Dr Kat and The Virgin Queen

Why didn't Elizabeth I get married? There are a number of hypotheses and conspiracies related to this question; this video explores them.

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[elisabetta]

Elizabeth told Robert Dudley she'd never marry when she was EIGHT. The age she was when poor Catherine Howard, the young bubbly stepmother who showered her with treats and affection, was sent to the block by her father. Combine that with her sister and cousin's marriages going belly up and there's ENOUGH reasons there for her to never want to marry. The idea of her having a bastard is ludicrous as she was far too observed and spied upon for that to EVER have happened.

[LibraWitch]

She was tired of men’s sh*t. She saw how disastrous it was for women around her and didn’t want that for herself.

[MehWhatever]

10 year old Elizabeth was known to be extremely intelligent, and was fluent and literate in multiple languages. The idea that a random village boy, who had a passing resemblance, could just take her place, is laughable. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[marylinolazagasti]

I think we need to understand the world in which Elizabeth I lived at. It was a man’s world, females were only seen as objects that were only good to procreate and serve men. Having a female in a position of power was horrific for most people, including females. I think One of the reasons Elizabeth I didn’t marry was because by doing so, she would be overshadowed by her husband power wise and also she would have to face the challenges and dangers of motherhood.

[oklahomorose]

Elizabeth's refusal to marry also gave her a great amount of power as long as she was of child-bearing years. Every eligible man in Europe was clamoring for her hand and she was able to play one against the other to her advantage.

[jallenecs]

Granted, Elizabeth had few good examples of married life in her youth. But I think she told us all what her actual position was when she said, "I will have one mistress here and no master! No man shall rule over me." It was political: Elizabeth would not share power.

[buny]

While I am sure that Elizabeth's childhood traumas were a huge influence, I believe the most convincing reason that she chose not to marry was that she did not want to give up her rule. Honestly, I believe that she was very smart in making this choice.

[orsino]

Henry's daughters were in an unusual position. While any number of European princesses might be shopped around for several years for an advantageous match (look at the girls' own aunt, Anne of Cleves), Mary and Elizabeth had very questionable status--were they legitimate or not? Once they were free of father and brother, they, particularly Mary, were getting a little old to marry. The consequences for Mary we see--she made her own choice, but he did not care for her; his status in England was debatable; she was too old to conceive. Elizabeth, again, might have made her own choice, but marriage would have been distasteful to her for numerous reasons. What does her childhood prove? That if you love a man, he kills you (Boleyn, Howard), threatens to kill you (Parr), shames or repudiates you (Aragon, Cleves), or you die in childbirth (Seymour). Even if he's a wonderful man, what is his rank? Does he rule, reign, advise? Does he get to practice his own religion, or not? See Victoria's reign for several rounds of awkwardness about a Prince Consort's role (Anne's husband was amazingly compliant). For all those reasons, marriage would have seemed the worst choice. She wasn't uninterested in sex and male beauty--but marriage? No.

[lemongrabloids]

She wasn’t prepared to give away her power and control. Props to her ♥️

[Nana-vird]

In my opinion, Elizabeth the first never married for many reasons all very good ones as well. First, look at her childhood, the killing of her mother, the death of Queen Jane, the death of Katherine Howard, these would have left a lasting impression on the child. Then the nightmare of her stepmother's husband, Thomas Seymour, I personally know what that is like having lived through it myself. Then the business with her brother, her so much them, but those close to them who feared her as a replacement ruler. She pretty much had to do battle of the wits through those years. And of course all the reason you mentioned but one other one as well. She knew all too well that if she married she would not know if it was because he loved her or the crown was what he wanted. In a royal court that was the utmost on everyone's I think she was right in refusing to marry, she had more than enough to deal with just ruling England. But to have to deal with a husband and possibly facing death because she had gotten pregnant would have too much indeed for any woman to deal with in those days.

[KamiAva]

as a child of divorced parents/ abusive parents it has affected me into not being able to have simple friendships, I am sure that Elizabeth's childhood traumas were a huge influence like it is with me

[susanorr]

I also think that queen Elizabeth 1 did not want to share her power—she was both “king and queen.”

[joansmith]

Surrounded by ladies-in-waiting her whole life its highly unlikely that if Elizabeth didn't menstruate every month somebody would have said SOMETHING about it. Personally I think Elizabeth wanted to keep every ounce of power she had. She loved Dudley but even he was ambitious and she knew it. And secondary to all this the deaths, natural or otherwiswe made her very wary of the institution of marriage. Bu was she a virgin? Doubtful. I think Dudley relieved her of that. Ans she loved him to the end. She kept his last letter to her by her bedside til she died. I think she and Dudley had a great love affair that lasted for years.She was probably and luckily, barren.

[nekoneko]

I think also the risk of childbirth was throwing her off... She lost 2 step-mothers and for sure even more women around her due to this issue...
I really wonder what she had in mind regarding what will happen to the throne after her death and being the last Tudor... She must have a lot of thoughts about it...

[LazyDaisyDay]

What an excellent video. I love how you discuss the likely reality rather than the romance of history.
Honestly, I think her whole life before she became Queen of England was just SO precarious. She could have been imprisoned or assassinated at any time and she knew it. Once Queen, why would she be in a hurry to hand over that power to a man, as her half-sister had done. "This is God's doing. And it is marvelous!" She was there by the Grace of God and decided to rule like her father. Whatever the faults of her reign, she was an amazing woman.

[desertflower]

She was shown, first hand, how destabilizing marriage was. That’s all she knew of marriage. Why would she want that? As Queen, she was the only woman around who could choose not to marry.

[danaegore]

I like your last theory. I always leaned more on her being afraid of marriage due to her childhood experiences, sexual abuse, and not having authority over her own life.

[alanfarrant]

Elizabeths well attested intelligence was the reason she had no intention of marrying. Her tutor Robert Ascham declared there "were not four men in the realm who could best her". She used her formidable intelligence to avoid the pitfalls of marriage in a terrifying age for women

[TheStipple]

Although I've always enjoyed the conspiracy theory about Elizabeth being a substituted boy as improbable as it is, your gentle debunking is the most sensible I've ever heard. I've always thought Elizabeth was too strong to hand over her self control and kingdom to a husband. This is a brilliant analysis.

[kelliebom]

I love these videos! I'm on a QUARANTINE QUEEN obsession and Dr. Kat is the expert!