Sacred monarch
Two of Elizabeth’s first laws after her coronation involved the church. “Like father like daughter,” Elizabeth proposed the Act of Supremacy, …show more content…
She was not afraid to let her people know that she was grounded enough to able to assess her own regime; she explained to her nation that the choices and sacrifices she had made were all on behalf of her people. Doing so allowed England to feel a closer connection with their queen, as well as accepting the sacrifices they would have made, either in their own lives or as citizens of their country. Her words also enabled her to put her position in perspective for herself. Here her archetypal female characteristics allowed her to take a step back and assess herself, free from hubris and with an open mind and …show more content…
4). She therefore understood the importance of inner truth, a virtue that extended throughout her life and reign. Much of her understanding of leadership was grounded in a solid mind and the thinking of things through fully and making decisions without rashness. When she was 16, Elizabeth faced one of her many lifelong challenges involving rumor and suspicion of conspiracy and wanton behavior. She was promised that any charges of slander would be met with severe punishment, and all she had to do was report the men responsible. Elizabeth declined this agreement, already exhibiting an unusual understanding of public opinion and human psychology. Although offered a swift opportunity for vengeance, the young Elizabeth explained in a letter, “This should be but a breeding of an evil name of me, that I am glad to punish them, and so get the evil will of the people, which thing I loth to have” (Axelrod, 2000, p. 5). Never the naïve one, however, Elizabeth then reasoned that she knew rumors required a response; her response was forceful, swift, and, most importantly, overwhelmingly positive. She handled the situation with aplomb by offering up a positive solution phrased as a request and not a demand, thereby “selling” her ideas. She took the focus off of herself and made her request more about helping