Really, though, how dare they take Queen Elizabeth 1 and turn her into another lovesick woman waiting for her beloved Doctor?
Queen Elizabeth 1 who did not marry because she considered herself married to her country. Queen Elizabeth 1 who did not marry because she had seen what became of her poor half sister Mary who lost the support of the people and almost suffered a rebellion when she married a Spanish royal. Queen Elizabeth 1 who did not marry because she believed that to be a fair and just leader, she could not let her heart rule her head. Queen Elizabeth 1 who did not marry because was abused by a man she was supposed to be able to trust in her early teens. Elizabeth 1 whose mother was brutally slaughtered by her husband and so did not trust in love.
It’s insulting and poor sexist writing to disregard that important choice on her behalf. It’s upsetting, and predictable, and everything I expected from Steven Moffat, who cannot seem to write a significant female character who isn’t in love, obsessed with, or entirely reliant on the Doctor.
As much as I had issues with some of the writing around Liz 1, it may be worth pointing out that pretty much all of the “Elizabeth I is obsessed with the Doctor and married him” started with not Moffat, but Russell T Davies.