Elizabeth I was the last Tudor monarch, succeeding her half-sister Mary in 1558. Her 45-year reign brought relative stability to England after threats from Catholic Spain and France. She established the Church of England as a middle way between Catholicism and Protestantism, avoiding religious civil wars. As a skilled politician, Elizabeth chose able ministers and faced challenges like the Spanish Armada invasion in 1588. She also dealt with her Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots who was executed for treason in 1587. Elizabeth remained unmarried but cultivated her image as the "Virgin Queen" devoted to England, becoming a legendary figure during her rule.