No one thought that Elizabeth would live to become Queen of England. Her father, Henry VIII, beheaded her mother, Anne Bolyn, for treason in 1536. He then disowned his daughter, declaring her illegitimate. But in 1544, Parliament reestablished the young princess in the line of succession after her half brother and her half sister. Endowed with immense personal courage and a keen awareness of her responsibility as a ruler, Elizabeth commanded throughout her reign the unwavering respect and allegiance of her subjects. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources. Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information. Simon Adams was born in Bristol, England, and studied at London and Bristol universities. He worked as an editor of children's reference books before becoming a full-time author, and has since written and contributed to more than 60 books on subjects such as the Tudors, American history, the sinking of the Titanic, and more.