19 - Elizabethan Governement Flashcards
Why was the royal court important
It allowed Elizabeth to seek advice on an individual basis
What were the two main areas of the royal court
The presence chamber
The privy chamber
What was the presence chamber
A relatively open area to which anyone with the right to status or connections might expect to access
Why was the privy chamber less important than at the time of Tudor kings
The gentlemen of the Privy chamber no longer has access to the monarch which they would’ve formerly enjoyed
Who was in charge of operating the court under elizbathe
A lord chamberlain
She always appointed a member of the nobility to the post, three of her lord chamberlains were close relatives for example her cousin Lord Hunsdon appointed in 1585
What was the main formal body of the queens principal ministers
The privy council
What were the privy council responsible for
Policy advice and administration
enforce religious settlement
oversee arrangements for national defence
enforce laws/ regulations
manage crown finances
oversee and receive appeals from regional councils (council of the north/ council of wales)
What were the key functions of Elizabeth’s ministers
Enforce a range of laws and regulations regarding issues such as law and order, vagrancy, prices and wages.
To manage crown finances with the Lord treasurer and the chancellor of the exchequer.
Administer the realm by instructing a range of officials; JP’s, sheriffs, borough councillors.
Who was Elizabeth’s key minister at the beginning of her reign
William Cecil
Name some other close associates that joined william Cecil in the council
Sir Nicholas bacon
Francis Russell
Sir Francis knollys
Robert Dudley
Who was Elizabeth’s favourite minister
Robert Dudley
Joined the council 1562
When did some reshaping of the pricy council occur? Why?
1570’s
The fall of Norfolk and the death of LOrd treasurer Winchester
What reshaping took place in the 1570’s
A nucleus of firmly protestant councillors were appointed such as SIr Francis Walsingham and `sir Walter mindmay
Overall we’re Elizabeth’s ministers good?
Offered cohesive decision making, aside from a few disputes particuarly over MAry queen of Scot’s in 1587 the ministers served Elizabeth well
Why did the privy council weaken from the later 1580’s
A number of ministers died in quick succession.
The death of Earl of Leicester in 1588 was a personal blow for Elizabeth.
By 1597 the council only had 11 members.
The queen made matters worse by failing to make immediate replacements.
When Elizabeth did make replacements she often used sons of former councillors who often lacked their fathers skills.
Elizabeth refused to let let burghley retire but his effectiveness dismissed in the 1590’s
How did parliament under Elizabeth compare to henry8
Less important
It was a largely secondary feature of the Elizabethan political system
How did Elizabeth consider parliament
Something she pur up with for its law making, granting taxation and giving advice.
How many acts were passed by Elizabeth parliament
438 acts
What were the most important acts passed by Elizabeth
Those that related to religion (act of supremacy and uniformity) and social policy (1598 and 1601 which addressed poor relief)
What was the most important function of parliament
To grant extraordinary revenue
11/13 parliamentary sessions in her reign were asked to grant revenue
What else did parliament serve as
A useful means of communication and a clear point of contact between councillors and those who administered the localities on their behalf
How did the various influential families at court and within the council exist?
They balanced one another
What influential families featured in Elizabeth’s reign
Relatives of the Boleyn’s featured in the senior ranks of crown service in substantial numbers.
Elizabeths late stepmothers family, the Parrs also featured strongly at least earlier in the reign
When did the coherence of government decline? Why?
During the 1590’s
Fierce clashes between Robert Cecil and the Earl of Essex made the government difficult.
What problem happened in 1601 (essex)
The Essex rebellion
Essex’s response to his decline influence was to plan an armed coup which could bring down Cecil and his other enemies.
What was the result of the Essex rebellion
Cecil was well prepared and essex was finally forced to surrender.
He was quickly tried and executed in 1601.
Did Elizabeth always get on with parliaments?
Times when they irritated her, particularly if they challenged what she considered to be her prerogatives.
She gave vent to outbursts of irritation in 1563 and 1566 when the House of Commons sought to debate issues of marriage and succession
What happene to methods of parliamentary managements by 1593
Many traditional methods of managements began to have less success
What happened to Peter wentworth
Imprisoned after he argued for a named successor to Elizabeth.
What did Elizabeth’s treatment of wentworth show
How her temper worsened with age
What happened to Elizabeth’s relationship with parliament at the end of her reign
Broke down entirely over issues if monopolies in 1601.
How did Elizabeth reach a compromise with parliament
The queen presented her golden speech to a crowded gathering of around 140 MP’s in the council chamber at Whitehall
how many members did elizabeths privy council have
never more than nineteen, towards the end eleven
how often did her privy council meet
early years three days a week, in final decades meeting six or seven
how did the spanish ambassador describe Cecil
‘the man who does everything’
how did the structure of elizabethan government stop factional rivarly from getting out of hand (at least in early stages of her reign)
no single minister, not even cecil had complete control over patronage
various influential families at court balanced each other
did cecil and dudley get on?
disagreed over the queens potential marriage
however they tended to coperate over other issues, being able to work together most of the time because they needed each other
disputes between them tended to be occassional and focused on specific policy issues
why did Essex’s career suffer
he had been largely frozen out of court by Robert Cecil and has lost power as a faction leader
he was in deep financial trouble (
failed as a military leader in ireland and brought shame on himself when he returned from Ireland and burst into the queens bedchamber
what made essex’s financial trouble worse
elizabeth refused to renew his monopoly on the import of sweet wines
evidence of vent outbursts by the queen
1563 and 1566
vent outbursts of irritation when house of commons sought to debate the issues of marriage and succession
evidence of her intervening to prevent the passage of bills that she disapproved of
across her reign refused the royal assent of over 60 bills]15 in 1585 alone
the case of peter wentworth
first imprisoned by the house of commons in 1576 but quickly released by orders of the queen herself
1593 he offended the queen. remained imprisoned until his death in 1597
can the relative success of her gov be attributed to her?
demonstrated effectiveness and often wisdom in choice of ministers
fortunate she had a number of talented inidviduals, such as cecil, Walsingham, Mildmay and Hatton to work for her
her serious blindspot in gov
reluctatnce to come to terms with the deficiencies in character and ability of Essex (issue in final years of reign)
