Question

Did Queen Elizabeth Tutor have any lovers before she decided to just not have any husband? And why?

Answer 1

Elizabeth was not in love with the many men that she kept on their toes, circling around the star that she claimed to be. It was a combination of political skill, patronage, the tradition of courtly love, repressed sexuality and the towering vanity that was typical of the Tudors.

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Source: Philippa Gregory

Answer 2

So, whether she was actually the virgin she claimed is unknown. She claimed she never married because her people were her children and her family, and she had no desire for another to control her children. So, in this sense, it would make sense for her to take lovers and not marry them. My personal guess would be she was unlikely to be a virgin, but she knew how to play the courts, especially with her virginity, to her advantage.