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Primary sourceSpeech30 November 1601

The Golden Speech

Elizabeth I of England · 30 November 1601

Elizabeth I's final speech to Parliament in 1601, expressing her devotion to her subjects near the end of her reign.

This is Elizabeth's own final speech to Parliament, summing up her view of her reign shortly before her death.

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Source: Wikisource

About this source

What it is

Delivered on 30 November 1601 to members of the House of Commons, this was Elizabeth I's last address to Parliament, given during a dispute over trade monopolies. Several printed versions survive, including one thought to have been checked by Elizabeth herself.

Why it matters

Later dubbed the 'Golden Speech', it became famous for its emotional declaration of love between the queen and her people, and was reprinted for centuries afterward in times of national danger. Coming just over a year before her death, it is often read as a symbolic farewell, summing up how Elizabeth wanted her long reign remembered.

Look closer

  • What does Elizabeth mean when she says she values her subjects' love more than any treasure?
  • Why might this speech have been reprinted again and again in later centuries?
  • What does the speech not mention about the monopolies crisis that prompted it?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Elizabeth I on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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