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Gloria

December 3, 2020

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Gloria

Gloria was born into a family where the father wanted a boy, and to a mother who would be killed by the father just a few years later.  She grew up in a house with neither parent, and later was molested and physically abused by her stepfather.  As a young lady, she was nearly murdered by her sister, and later in life, she was nearly murdered by a cousin. 


While Gloria experienced many disadvantages due simply to having been born female, she managed to cope with her circumstances and eventually succeed.  She was very observant, very studious, hard-working, was very courageous, and ended up gaining the confidence of those who were willing to work with her.


As it turns out, Gloria has a very special place in world history.  She is actually known as Queen Elizabeth (I), and was later in life given a title "Gloriana".  She was one of the best monarchs of all time, anywhere, and possibly the most intelligent.  Elizabeth stood up to the foremost world power, Spain, who intended to invade England, and nearly destroyed Spain's navy, twice!  If not for Elizabeth, the New World would be completely different, and the United States quite possibly would not even exist.


There are a number of things to observe in the ultimate success of a woman so victimized from practically the beginning of her life.


  1. She almost always let rational thought prevail over fear.
  2. She learned how to communicate extremely well, including in multiple other languages
  3. She won over a very hostile Parliament that was about to tear her apart over granting of "monopolies" to favored individuals.  She did so with a gifted combination of eloquence and humility.
  4. She bought time and out maneuvered foreign enemies through strategic foreign alliances.
  5. She gave a very inspirational speech to the Navy just before they took on the enormous Spanish Armada.
  6. Her enemies were both men and women.
  7. Her sister, Queen Mary and her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots tried to destroy her.
  8. Her governess/tutor Kat Ashley tried to protect her from molestation.
  9. Her military commander, the 2nd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, tried to overthrow her.
  10. Her chief of security, Sir Francis Walsingham, protected her many times.
  11. God appears to have figured heavily in her survival and success.
  12. Her sister Mary and her brother Edward, both ahead of Elizabeth in the line of succession, died early of natural causes.
  13. While the English navy could shoot enemy sailors, they couldn't sink the ships.  However, gale- force winds came along and dashed the Spanish ships into the coast of the Netherlands.
  14. Elizabeth's spies and allies seemed to be in the right places at the crucial times to hear or intercept dangerous communications.



Sources:

Elizabeth:  The Virgin Queen, with David Starkey.  History – British Collection; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmhak-RI67o&t=457s 


American History:  English Settlers Establish Colonies in the New World;  http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/jamestown-raleigh-powhatan-pilgrims/1511366.html 


United States History:  Spanish Armada; http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1134.html 

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