She was called Gloriana! The Virgin Queen! Elizabeth created a propaganda image of herself embodying English victories and English power which has endured into the 21st century. But what was the reality of her reign? This course will seek to explore the life and times of this extraordinary woman and, in the process, uncover something of the truth behind the mask. We will explore such topics as her troubled and often dangerous youth, her policies as Queen where she was a woman in a man’s world, as well as looking at some of the famous events and personalities of her reign.