16. Elizabeth I – the so-called “Virgin Queen” – ordered the murders of at least three of her relatives, including her cousin, Mary, to hold onto her crown
Elizabeth I, known colloquially as the “Virgin Queen“, was the last of the Tudor monarchs, reigning as Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 until her death in 1603. The daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth’s claim to the throne was declared illegitimate as a result of their marital annulment. Consequently, upon the death of the young Edward VI in 1553, the crown was bequeathed to Lady Jane Grey. Failing to defend her claim, Grey was executed and Elizabeth’s half-sister, Mary, was crowned instead. Mary, suffering from cancer, died without producing an heir in 1558, in turn passing the throne to the twenty-five-year-old Elizabeth.
Although more moderate in governing than her father and siblings, Elizabeth was ruthless in protecting her crown from rivals. Fearing a French presence in Scotland, she defeated, imprisoned, and later executed her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, who had married Henry Stuart and enjoyed a claim to the English throne. Elizabeth also executed one of Mary’s key supporters, Thomas, Duke of Norfolk. Involved in multiple insurrections, Thomas was Elizabeth’s cousin. Even her favorite relatives were not safe should they threaten her position, with Robert Devereux, Elizabeth’s first-cousin-twice-removed executed in 1601.