Does queen Elizabeth 1st deserve her good reputation?

Answer 1

Elizabeth 1 presided over a time of great expansion and upheaval. Henry VIII had broken with the Church of Rome, Catholics had been persecuted and Church property destroyed. Henry's actions have been compared to Mao Zadong's Cultural Revolution. Elizabeth brought some stability to English society and expanded England's social and political power. Her use of piracy against her Spanish enemies can be seen as State-approved aggression outside of the common rules of war.

Elizabeth also pursued her perceived enemies, using spies, torture and barbaric executions against some of them.