A contemporary image of a woman with new born babyA new Elizabethan history revision video is online. It looks at the issue of succession and how successfully Elizabeth dealt with it.

When Elizabeth became Queen in 1558 she was just 25 years old. However, the issue of succession was important despite her youth. Elizabeth was not recognised as the legitimate heir by many Catholics. For example, Henri II of France preferred Mary Queen of Scots. Moreover, Mary was the next in line to the throne. If Elizabeth died unmarried and childless then Mary would become Queen of England. Following Elizabeth’s near fatal attack of smallpox in 1562, this seemed to be horribly plausible for many Englishmen.