Chapter 20 - Foreign affairs Flashcards
why did elizabeth’s status as a single woman create considerable difficulties?
- it meant that the succession, should she die without issue, was at the forefront of ministers thinking
- but elizabeth considered her marriage and succession to be part of the royal prerogative and were therefore not areas for discussion by either the council or parliament
who were the candidates for marriage in the early years of elizabeth’s reign?
- Robert Dudley
- Philip II
- The archdukes Ferdinand and charles, sons of the emperor ferdinand
- prince erik of sweden
what were the problems with dudley potentially marrying Elizabeth?
- it horrified william cecil, whose own influence would have been seriously eroded
- furthermore, the marriage would have created many political risks, a consequence of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of leicester’s first wife, Amy.
why was Philip II not a serious candidate for marriage?
he offered his hand as a polite gesture, but probably lacked serious intent because of his profound catholicism.
what happened when ministers first raise the issue of marriage in January 1559?
elizabeth deflected the pressure gracefully
why was the situation around succession when parliament met in 1563 very different to 1559?
- Elizabeth had been stricken with smallpox in October 1562 and for a time it seemed she might die, thereby creating a succession crisis
- councillors were perfectly aware of the disasters that might ensue should the queen die; civil war, foreign invasion and religious strife were all possible outcomes
- the level of panic among her councillors should not be underestimated
who were the potential successors for elizabeth at the time she had smallpox?
- Mary queen of scots
- the disgraced Lady Catherine Grey
how had Lady Catherine grey disgraced herself?
by secretly marrying the earl of hertford without the queen’s approval
how did elizbath react when parliament (with some MPs being prompted by members of the privy council) pressed her to marry in 1566?
she reacted furiously bainshing leicester and the earl of pembroke from the presence chamber, publicly rebuking other members of the council and summoning members of both houses of parliament for a ferocious tongue-lashing.
what was proposed in 1579 with regard to marriage?
when elizabeth was declared still capable of bearing a child, a marriage to the duke of anjou was suggested, however some councillors were horrified that this would lead to an infant child (under french influence) as successor
why was James Stuart a good potential successor?
he had a good hereditary claim, was protestant and by 1600 he already had 2 sons
what did councillors do once people began to realise james would be the successor?
they began to try and woo him, robert cecil kept contact with james and ensured an untroubled succession, for which he received due reward
what was significant about the peacefulness of James’ succession?
never before had a change of dynasty happened so smoothly, and much of this was down to cecil
why did MQS pose a continous problem to elizabeth from the time she fled to england until her execution?
some english catholics saw her as the rightful monarch and she became the focus of plots to overthrow elizabeth
why was the treason law tightened?
- after elizabeth was excommunicated in 1570, in the eyes of the catholic church, catholics in england no longer needed to obey her
- this frightened elizabeth and her council so the law was tightened
- after the excommunication protestants were deemed loyalists and catholics traitors
when was the Ridolfi plot?
1571
what was the plan for the ridolfi plot?
involved a conspiracy for mary to marry the duke of norfolk and overthrow Elizabeth
what was the significance of the ridolfi plot?
it allowed burghley to ensure the execution of norfolk for treason
when was the throckmorton plot?
1583
what were the details for the throckmorton plot?
- foreign landing in sussex followed by overthrow of elizabeth and her replacement by Mary
- foiled by the efficiency of Sir Francis Walsingham’s espionage network
what was the significance of the throckmorton plot?
- led to the creation of the bond of association
- worsened anglo-spanish relations
- Tightened conditions of mary’s captivity
when was the parry plot?
1585
what did the parry plot aim to achieve?
the assassination of Elizabeth
what was the significance of the parry plot?
it led to an acceleration of parliamentary proceedings on a bill to ensure the queen’s safety
when was the babington plot?
1586
what were the details of the babington plot?
Mary complicit in a plot to assassinate elizabeth but it was exposed by Walsingham’s codebreaker, Thomas Phelippes
why was elizabeth reluctant to execute MQS?
they were cousins and elizabeth was reluctant to press for the execution of another anointed monarch
where was Mary put on trial?
Fotheringhay castle
who was ordered to try mary?
privy councillors and nobles assisted by judges