In the 30s of the 16th century, the wave of the Reformation reached England. The birth of Elizabeth I (1533-1603) coincided with church reforms carried out by her father Henry VIII. Having created a church independent from Rome, the king split society into two irreconcilable camps - Catholics and Protestants. This opposition runs like a red thread throughout the reign of Elizabeth I. Due to the fact that Queen Elizabeth rejected marriage proposals over and over again, she went down in history as the “Virgin Queen.” The point was not about her personal affections, but about the status of the English crown. It was difficult to marry a monarch of equal dignity: almost all the strongest kings of Europe were Catholics. There were also Protestants among them - for example, some princes of the Holy Roman Empire, but Elizabeth refused them too. The unresolved problem with marriage gave rise to many rumors and speculation, but Elizabeth finally decided that the well-being of the state was more important than her personal interests. The Queen spent her entire life in an environment of continuous palace and political intrigue; she constantly balanced between peace and war, love and politics, loyalty and deceit. Having survived the execution of her mother and the hatred of her half-sister, the last representative of the Tudor dynasty is the most prominent figure in the long line of English queens. The Reformation led to a sharp confrontation between Spain, the most powerful Catholic power in Europe, and Protestant England. During the reign of Elizabeth I, relations between England and Spain deteriorated significantly. English sailors regularly robbed Spanish ships and raided its colonies, thereby depriving Spain of income from the American colonies. Queen Elizabeth for a long time pursued a cautious policy in order to avoid an open military conflict with Spain, but, understanding its inevitability, she paid great attention to the development of the fleet. By 1588, when the Spanish "Invincible Armada" moved to conquer England. The British had only 197 low-sided ships, superior to the ships of Spain in maneuverability, armament and command training of crews. The successful tactics chosen by the English captains and the weather conditions made it possible to defeat the Spanish fleet. The defeat of the “Invincible Armada” in July-August 1588 was a terrible blow for Spain, undermining its prestige and naval power. The news of the defeat of the “Invincible Armada” instantly spread throughout Europe. This victory was the greatest success of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The forty-five-year reign of this amazing woman made England one of the most powerful countries in Europe and laid the foundation for the creation of a powerful British Empire.