American Toby Jug Museum 

Queen Elizabeth I character jug produced by Thorley China of Longton, England, circa 1955. Elizabeth I (1533-1603), the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, ascended to the throne at the age of 25 after the deaths of her half-brother, Edward VI, and her half-sister, Mary I. She re-established Protestantism, whereby her cousin, the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, became a dangerous rival and useful tool in the hands of the Catholics who wished to see Mary on the English throne. After many conspiracies, Elizabeth consented to her cousin's execution. This murderous act, the subsequent persecutions of Catholics and England's foreign policy enraged King Philip of Spain, and, in 1588, the Invincible Armada set sail to attack England. Elizabeth's fleet was the smaller but, with the skill and daring of her captains and the elements on their side, the Armada was defeated. Her forty-five year reign saw England take up its position as a world power through her political acumen and diplomacy. Having never married, the Virgin Queen left no heir to the throne, refusing until on her deathbed to name her successor, James VI of Scotland, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, became James I of England.