41. The Role Of The Privy Council Flashcards
How many of the nobility attended court at some time?
Two thirds of nobility
Who else was normally at court?
Gentry from southern England
Who did elizabeth take advice from?
Courtiers, even when they weren’t privy councillors
Who were some courtiers elizabeth took advice from?
Dudley and Walter Raleigh
What advantage did those in court have?
They had daily access to the Queen so could have a role in decision making
What key positions were there in court?
Grooms of the chamber, yeomen of the guard, and the queen’s mole catcher
What key elements were available from royal patronage?
Licenses to import and export, military posts, and ambassadorships
What was patronage?
Powerful individuals would gain personal support from those they had helped to advance at court
What was the relationship between closeness to the queen and appointing your supporter to a key position?
The closer one’s relationship with the queen, the greater the likelihood of appointing your supporters to key positions
What did courtiers therefore become?
Political figures
What were the functions of the privy council?
To advise the queen over matters of state, to pass and enforce laws, and to raise and administer the kingdoms finances
Who were the 3 types of councillors at the start of elizabeth’s reign?
-members of the nobility
-those who had experience under her predecessors
-those whom she respected for their wisdom and expertise
Who was made councillors?
Robert Dudley and Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk
When were Dudley and Howard made councillors?
1562
What did the appointment of Howard and Dudley suggest about the privy council?
Elizabeth liked a balance of opinion between Howard, who had Catholic sympathies, and Dudley, who was Protestant
Why was it good that ministers were kept in power for a long time?
Kept stability
What did elizabeth do as her reign progressed?
She called less on nobleman from traditional aristocratic families, and more on those whom she trusted and had a close relationship with
How many men did elizabeth usually summon?
A dozen men at one time
How often did the council meet?
At least twice a week, but daily in times of difficulty
How often did elizabeth attend council meetings?
Rarely, but she would be informed of their discussions
What was discussed about Scotland?
With Cecil’s encouragement, the council should send troops to try to end the French influence over Scotland
When was intervention in Scotland discussed?
1559-60
What did the council discuss when the Queen had smallpox?
They failed to reach a decision about the succession if elizabeth died
When did the council discuss the succession when elizabeth had smallpox?
1562
What did the council discuss about the queens marriage?
The Earl of Sussex urged mariage to archduke Charles and sir Francis Knokke and Leicester opposed it
When was the discussion about the queens marriage?
1566
What did the council discuss about Mary Queen of Scot’s?
They persuaded she could not be let out of the country until Mary had undergone some sort of trial
When did the council discuss Mary Queen of Scot’s?
1568
What did the council discuss about the st Bartholomew massacre?
They decided to increase the guards around Mary Queen of Scot’s, and made provision to defend the south coast
When did the council meet to discuss the st Bartholomew massacre?
1572
What did the council discuss about elizabeth’s marriage to the Duke of Alencon?
12 councillors discussed it all day, 7 opposed the marriage
When did the council discuss elizabeth’s marriage to Duke of Alençon?
1579
What did elizabeth think about the 7 councillors who opposed the marriage?
She wasn’t pleased but eventually pulled out of negotiations
What did the council discuss about William of orange’s assassination?
Drew up the Bond of Association
When did the council discuss the assassination of William of orange?
1584
What did the council discuss several times?
The issue of sending aid to the Dutch rebels
Who first proposed sending aid to the Dutch rebels?
Leicester in 1576
Who was more cautious on sending aid to Dutch rebels?
Burghley
When did the council agree to send troops to the Netherlands?
1584
When did the forces arrive in the Netherlands?
late in 1585
What did the council discuss about the execution of Mary Queen of Scot’s?
They wanted to execute her, and Burghley prepared the death warrant and sent it off
When did the council discuss about the execution of Mary?
1586
Who was elizabeth’s most influential minister?
William Cecil
Who was sir Francis Walsingham?
A Protestant who was trusted by Cecil
What was Walsingham appointed as and when?
Principal Secretary of State in 1573
What did Walsingham do?
He worked abroad to develop contacts to create a spy network
Why didn’t elizabeth like Walsingham?
Due to his bluntness and his extreme religious conviction
What was Walsingham responsible for discovering?
The plotting of Mary Queen of Scot’s
When did Walsingham die?
1590
Who was sir Christopher Hatton?
Came from a gentry family, but was elected an MP, and was suspected of being Catholic
What title did Hatton get?
Lord chancellor in 1587
What was Hatton involved in?
Finding Mary guilty
What title did Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester receive?
Master of the horse in 1558
What rumours went around about Dudley?
Rumours of a romantic attachment to elizabeth, despite his marriage to Amy Robsart
What happened to Amy Robsart?
She was found dead in suspicious circumstances in 1560
What title did Robert Dudley receive later on?
Earl of Leicester in 1564
Who did Leicester clash frequently with?
Burghley
What title did Robert Devereux gain?
Master of the Horse in 1587, and was given the monopoly over sweet wines
When was Robert Devereux made privy councillor?
1593
What was Devereux appointed to do?
Command the army being sent to Ireland, and disobeyed elizabeth’s orders once there
When was Devereux appointed to command the army being sent to Ireland?
1599
What uprising did Devereux lead?
An uprising to capture elizabeth (Essex rebellion)
When was the Essex rebellion?
1601
Who was Robert Cecil?
The younger son of Burghley, who became elizabeth’s unofficial government spokesperson in the commons
Whose duties did Robert Cecil carry out?
Walsingham’s duties after his death
Why was early promotion of Cecil prevented?
Due to Essex’s dislike of him
When was Robert Cecil appointed to the privy council?
1591
Whose role did Cecil also take over?
Burghley’s role after he died
What did Cecil supervise?
The arrangements for the succession of James VI of Scotland on elizabeth’s death
When did Cecil supervise the arrangements for the succession?
1603
