Difficulties of a female ruler Flashcards
Why were a lack of a successor a problem?
Situations without an heir had previously led to war so senior figures were keen that she married.
1562 - nearly died of Smallpox which brought even greater attention to the issue
Why was being a Protestant nation a problem?
European powers such as France and Spain were catholic - had religious support from the Pope so a possible invasion may have been imminent.
Why was there tension over the Netherlands?
The Dutch were Protestant and were trying to resist a Spanish catholic rule there. Elizabeth had to decide whether or not to get involved
What were religious tensions?
Catholics did not trust Elizabeth and believed that she had no right to be Queen
Puritanism was a threat because they wanted to make the church even more extreme which could have damaged the whole religious settlement
Why was raising taxes a problem?
England was short of money so needed to raise taxes
This would be very unpopular as poverty was widespread within the country
Why was MQS a problem?
She was next in line to the throne and many Catholics saw her as the rightful queen of England. She was Elizabeth’s cousin and was a catholic
What were reasons for favour of marriage?
Create an alliance with a powerful foreign country
Produce an heir to continue the Tudor line which provided security
What were arguments against marriage?
She may lose authority to a possible foreign man - it kept Englands independence
Giving birth was dangerous
Her experience of marriage had been bad - Henry VIII had 6 wives
Able to use the possibility of marriage to her advantage when dealing with important figures
Who were her 3 best suited for marriage
1) Francis - Duke of Anjou and Alençon
2) Philip II of Spain
3) Robert Dudley - Earl of Leicester
What could Parliament do?
Parliament could only advise the Queen, in theory she did not have to listen to anything they said
Parliament also was also responsible for passing laws and setting taxes
What happened when Parliament started to discuss marriage?
1566 - Parliament began to discuss the issue openly but Elizabeth banned them from doing so - she thought it was her decision to make alone
What notable things did Parliament do?
1601 - poor law passed
Pressure from Parliament about executing MQS could have swayed Elizabeth’s decision to do so
Many puritans tried unsuccessfully to change the church rules
Why was Essex originally popular with the Queen
He was always close to Elizabeth and pleased her more when he raided Cadiz in 1596
Why did their relationship deteriorate?
After returning from Spain, he got in an argument with the Queen. He began to draw his sword but was quickly stopped
When coming back from Ireland, he caught the Queen without her wig which was very disrespectful
Elizabeth refused to renew his sweet wine monopoly
