Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn. One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the supreme governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England. Elizabeth never married and produced an heir. In religion, she was relatively tolerant and avoided systematic persecution. During her 44 year reign, Great Britain grew to an international empire. England defeats the Spanish Armada and becomes the leading colonizing and naval power in the world.