5. Elizabeth I of England: The Golden Age of England // Золотой Век Англии // A2 listening

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# 5. Elizabeth I of England: The Golden Age of England

My name is Mary and I am an actress at the Globe Theatre in London. Every day, I play in the old plays of William Shakespeare on our wooden stage. Today, before our show, I want to tell you about the queen of Shakespeare's time. Her name was Elizabeth the First. She was the daughter of King Henry the Eighth. The years of her rule were so good for England that we call them the "Golden Age."

Elizabeth was born in 1533. Her mother was Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry. When Elizabeth was only two years old, her mother was killed by her father. Now Elizabeth was a princess without a mother. The little girl had a difficult life. Her father did not visit her often. But she was very clever. She had good teachers, and she loved to learn. She could speak Latin, Greek, French, Italian, and Spanish.

After her father died, England had problems. Her younger brother, Edward, became king, but he died young. Then her older sister, Mary, became queen. Mary was Catholic, but Elizabeth was Protestant. The two sisters did not like each other. Mary thought Elizabeth wanted to take the crown. So she sent Elizabeth to the Tower of London. The Tower was a prison, and many people died there. Elizabeth was very afraid. But she stayed calm and clever. She wrote letters to her sister and said she was loyal. After some months, Mary let her go.

In 1558, Mary died. Elizabeth was now the queen. She was twenty-five years old. She wore beautiful red and gold dresses. She had red hair and white skin. The people loved her. They called her "Good Queen Bess."

Elizabeth was a very wise leader. The country was poor when she became queen. There was a fight between Catholics and Protestants. She found a peaceful way. She said the Church of England was the main church, but she did not punish people for their beliefs in a hard way. She wanted peace at home.

Many men wanted to marry Elizabeth. Kings from France and Spain asked for her hand. The English lords also asked her to marry. But Elizabeth always said no. "I am married to England," she said. People called her "the Virgin Queen." She did not want to share her power with any man.

The biggest danger came from Spain. The Spanish king, Philip, was Catholic, and he wanted to take England. In 1588, he sent a huge fleet of ships, called the Spanish Armada. They had 130 big ships and many soldiers. The English ships were smaller, but faster. There was a great battle in the English Channel. A big storm helped the English. The Spanish Armada was beaten. It was a big victory for England.

The years of Queen Elizabeth were a wonderful time for art and music. A young man called William Shakespeare wrote his famous plays. People went to the theatre to watch them. Brave sailors, like Francis Drake, sailed all around the world. They brought new things to England, like potatoes and tobacco.

Elizabeth got old. She was never a wife or a mother, but the country was her family. She died in 1603, when she was sixty-nine years old. Because she had no children, the next king came from Scotland. But people never forgot Elizabeth. They remembered her as one of the best leaders England has ever had.

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