E1 - Elizabeth's strengths and weaknesses

Question 1

Elizabeth’s character and strengths

Answer 1

• She was very intelligent with an excellent grasp of politics
• She spoke multiple languages (Latin, Greek, French and Italian)
• She understood the dangerous world of the court politics and betrayals
• She did have a temper that people feared
• She was very persuasive and spoke confidently
• She sometimes took a long time to make a decision

Question 2

Legitimacy

Answer 2

• To be a legitimate monarch it was expected the parents would be married
• Elizabeth’s parents Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn had been married. However, Henry had only married Anne Boleyn after divorcing his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Henry had had to form his own church and break away from Catholicism to get a divorce as the Pope would not grant one
• Many Catholics didn’t accept Henry’s new marriage. The Pope hadn’t agreed and so Elizabeth was therefore illegitimate and could not be queen
• Henry himself even said at one point Elizabeth was illegitimate

Question 3

Gender and marriage

Answer 3

• It was still unusual to have a queen rather than a king and religion taught men should have authority over women
• Women were not considered to as strong as men in any way
• Elizabeth’s sister Mary I had been hates by many due to burning people at the stake, losing a war to France, leaving England in debt and marrying the King of Spain who was unpopular in England. Many felt they did not want another queen in carge

Question 4

Finances

Answer 4

• Elizabeth could raise money through land rents, taxes, special emergency extra taxes (subsides), but parliament had to agree to this or through fines or loans (although some loans were forced and bever repaid)
• However, England was still £300,000 in debt which was a huge sum in 1558
• Defending England was costly and raising taxes was unpopular
• Relying on parliament to help raise taxes was risky as they grow in power

Question 5

France and Scotland

Answer 5

• England’s enemy France had recently got into an alliance (Auld Alliance) with another of England’s traditional enemies Scotland
• Mary Queen of Scots (Elizabeth’s cousin) had a claim to the English throne and she was married to the French heir to the throne
• People thought Mary was the legitimate queen
• Mary’s mum, who was called Mary of Guise, had been ruling Scotland for her daughter whilst she was away in France and had Mary of Guise had placed French troops near the English border in Scotland

Question 6

France and Calais

Answer 6

• Elizabeth’s sister Mary I had lost this port back of Calais to the French in an unsuccessful war that England and Spain had fought against France
• Elizabeth wanted it back to demonstrate England’s strength
• France and Spain were no longer at war and there was a real possibility they may unite against England. This was because they were both Catholic