Elizabeth I was undisputedly one of the greatest monarchs of England who ruled the country from 1558 to 1603. Popularly known as the Virgin Queen, her 45 years of reign marked a glorious epoch in English history. Contrastingly, when Elizabeth took over as the Queen of England, the country was at its weakest self—economically bankrupt, religiously torn and politically endangered by the greater powers of France and Spain. Furthermore, her position itself was vulnerable given the fact that the world awaited her marriage and birth of her progenies to reinstate her husband/child as the actual ruler of the nation. Nevertheless, Elizabeth I had other plans. Instead of bowing down to the pressure, Elizabeth singularly ruled from the front. Her shrewd intelligence, sharp wit and headstrong determination helped her sail England through the tough times. She not just established the Church of England securing a compromise between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, but helped England bag one of the greatest military victories against Spain by defeating the Spanish Armada. It was also during Elizabethan era that English literature flourished at its best, led by the giants William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Edmund Spenser. Overall, she was a legendary ruler who led England towards peace and stability.