who was queen elizabeth the first's mother?
Anne Boleyn
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 Elizabeth I was the last of Henry VIII 's descendants , and James was seen as the most likely heir to the English throne through his great @-@ grandmother Margaret Tudor , who was Henry VIII 's oldest sister . From 1601 , in the last years of Elizabeth I 's life , certain English politicians — notably her chief minister Sir Robert Cecil — maintained a secret correspondence with James to prepare in advance for a smooth succession . Cecil sent James a draft proclamation of his accession to the English throne in March 1603 , with the Queen clearly dying . Elizabeth died in the early hours of 24 March , and James was proclaimed king in London later the same day . 

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 Queen Elizabeth , unmarried and childless , steadfastly refused to name an heir . Many Catholics believed that her Catholic cousin , Mary , Queen of Scots , was the legitimate heir to the English throne , but she had been executed for treason in 1587 . The English Secretary of State , Robert Cecil , negotiated secretly with Mary 's son , James VI of Scotland , who had a strong claim to the English throne as Elizabeth 's first cousin twice removed . In the months before Elizabeth 's death on 24 March 1603 , Cecil prepared the way for James to succeed her . 

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 6 February 1952 – 30 March 2002 : Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother 

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 Elizabeth 's many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and reciprocal visits to and from the Pope . She has seen major constitutional changes , such as devolution in the United Kingdom , Canadian patriation , and the decolonisation of Africa . She has also reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms . She is the world 's oldest reigning monarch as well as Britain 's longest @-@ lived . In 2015 , she surpassed the reign of her great @-@ great @-@ grandmother , Queen Victoria , to become the longest @-@ reigning British monarch and the longest @-@ reigning queen regnant in world history . 

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 Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth 
