Elizabeth I: Improving England's International Position Elizabeth Tudor was born in 1533 to King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Her life began amid controversy and continued to be troubled until her death in 1603. Elizabeth, in reality, should never have been the ruler of Great Britain as she had several brothers lining up for the throne before her. After being crowned queen at the age of 25, she reigned successfully for 45 years. Elizabeth increased English power and influence throughout the world, handled sensitive issues such as religion with grace and diplomacy, and gained and maintained the respect of her subjects and other political figures. The fact that she accomplished all this as a woman in a male-dominated society is nothing short of miraculous. The defeat of the "Invincible Spanish Army" in 1588 cemented Queen Elizabeth's place in history as one of the most important and greatest sovereigns in the history of England. When Elizabeth was 3 years old, she was declared illegitimate and lost the title of Princess after her father was arrested and executed her mother on charges of treason, incest and witchcraft. King Henry quickly remarried, and his third wife, Jane Seymour, gave birth to a son, Prince Edward, who became the official heir to the throne. During Elizabeth's young life, she learned six languages, including Latin, Greek, French, and Italian. As a child she was often considered very intelligent and serious. Her guardian, Ascham, observed that Elizabeth's intellect and memory set her apart from others, men and women..