March 24, 1603 - Queen Elizabeth I Dies

For nearly 75 years in the 1500s, England alternated between its official church being the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. When Queen Elizabeth I died on March 24, 1603, many questioned whether the nation would become permanently Catholic or Protestant. Her cousin and successor, James I, deemed the Church of England the official church, and this has remained the official church since then. Pictured is one of Elizabeth’s many necklaces. It is believed these pearls may have belonged to her mother Anne Boleyn.