| Summary |
Elizabeth Stuart was the daughter of James VI of Scotland who became King James I of England in 1603. Although she would never inherit the English throne, she holds a special place in seventeenth century European history. It was her destiny to become involved in the climactic struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism, the Thirty Years' War. She represents the role an English royal woman played in the late Reformation during the religio-political crisis of that period. Elizabeth was named the Hope of the Protestant Cause and she was determined to always fulfill her title. In 1613 she married Elector Frederick of the Palatinate, the Calvinist head of the Union of Protestant Princes. The wedding was seen as a statement of religious policy, a firm indication that Great Britain would support the Elector Palatine against the Catholic powers. Elizabeth's influence was first felt in Heidelberg, the intellectual and cultural center of German Calvinism during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Although neither of them was devoutly religious, Frederick and Elizabeth were destined to defend their Protestant faith against the Catholic Habsburg powers. Although neither of them was devoutly religious, they realized their position in life to defend Protestantism. They lived happily at Heidelberg. However, the political events in Bohemia made this only a peaceful interlude. Frederick was elected King of Bohemia on August 26, 1619 after the Bohemians had deposed Ferdinand of Habsburg, their elected king, because he had violated their laws of religious toleration. Ferdinand responded by sending an army to Prague to defend his right to the throne. Thus, the Thirty Years' War began. The war finally caught up with Elizabeth and Frederick on top of White Mountain just outside of Prague. It ended with the ignominious defeat of Frederick and the Bohemians. Elizabeth and Frederick had to flee Bohemia and begin many years in exile. Frederick had accepted a crown only to lose his kingdom. Elizabeth became involved in this entanglement of religion and politics through her influence in Frederick's decision to accept the Bohemian Crown and her continued correspondence with her father, James I, to request aid for their cause. Elizabeth spent forty years in exile at The Hague in the Netherlands. Her quest for assistance continued after her father's death in 1625. However, his son and heir, King Charles I did not have the support of Parliament or the finances to assist her. The war progressed slowly, but Elizabeth always remained confident that the Catholic Habsburgs eventually would be defeated and that she and Frederick would once again reign as the Protestant leaders in the Palatinate and Bohemia. Elizabeth was given the title of Queen of Hearts which represented her optimism and courage during the Thirty Years' War. Elizabeth did not have to convince Frederick of the importance of their cause; both of them had been influenced since childhood to defend their faith. They were royal descendants of two nations which had gone through much difficulty during their religious reforms and Elizabeth and Frederick were not about to turn their backs on the struggle to further the spread of Protestantism. They not only were willing to fight for Protestantism but they also realized the political consequences of allowing the Catholic Habsburgs to rule Bohemia. They feared the spread of Habsburg power throughout much of Europe and knew that it must be stopped. Elizabeth sensed the necessity of this dual purpose - religion and politics - and she was willing to abandon her homes and thrones, witness the deaths of some of her soldier sons, live in exile, and endure rejection and "poverty" to fulfill her destiny in life - an English princess as the Hope of the Protestant Cause. |
