26. Elizabeth- government

Question 1

explain the role of parliament?

Answer 1

• only 13 sessions during her 44 years and were a peripheral part of the legal system
• she had to persuaded to call her ministers to parliament
• she retained the final say in all matters by exercising royal veto
• was believed that her relationship with her parliament was one of co-operation rather then conflict
• mp’s aware that they could discuss topics that concerned the royal commonwealth but not religion/ FP…= reserved for her closest advisors
• by 1571 attendance was such an issue that members were fined for everyday they missed

Question 2

explain the role of Robert Dudley and other favourites?

Answer 2

• the most significant favourite, known him since child hood and both suffered the oppressive reign of Mary
• there were rumours that they were lovers, and their close friendship incited quarrels
• another of her favourites was Cecil her secretary of state
• the earl of essex who was promoted to the privy council
• **Haigh: credited for choosing excellent council

Question 3

explain factional rivalries?

Answer 3

• Dudley (the earl of Leicester) and Cecil were rivals within the government both striving to outdo the other
• the major disagreement occurred over intervention in Netherlands as Dudley favoured military intervention to develop a protestant coalition whereas Cecil didn’t want to get involved in a war with Spain
• both attracted powerful supporters= dudley and Cecil factions at court
• Real feuds occurred when many of Elizabeth’s key advisors died eg. Dudley 1588,
• Cecil’s son took role as SofS and him and Essex fought
• when old Cecil died saw a power vacuum of political inheritance

Question 4

explain the causes of the Essex rebellion?

Answer 4

• the Cecil-Essex rivalry reached its peak in 1601, when Essex rebelled
• Essex’s failure to defeat the Irish rebels and instead of fighting, and broke off the engagement and created a treaty proved too much for Elizabeth, paired with unflattering stories of her favourite she banished him from court

Question 5

explain the Essex rebellion?

Answer 5

• he believed the only way to regain favour was to regain control of the queen and eliminate Cecil
• gathered 300 supporters and tried to convince Irish troops to support him
• his ‘mock’ rebellion failed and he was executed
• SIGNIFICANT=participants within the plot included seven Catholics who four years later were to become involved in the Gunpowder Plot.

Question 6

how did the council grow under Elizabeth?

Answer 6

• they exercised the supervision of the JP’s
• offensive and defensive operations when the war with Spain came 1585
• also received many petitions from suitors who claimed assistance in righting injustices they had suffered
• all support the argument that the work of the council grew under Elizabeth

Question 7

explain the arrangement of court (diagram)?

Answer 7

1. the court
2. the household
   (largest department with the biggest budget)
3. the chamber
   (second largest department)
   3.the privy chamber
4. the stables
5. =3 unimportant departments

Question 8

explain political crisis?

Answer 8

• first major political crisis occurred when MQofS fled to England
• the earls rebelled in her favour and Elizabeth was excommunicated by the pope 1570
• this marked a turning point in Elizabethan politics