I Would Rather Be A Beggar

This saying is attributed to Queen Elizabeth I in reports from various courtiers and is consistent with her sustained refusal to marry despite intense Parliamentary and diplomatic pressure throughout her reign. Elizabeth used the question of marriage and succession as a diplomatic tool, keeping European powers in suspense about potential alliances; she also appeared to genuinely value the independence that remaining unmarried gave her. After watching the political fates of her mother Anne Boleyn and her cousin Mary Queen of Scots, who both suffered devastatingly from their marriages, her position had a strong personal logic.