Elizabeth I is known for many things, such as her legendary father and infamous mother, her virginity, patronage of the theatre, and her status as the longest reigning Tudor monarch. Few people know she was an enthusiastic linguist.

An excellent pupil, Elizabeth studied languages from the age of four. She was fluent in French, Italian, Latin and Greek, which she learned using the method of double translation; she would translate a passage from Latin to English, then back into Latin, verbatim. Sounds tedious, but Elizabeth had a talent for languages and reveled in translation.

As a New Years’ gift, she presented her father, Henry VIII, a book of prose that was flawlessly translated in Latin, French and Italian.

As Queen, Elizabeth liked to show off her language skills to the many foreign ambassadors at court.

Throughout her life, Elizabeth continued to do translations for relaxation and to keep her mind sharp, much in the same way we might do crossword or Sudoku puzzles today.