Elizabeth I

[spagnold]

Why did Elizabeth I never marry?

[FionaS]

Several reasons as I understand it:
1) england was both weak and poor when she came to reign, by staying single and therefore available for marriage to other royal houses of Europe she was able to limit their appetite for conquest as england could be "acquired" by marrying its queen
2) the country was in religious upheaval and the major powers at that time were Catholic so she would have had to convert both herself and her countrymen, or if she marries a protestant she could have involved england in their religious wars and incurred the further wrath of the catholic countries
3) we also want to believe that she wanted to rule herself in order to look after her subjects
4) she cultivated an image of Gloriana, she was a living symbol of England and what it stood for and in this way forged a united nation out of a poor country harried by war and religious persecution
5) and finally perhaps most telling, considering her father had her Mothers head lopped off to get of a marriage, she could have been understandable cautious about tying the knot herself!

[DaveyBoy P]

No 4 above isnt a reason why she didn't get married! She could have done all of this with a husband in tow. The real answer is that her breath stank too much for any bloke to marry her. Her teeth were black and rotted (she had a sweet tooth) and must have stank like hell. She wasn't a virgin though - the court records of the time indicate she had several lovers.

[emandvee]

I read in a book many years ago that Elizabeth did not have the required equipment to consumate any marriage.

[babthrower]

Fiona's reasons are good reasons, but I think she didn't want to lose power. If she married, as a woman she would be in the background. Throughout her ruling life she was constantly pressured to marry by her advisors. They wanted an heir, and they were afraid a woman was not strong enough to rule. So why would she resist? Well, she had seen the fate of Mary her sister after she married Philip of Spain, and had seen her own mother's fate. I guess she preferred the status quo. As to her inability to have sex, this was a rumor started by her enemies, and there is no evidence it was true. As to her physical repulsiveness, that was never a barrier to a royal marriage. Her father married several times after his syphilis was so advanced that he was covered with sores and ulcers.

[Melissa]

I agree with Fiona S on her answers and I would like to point out to DaveyBoy that if Elizabeth stank then her courtiers and her subjects could not have been much better. I would also point out that one of the reasons Elizabeth probably did not marry is that she would have been expected to surrender her power as monarch to her husband. Despite the fact she was heiress to the throne it was not considered proper to have a woman on the throne, a fact which is reflected in her own writings, she often referred to herself as a weak and feeble woman, she was also regarded as an honorary Prince for much of her reign.

[lostnyer]

Everything I have ever read about Elizabeth I said that the reason she gave for not marrying is she didn't want a man in her father's place. She wanted to be there herself. I would imagine, however, after watching her mother and her step mother(s) slaughtered, she might have been a bit squeamish about having a husband who would then be king. As for the answer saying she didn't have the parts, she was examined not once but twice by physicians to verify she was a virgin (the second time after the infamous "everything but penetration" episode when she had small pox). Her being asexual is just a myth, much like the one about her being bald.