Her birth in 1533 came as a result of one of the most controversial marriages in royal history, that of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Little Princess Elizabeth lost her status as legitimate heir to the throne before she was three years old when her father moved on to another wife. When Elizabeth became Queen of England at age 25, public debate immediately turned to the prospect of her own marriage. From Parliament to the Privy Council in England, and from monarchs and ministers throughout Europe, many lobbied for their choice as the world waited for the queen to make a decision. Enter the world of royal romance, where the personal is political and marriage is a matter of public debate. While Elizabeth I had many eager prospects, in the end she was the only English monarch to rule as an adult and never marry.