Today in 1558 Elizabeth I left Hatfield House, where she had been living as Princess, on her way to London, traveling as Queen. Her train of followers was nearly 1000 people, and she processed through Hertfordshire, being met in Barnet by the Sheriff of London who rode with her down the Great North Road, through Highgate, which was just a tiny village then, to the City. Random Fun Fact: When I first moved to London, I lived in Barnet. It’s the last stop on the Northern Line, just after a stop that has the most quintessentially British name, Totteridge and Whetstone. Anyway, I digress.
Elizabeth had no trouble in claiming the throne. There were no other claimants, and the City was tired of the burnings of Mary, and were ready for a fresh start. The City responded in a way that has been described as rapturous.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.
Suggested links:
Spring 2019 Tudor Summit: Dr. Estelle Paranque on Elizabeth I Through Foreign Eyes
Episode 23 Mary Tudor (Mary I)
From the shop:
Celebrations of Elizabeth I Collection
Featuring: Elizabeth I Tudor Thug Life Shirt
Ps. All products are made on-demand and can take a few weeks to ship.
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast,  one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.