Elizabethan England: 1558–1603, The Reign of Queen Elizabeth I

England is referred to as Elizabethan England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, from her accession on November 17, 1558 to her death on March 24, 1603—a period of 44 years and 4 months.

This era is celebrated for:

• Cultural flowering: Shakespeare, Marlowe, Spenser, Byrd, Tallis; theatre, poetry, music.
• Maritime expansion: Drake, Raleigh, Hawkins; circumnavigation, Roanoke, Armada defeat (1588).
• Religious settlement: Via Media (Book of Common Prayer, 39 Articles) establishing Anglican identity.
• Political stability: After turbulent reigns of Edward VI, Mary I; Elizabeth's pragmatism, image-making ("Gloriana").
• Social change: Poor Laws, enclosure, population growth, London's rise.

The term "Elizabethan" is often extended culturally to ~1620 (Jacobean transition), but historically precise dates are 1558–1603.