Decades on a Tightrope

Elizabeth survived assassination plots, foreign invasion, and bitter religious feuds for more than four decades without losing her throne or her head.

• Religious settlement: kept England Protestant but left enough old ritual to calm moderate Catholics
• Naval power: the 1588 Armada win put England on the map at sea
• Cultural boom: her reign produced Shakespeare, Marlowe, and a golden age of theater

Her caution was vindicated by her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, whose reckless marriages led to scandal, prison, and the executioner's block.