Elizabeth And Government Flashcards
How old was Elizabeth’s when she became queen?
25 when she became queen
Her relationship with who was dangerous?
Thomas Seymour
What were 3 problems with Liz consolidation of power?
- England at war with France and had lost Calais
- liz protestant ruining a largely catholic country
- liz faced pressure to marry and secure the succession
How many of Mary’s advisors pledged their allegiance to liz
9
Who was liz principal secretary
William Cecil
How did she ensure Mary’s councillors loyalty
Hope for advancement from the new queen by leaving posy’s open apart from principal secretary
When was her coronation
January 1559
Who internationally accepted Elizabeth
Acceptance from Spanish ambassador, who proposed marriage with Philip of Spain
Why was the royal court important
Important for managing government and liz could seek advice from individuals outside of the council
What was dispensed at the royal court to win loyalty of the nobility and gentry
Patronage and impressing people with monarchy power
What was the presence chamber
Public space open to anyone of the right status
Which courtier did Elizabeth rely on for political advice?
Earl of Leister
What was the main govenrment body
Privy council
How often did the privy council meet in a week?
3-6 times a week
How many members were in the privy council
10 members
What did the privy council oversee the actions of
Council of the north
Who did the privy council instruct
Local governemnt (JPs, lord elite at in govenrment policy and acted as the highest court of law)
How long did chief minister William cecil run government?
Nearly 40 years
Which 4 people supported Cecil on the council
- Sir Nicholas BAcon
- Sir Francis Knollys
- Francis Russel
- Earl of Bedford
Who was Elizabeths favourite and when did he join the council?
Robert Dudley and joined the council in 1562
Who represented conservative views?
Duke of Norfolk, Marquis do Winchester and earls of Sussex and Shrewsbury
Why did the Council become firmly Protestant in the 1570s (who died and who came in)
- execution of Norfolk, death of Winchester
- appointment of Protestants such as Sir Francis Walsingham, Sir Walter Mildmay and Sir Ralph Sadler
What 2 major disputes were there in Elizabeths council
- foreign policy (support for Protestant cause in Netherlands)
- execution of MQS
- but in general council served her well
What were the 4 reasons for Liz government to decline in 1580s
- number of experienced ministers died ina. Quick succession (Sadler, Mildmay, Walsingham, Leister and Hatton)
- Liz not replace lost ministers or did so with thr sons of ministers who lacked the abilities of their fathers
- there were few great noblemen on the council which may have hampered the ability of govenrment to impose its wishes to the localities
- Cecil refused to allow Lord Burghley (Cecil) to retire although his effectiveness declined in 1590s. His son Robert Cecil was appointed to council to help him
What did Elizabeth regard parliament as?
A necessary evil
Why did Liz need parliament
Pass laws and grant taxation
Why did Liz react angrily to parliament
Reacted angrily when Parliament tried to offer her advice, especially when it infringed on the royal prerogative for example regarding marriage
Why was parliament an important mechanism for the government
Important point of contact with those who administered the localities on their behalf
How many new seats were created during liz reign by request of who
62 new seats
Requested by local aristocracy so they could reward their local supporters and this is a good illustration of how the patronage system was used to ensure that government policies were followed by rewarding loyal service
How many acts were passed during Liz reign?
438 acts
What were the 2 most important acts passed at the start of Elizabeth’s reign?
Acts of supremacy anmd Uniformity in 1559
What were the most important acts passed at the end of Elizabeth’s reign
Poor Relief Acts 1598 and 1601
How many of the 13 parliaments were asked to grant taxation which Liz reign was used for ordinary ecpendityre and not just to finance wars
11/13
Why did the value of taxes decline and the income from crown lands
Failure to reform the financial system
Who prepared government bills which were steered through the commons by the councils floor managers
Cecil
Who were the councils ‘floor managers’
Sir Francis Knollys and later Christopher Hatton
Knollys and Hatton had a group of MPs who were what that enabled them to have experience of parliamentary procedure
Lawyers
Privy councillors usually introduced what bills
Crown bulls
Example of disputes between managing parliament
ELizabeth reacted angrily in 1563 and 1566 when parliament raised the matter of the queens marriage and she refused royal assent to over 60 bills of which she disapproved even though they had passed through both houses
Why did government become less effective in 1590s and who did Elizabeth imprison and why
Elizabeth wanted legislation passed against radical puritans which parliament resisted and 1593 Wen worth made a speech in parliament urging the queen ro name a successor and had him imprisoned
Why did relations break down entirely
Issues of monopolies, at the end of her reign and Robert Cecil proved incapable of managing PArliament effectively though eventually compromise was achieved
How many years was Elizabeth’s government conducted efficiently and why
First 30 years
Broad consensus within governing classes i over royal policies and their implementation
Stable group if experienced and able ministers who generally worked well together
What were some of the differences
Over specific policies over how ‘Protestant’ country should be but unanimity regarding the need to uphold royal authority and defend England from Catholic threats at home and abroad
What decade of her reign was the least efficient and why
Last decade as it suffered from factional disputes, relations with PArliament were more difficult and failed to carry out reform of the crowns outdated financial administration
3 challenges Elizabeth faced as a female ruler
- had to be able to impose her will in a male dominated society
- promote strong image with perfect health and strength (but was prone to occasional fainting fits and suffered from headaches)
- her image was that of a woman who put her country before herself
3 ways Elizabeth promoted her image
1) ‘25 royal progressed during reign’ - staying in homes of noble families and meeting subjects so they could put a face to the monarch
2) toned down extravagance at court - desperately needed money but portrayed herself as hardworking. Spend money on public needs than on new places. 1563 - parliament voted allowance £40,000 each year for court
3) ‘virgin queen’ - Virgin Mary, Astraea Greek virgin goddess
How effective was liz image making?
1) propaganda upper sections of society in direct way from portraits so everyone influenced by word of mouth
2) deliberately created masculine personality to demand courtiers but at same time used the fact she was woman to charm them and throw them off balance
3) skilllful combination and one which allowed Elizabeth to rule over court which more loyal and united than any since 1520s
How many principal residencies in London and south England did liz inherit
Examples?
14 principal residencies
Whitehall and Hampton court had both become royal residencies after being owned by Wolsey
What was Liz favourite residence
Greenwich
How many people did royal household employ from lord chamberlain
1,500 people
What policies did Leister promote?
1) leader more radical group politicians at court in Privy council, supported active policies to defeat Catholicism at home and abroad and grew fristrated at Queens caution and Lord Burghleys opposition
2) wanted stronger persecution of English catholics especially after news of plots to replace Elizabeth
3) active military intervention to help the Huguenot and Dutch rebels
3 aims of liz use of patronage
1) gain and retain loyalty from Tudor society
2) as many nobles and gentry as possible were bound through patronage in loyalty to the crown
E.g - rebellion of norther earls in 1569
3) crown controlled appointments to oddities in local and central government to the church, law and royal household. Monarch land and titles to distribute as well as economic benefits such as right to collect taxes and key it powers position and wealth was therefore the Queen
Most valuable patronage
Grant of office varying positions such as household servants and working in stable court (liz ony granted 18 peerages during reign
Another grant of pensions or favourable grants of land (but learnt from fathers mistakes
Monopolies - rights granted by royal charter declaring particular group of merchants sole legal right to make or to import commodity such as soap or sugar
Which 5 advisers/courtiers were important during Elizabeths reign
William cecil, Dudley, Hatton, Walsingham, Walter Raleigh
What were factions?
Groups who aimed to work together for their common cause (moving church away from Catholicism and more towards puritanism
Why did the period of factionalism end towards the end of Elizabeth’s reign
- leister died 1588
- court policies more diverse
- young earl of Essex captivated queen and gained huge influence over patronage as well as politic (son Cecil emerging competent politician and made chief secretary in 1597)
Definition of privy council
Advisory and coordinating body and liz reduced from 50 people to under 20 to make more manageable
3 policies cecil favoured
- Policies that attacked religious extremism and sought to preserve English independence abroad (brought open conflict w leister who favoured anti-Spanish and anti-catholic policy)
- larter in financial; management exercised wider influence counterbalancing younger and more headstrong earl of leister
3 ways personnel of privy council been praised
10 few pro-catholics survived
Number of nob les reduced
Core of professional men who enjoyed her confidence and so tended to breve long periods improving effectiveness and unity of council
How has appointment of pricy council been criticised
Tended to serve too long of periods, no changes, largely excluding nobility and church made the privy council unrepresentative of the ruling elite as a whole, narrow membership limited the range of debate and tended to produce cooperative body
