Elizabeth I was born on September 7, 1533 at Greenwich Palace near London. Her
father was England\'s King Henry VIII; her mother was the king\'s second wife,
Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth had an older half-sister, Mary, who was the daughter of the
king\'s first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
King Henry had moved heaven and earth to marry Anne Boleyn. He had parted
from the Catholic church, established the Church of England, and annulled his
twenty-four year marriage to Queen Catherine - partly because he loved Anne, and
partly because he wanted the male heir Catherine could not give him. Henry and
Anne were convinced that their first child would be a boy. The new queen even had
a document drawn up ahead of time that announced the birth of a prince. When the
prince turned out to be a princess, her parents were dismayed.
Over the next few years Anne had three miscarriages, and Henry - who had become
disenchanted with her even before Elizabeth\'s birth - decided to be rid of her. In......
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