queen elizabeth the virgin queen

[letterpage]

Queen Elizabeth is called the virgin queen, but was she a virgin or was it that she just didnt marry

[tiggerblue10]

There is much speculation that she did have a sexual relationship with Robert Dudley but no one will ever know the truth.

[tickledtrout]

There was also rumour that she had a sexual relationship with one of the Seymour's ( who was Katherine Parr's lover) as well

[jno]

there's always been speculation; but there is always speculation about the sex lives of women. But there was no Heat magazine in those days for ex-lovers to talk to, so we'll never know. There's no proof at all. Broadly, she was called the virgin queen because she was widely imagined to be a virgin and was certainly unmarried.

[naomi24]

Her name has been linked to several people, but of course, we will never know the truth. History has cast her as a virgin, and so, I expect, she will remain,

[juliacornwal]

Apparently, according to some history books she menstruated very rarely - which I suppose might have meant something in those days. Probably she suffered from polysistic ovaries or something like that, but no doubt it was taken has a sign from God that she was 'man' enough to be the ruler of a great nation ... or whatever!

Anyway it looks as if even if she'd taken a husband she would have been unlikely to secure the succession!

[tiggerblue10]

She didn't need a man to rule Engalnd. She did an excellent job on her own.

[andy-hughes]

I would guess that the term 'Virgin Queen' had - and indeed has - a certain ring to it as a phrase.

Because she never married, it would be easy to assume in those days that Elizabeth was without any sexual activity, but it is perfectly possible to conduct a relationship(s) in private if you want to - it's the opposite of our 'celebrity' culture - if you don;t tell anyone, no-one will know.