Queen Elizabeth I was a strong woman. She did not bow down to a male partner as she never married. She made many effective changes during her reign as queen. Her sister left her with a country upset with its government, yet Elizabeth gained control. Elizabeth and her reigning era share some similarities with the current Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel.

These two powerful women have some very striking similarities, politically speaking. Elizabeth and Angela are both members of the Protestant form of religion. But, to take it one step further, they both broke out of a Catholic-ruled background. Elizabeth rescued her country from the threat of “Catholicism or death!” her sister and predecessor to the throne had placed upon the citizens of England. Angela broke out as a surprise because the group that she was a part of was typically dominated by west German men but she is an east German woman.

Both of these women share something else-an excellent education, and rare in both cases. Angela Merkel has a degree in science, which stands out because those who came before her had degrees in other areas like law, history, and business. Queen Elizabeth I was an extremely educated person in general, and to be a women and know what she did was unheard of at the time. Elizabeth was learned in multiple languages and many subjects. Her diverse linguistics helped her spread her ideas to different countries. It allowed Elizabeth to communicate with other world leaders and make “friends” with them, not unlike Angela. Merkel has become on friendly terms with America for years. I believe they both recognized the benefits in being allies with other powerful countries.

As people tend to do, they look up to those who rule them. After Elizabeth suffered from smallpox, she began to wear a lot of makeup to cover up her facial scars. The sickness also resulted in her wearing a wig to cover spots where her hair had come out. Before her excessive use of makeup, people exposed to her and her image did not wear much of it. When she began to wear makeup and wigs, so did the people. Angela Merkel did not go as far as poisoning her body slowly with lead makeup, but she did succeed in having a Barbie doll made after her!

Even though these two extremely powerful women have many similarities, they have many differences. When Elizabeth came into power in she was not the first woman to lead her country. Her predecessor was female, Queen Mary I. It was a different situation when Angela Merkel came into the role of Chancellor. Never before had a female ruled the country of Germany. It was a triumph.

When Elizabeth began her reign as queen, she was already a “fashion follower”. People looked up to her style. After she donned white face makeup and a wig, that became the style to follow. As for Angela Merkel, fashion is not exactly her main interest. Some people were dismayed by her appearance before and at the beginning of her term. As time went on, she added some color to her wardrobe and she adopted a more modern hairstyle. These differences may not seem important but they are. The way a person dresses says a lot about them. On one hand, to gather more approval, people should like the way a leader dresses because the leader will most likely be more socially accepted. If people dislike one’s wardrobe, the approval rating could go down. It is very superficial, but very deciding in certain matters.

With great power comes great responsibility…and your personal life dissected for the world to see. The actions of leaders are scrutinized beyond belief, and Queen Elizabeth I and Angela Merkel are no exceptions. In this case, though, that is where the similarities end. Queen Elizabeth never married, and this shocked many people in her country. She was rumored to have had relationships with men, but none were taken to the level of marriage. If Elizabeth had married, she would have been required to give up her power to her husband. On the other hand, Angela Merkel is married. Unlike a monarchy, Angela is not required to give up her power to her significant other. She was elected Chancellor and will remain Chancellor until her term is up.

These two women, Queen Elizabeth I and Angela Merkel, lead their countries in two completely different times. Their personalities and lifestyles reflect the changes that occur with the passing of time. Despite those differences, they shared some striking similarities. Both of these leaders have accomplished many remarkable things. These two lady leaders will be remembered for many, many years to come.