Thought to have have one of the most glorious reigns in history, Elizabeth I also happened to be the only queen of England never to get married. Having spent her 45-year reign leading her country to victory, establishing the Church of England and immersing the country in arts - there was little time left for Elizabeth to pursue romance.
![[But according to one historian, Tracy Borman (pictured) Elizabeth may have found love after all, having developed one special connection with a stateman while imprisoned in the Tower of London alongside him in her youth]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/13/93233271-14201509-image-a-16_1734443013195.jpg)
But according to one historian, Elizabeth may have found love after all, having developed one special connection with a statesman while imprisoned in the Tower of London alongside him in her youth. Before she became queen, Elizabeth had struggled with a turbulent relationship with her older half-sister, the former Queen Mary, who was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
![[In the chance encounter, Elizabeth met Robert Dudley, and English statesman who was the 1st Earl of Leicester (pictured)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/15/93232779-14201509-In_the_chance_encounter_Elizabeth_met_Robert_Dudley_and_English_-m-22_1734449099361.jpg)
When Elizabeth was just 20-years-old, her sister, who was 17-years her senior, sentenced her to the infamous Tower of London, a particularly frightening feat for the young princess whose mother, Anne Boleyn, had been killed there 18-years earlier. Luckily, the future queen went on the escape - but not before she met someone special, with historian Tracy Borman speculating whether Robert Dudley was the real reason she never tied the knot.
![[Elizabeth's decision to remain single, is still one that remains a mystery to historians and royal fans alike]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/15/93232783-14201509-image-m-21_1734449090580.jpg)
Channel 5's Inside The Tower of London, which airs on Thursday night, reflects Elizabeth's narrow escape from death in the notorious tower, and how one individual she met there may have stopped her from ever marrying. In 1554, Princess Elizabeth had 'fallen foul of her sister', and had been instructed to be sent to the Tower of London.
