Elizabeth had the attention of many English courtiers, foreign princes, kings, etc. there was for sure no shortage of suitors that would have loved to have the Queen's hand in marriage. Even though she insisted that she preferred the single life, she kept her potential suitors thinking they had a chance with her. She even had some of her suitors entangled in a lusty web. This deception was a purposeful strategy on the Queen's part, since by keeping foreign princes in expectation; she kept them friendly when they might otherwise have made war on her and her empire. Elizabeth was the most sought after woman in Europe. She received offers of marriage from the King Philip II of Spain, Prince Erik of Sweden, the son of John Frederic Duke of Saxony, the Earl of Arundel, The Archduke Charles (son of the Emperor Ferdinand), The Earl of Arran, and Sir William Pickering. Elizabeth respectfully rejected the proposal made by King Philip II of Spain, she knew the only reason he proposed in the first place was because he still wanted to be King of England.
