Portrait of Elizabeth I

A daughter of Henry VIII, Elizabeth rejected Roman Catholic theology in part because it questioned her legitimacy. She opposed Calvinist theology because of its rejection of episcopacy and the sanction an episcopal polity lent to the monarchy. Elizabeth seems to have wished to retain many Roman Catholic usages and during her reign the reform of the churches throughout the land proceeded slowly. At the same time, Elizabeth urgently needed the support of Protestants in England. As a result of this situation, Elizabeth oversaw the retention of episcopacy, the adoption of strongly Protestant doctrinal standards, and the adoption of a Prayer Book which preserved some older customs while at the same time introducing Protestant doctrine and a measure of practical reform.