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At first, Elizabeth was unwilling to sign Mary's death warrant.  Elizabeth's ministers eventually persuaded her.

Trouble with Philip  II

• Elizabeth rejected his marriage proposal.
• He was angry that Elizabeth did nothing to stop English pirates.
• Religious differences.

With the execution of Mary, Philip decided he had to put an end to Elizabeth and her Protestant government.  The Spanish Invasion plans began.

In July 1588, Philip sent 129 ships with almost 20,000 soldiers from Spain to invade England.  Reached Calais on 6 August.

The Spanish suffered a fireship attack and many losses in a battle off Gravelines.  The defeated survivors of the Armada tried to reach home by sailing north around Scotland, but many were wrecked in storms. 

Elizabeth I never married, but there were many who wanted to marry her.  She claimed that she was 'married to her people' rather than one person.

A foreign husband would have caused other countries to get jealous and could cause further religious trouble.  As she never married, she never had to choose one side over another.

Elizabeth I also had to deal with increasing numbers of beggars and vagrants.  The Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 was an attempt to solve the problems.

Did Elizabeth successfully solve the problems?

Use these key points as a starting point together with your own study to reach a conclusion backed up with evidence.