I would rather be a beggar and single than a queen and married.

There is no marvel in a woman learning to speak, but there would be in teaching her to hold her tongue

I have seen many a man turn his gold into smoke, but you are the first who has turned smoke into gold.

When we hang on to resentments, we poison ourselves. As compulsive overeaters, we cannot afford resentment, since it exacerbates our disease.

A strength to harm is perilous in the hand of an ambitious head.

I regret the unhappiness of princes who are slaves to forms and fettered by caution.

[To Parliament, when it urged her to marry and settle the succession:] You attend to your own duties and I'll perform mine.