I Have Already Joined Myself In

Queen Elizabeth I made this declaration in her speech to Parliament in 1559, responding to pressure to name a successor or take a husband. By identifying herself as married to England, she simultaneously deflected the marriage question and asserted a uniquely personal bond with her realm that transcended dynastic politics. The image of the monarch's mystical marriage to the kingdom drew on medieval traditions of royal consecration and proved highly durable: Elizabeth returned to the theme throughout her reign, displaying her coronation ring as the symbol of this union.