Elizabeth 1 - Governance Flashcards
Privy council
Key advisors - she hired and fired
Advised her on all aspects of policy - Elizabeth had the final say
Much of its work was day to day administration
Christopher haigh argued that her council was narrow and this alienated others who wanted to be a part of it
Arguments were common - William Cecil threatened resignation of the queen did not send troops to Scotland in 1559 - walsingham had a slipper thrown at him
Governance 2
Parliament met 13 times over 45 years
Needed parliament for religious policy, raising revenue by extraordinary means, treason acts
Many MPs were linked to councillors
Prerogative powers
Could discuss social and economic issues - poor law 1601
Compromising- monopolies for money 1601 - ease inflation
Queen had right to veto - used over 60 times
Puritan choir - issue on religious reform
William Strickland 1571 - protest and reinstatement
Freedom of speech - wentworth brothers - Peter wentworth arrested 3 times - died in the tower in 1596
Anthony cope - arrested for his bill trying to Change the book of prayer 1587
Men and marriage - pressure to marry
Felt woman to marry
Heir
Man would provide her with capabilities for government
Succession
1561 - Catherine grey - in line for the throne - married without Elizabeth permission - Elizabeth outraged when found out she was pregnant
1562 - contracted smallpox
1563 - parliament begging her to marry
didn’t marry - ideas and beliefs
She knew what was best for England and wanted to rule alone
Psychological fear of marriage - Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour
Feared resistance to a foreign match - Mary/Philip - wyatt’s rebellion, Stubbs/alencon
Fear of foreign wars
Feared factionalism if marrying English suitor - Dudley
Religion - most potential matches were Catholic - Charles archduke of Austria
Didn’t marry - events
French wars of religion
Increasing conflict with Catholic nations - Austria, France, Spain
Amy robsart’s death - Dudley marriage problematic
No unified council support for any candidate foreign or domestic
Age - 1580s - in her forties and unlikely to have children
Governance 1
Court - whee key decisions were being made by the queen and her advisors
Courtiers - someone who attends court - gave possibility of power, influence, patronage
Foreign policy, marriage, religion and economic policy would be discussed
William Cecil - key advisor 1558-1592 - 1571 he controlled patronage - Robert Cecil took over from 1592-1603
Famous courtiers - Robert Dudley, William Cecil, Robert Cecil, Robert deveraux, Francis walsingham, Walter Raleigh
Historians - faction managed well 1570-1590 - 1590-1603 - failed to manage transfer of power from old to young - didn’t intervene in the Cecil/Essex fighting that led to rebellion in 1601
Marriage
Influenced by St basil on the virtues of a single life - monks and nuns devoting themselves to their work
Married to the realm
Used her availability as a weapon - dangled in front of countries
