The Tudor Royal Court | Birth of a Princess | Perils of Youth | Forms of Identity Perils of Youth At his death in 1547, Henry VIII left the kingdom of England first to his son Edward, then to his daughters in birth order: Mary and Elizabeth. During Edward's and Mary's reigns, ambitious courtiers saw Elizabeth as a vehicle for their own advancement. Protestants who opposed Mary's restoration of Catholicism rallied around Elizabeth as their symbol and their hope. Repeatedly Elizabeth faced imprisonment or death at the hands of her siblings or their supporters. But when Elizabeth's day finally came, she proved to be a sovereign worthy of comparison with her mighty father. Return to The Young Elizabeth
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