly attributed to William Scrots.

Above: Catherine Parr, painted by Master John.

Elizabeth I (born September 7, 1533, died March 24, 1603), was queen of England and Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death on March 24, 1603. Also known as the Virgin Queen, Gloriana and Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the last of the five monarchs of the House of Tudor.

Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn, who was executed two and a half years after Elizabeth's birth. Anne's marriage to Henry was declared null and void, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Her younger half-brother Edward VI, who ruled from 1547 until his death in 1553, bequeathed the Crown to Lady Jane Grey and ignored Elizabeth's claim to the throne as well as that of her older half-sister Mary, in spite of statute law to the contrary. Edward's will was set aside and Mary became queen, having Jane deposed and executed. During Mary's reign, Elizabeth was imprisoned for almost a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.

Upon Mary's death in 1558, Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister to the throne and set out to rule by good counsel. She depended heavily on a group of trusted advisors, led by William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley. One of Elizabeth's first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the supreme governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England. Elizabeth was expected to marry and produce an heir, but despite numerous courtships, she never did either. After her death, she was eventually succeeded by her first cousin twice removed, King James VI of Scotland, laying the foundation for the Kingdom of Great Britain. She had earlier been responsible for the imprisonment and execution of James's mother Mary, Queen of Scots.

In government, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been. One of her mottoes was "video et taceo" — "I see and keep silent." In religion, she was relatively tolerant and avoided systemic persecution. After the Pope declared her illegitimate in 1570 and released her subjects from obedience to her, there were several conspiracies that threatened Elizabeth's life, all of which were defeated with the help of her ministers' secret service. Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs, manouvering between the major powers of France and Spain. She only half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective, poorly resourced military campaigns in the Netherlands, France and Ireland. By the mid 1580s, war between England and Spain was inevitable. England's victory against the Spanish Armada in 1588 associated Elizabeth with one of the greatest military victories in English history.

As she grew older, Elizabeth became widely celebrated for her virginity and celibacy. A cult grew around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants and literature of the time. Elizabeth's reign became known to history as the Elizabethan era. Some historians depict her as a short-tempered, sometimes indecisive ruler who enjoyed more than her share of luck. Towards the end of her reign, a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity. Elizabeth is acknowledged as a charismatic performer and a dogged survivor in an era when government was ramshackle and limited, and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardised their thrones. After the short reigns of her half-siblings, Elizabeth's 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped forge a sense of national identity for England.

Elizabeth wrote this letter to her last stepmother, the Dowager Queen Catherine Parr, in 1547, when she was fourteen years old.

The letter:

Althougth I coulde not be plentiful in givinge thankes for the manifolde kindenis receyved at your hithnis hande at my departure, yet I am some thinge to be borne with al, for truly I was replete with sorowe to departe from your highnis, especially levinge you undoubful of helthe, and albeit I answered litel, I wayed it more dipper whan you sayd you wolde warne me of al evelles that you shulde hire of me, for if your grace had not a good opinion of me you wolde not have offered frindeship to me that way, that al men iuge the contrarye, but what may I more say than thanke God for providinge suche frendes to me, desiringe God to enriche me with ther longe life, and me grace to be in hart no les thankeful to receyve it, than I nowe am glad in writinge to shewe it. And althougth I have plentye of matter, hire I wil staye, for I knowe you ar not quiet to rede.
Frome Cheston this present Saterday.
Your hithnis humble doughter
ELIZABETH.

With modernised spelling:

Although I could not be plentiful in giving thanks for the manifold kindness received at Your Highness's hand at my departure, yet I am some thing to be borne with all, for truly I was replete with sorrow to depart from Your Highness, especially leaving you undoubtful of health, and albeit I answered little, I weighed it more deeper whan you said you would warn me of all evils that you should hear of me, for if your grace had not a good opinion of me you would not have offered friendship to me that way, that all men judge the contrary, but what may I more say than thank God for providing such friends to me, desiring God to enrich me with their long life, and me grace to be in heart no less thankful to receive it, than I now am glad in writing to shew it. And although I have plenty of matter, here I will stay, for I know you are not quiet to read.
From Cheston, this present Saturday.
Your Highness's humble daughter
ELIZABETH.

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