Elizabeth and government

Question 1

1558

Answer 1

Cecil appointed as Secretary of State

Question 2

1562

Answer 2

Elizabeth ill with smallpox

Dudley on PC

Question 3

1563

Answer 3

parliamentary trouble over Queen’s marriage

Question 4

1564

Answer 4

Dudley Earl of Leicster

Question 5

1566

Answer 5

more trouble over Queen’s marriage

Question 6

1571

Answer 6

Cecil made Lord Bourghley

Question 7

1572

Answer 7

Cecil Lord treasurer

Question 8

1573

Answer 8

Walsingham Secretary of State

Question 9

1576

Answer 9

Issue of Free Speech

Question 10

1579

Answer 10

Courtship with Alencon

Question 11

1581-82

Answer 11

renewed courtship with Alencon

Question 12

Why was Cecil chosen and what was his main role?

Answer 12

Well trained and experienced, close to Elizabeth and very careful.
Ran Royal Secretariat, chaired PC, daily adviser, drafted her proclamations

Question 13

What was his influence and relationship with the Queen like?

Answer 13

very close and rewarded by her, she was close to his family, he was a channel for people to seek favors from the Queen

Question 14

What did Cecil d with regards the Council and Admin?

Answer 14

secretary of state
1572- Lord treasurer
1561- Master of Wards
dealt with letters asking favors
thought succession would stop catholic plots
1560s oversaw French withdrawal from Scotland
1586- part of commission for executing MQS

Question 15

How did Cecil use propaganda and intelligence?

Answer 15

wrote execution of Justice in 1583, oversaw punishing RCs
‘Hired pens’ to convince the Queen
Developed intelligence service for plots

Question 16

Role and members of PC

Answer 16

Meet regularly, trusted advisers, E had regular reports on meetings, main part of govt, consider petitions and secure security.
Newbies: Parr, Cecil, Bacon, Knollys, Cave, Earl of Bedford- loyal and dedicated
Worked for Mary: Cheney, Petre- very experienced
Nobility: ensure loyalty in respective areas
Main lads: Cecil, Dudley, Bacon and Parry

Question 17

Other parts of govt (court, royal prerogative, household, parliament, law courts)

Answer 17

Courtiers- daily access to E, displayed power and nobles enforced law in areas, relied on Dudley, Essex and Raleigh.
Prerogative- passed laws, open and close Parliament, decide Councillors and courtiers, war, settlement and patronage
Household- Privy chamber, companions and couldn’t have influence.
Parliament- controlled by arrests, vetos and delays. Council wrote agenda. P could pass laws, raise taxes and W had to ask them for subsidies.
Law Courts- law and order locally, appointed by crown and gentry, variable influence.

Question 18

Main discussions on PC

Answer 18

intervention of Scotland, 1559- Cecil pushes sending troops will end French presence permanently
Smallpox, 1562- fail to reach succession and are divided
Marriage, 1566- Leicester and Knollys oppose Sussex’s choice of Archduke Charles
MQS, 1568- eventually E agrees with PC for a trial. PC and E were at an impasse.
Massacre @ St Barts- Cecil convinced of RC plot so guards MQS, defends South Coast and entertains French Ambassador
1570s- unity under Walsingham because of connections and general support for Protestantism.
Duke of Alencon, 1579- day long meeting, Leicester and Walsingham encourage public to protest match. Queen pulls out of negotations.
Assasination, 1584- Bond of Association in response to murder of William Body and signed by all PC.
Dutch Rebels- Leicester proposes aid in 1576 but Cecil cautious. Elizabeth avoids issue but agrees in 1584.

Question 19

How did PC change?

Answer 19

Dudley and Howard councillors- balanced RC and Prots.
Hatton Lord Chancellor and Hunsdon joins.
balance nobles and others- later she is closer to nobles
Later- smaller, mostly officials, more interrelated so less varied opinions

Question 20

General methods to control parliament.

Answer 20

call and dissovlve parliament eg 1566 closes it early
call them infrequently eg only 13 times
speaker a royal nominee
PC and Cecil direct parliament
She closed it quickly after subsidies
Addresses directly eg 1563- Cecil tones down her speeches
Concessions eg 1566 temporarily talk about succession
Vetos- 1571, punishment for recursants and Bills for Church Reform

Question 21

Queens control of Parliament- MQS

Answer 21

P- speaker sympathetic to execution and bacon outlines opinion. Inter-house debates to keep up pressure. Cecil uses Ridolfi plot to push Norfolk’s execution. 1586, speeches condemning Mary and joint petition
Q- convinced by power and determination

Question 22

Queens control of Parliament- Freedom of Speech

Answer 22

Wentworth challenges that P can’t discuss marriage, succession, religion and foreign policy in 1576
HOC stop him and imprison him- loyal to E

Question 23

Queens control of Parliament- Religion

Answer 23

P- prepare arguments, organised w/support from Bishops for reform
Q- suspend Strickland but later returned because of outcry

Question 24

Debates over parliament

Answer 24

Neale- controlled by individual gentry and Puritanism
Elton- common aims but some disputes, tension united to convince Queen
Current- controlled, put Queen and stability 1st

Question 25

Ways Elizabeth successfully exploited gender

Answer 25

Women in privy Chamber useful in collecting gossip and loyal
‘Virgin Queen’
Inspires loyalty in men eg Hatton stays single for her
Flattery eg Fairee Queene and biblical comparisons
Acension Day celebrates her and conmpete for favors
Alencon her ‘frog’ and Dudley her ‘eyes
Temper controlled whole court

Question 26

evidence Elizabeth didn’t successfully exploit gender

Answer 26

women not part of govt
Knox’s anti female ruler literature
Jealousy- Shelton’s marriage and saw Dudley’s marriage as betrayal
Lady’s in waiting used against her- Dudley encourages them to cry over plans to marry Alencon

Question 27

Reasons for not marrying

Answer 27

Psychological- unhappy marriages ans sexual abuse vs only 3 when mother died and abuse speculative
Suitability- can’t marry monarch but needs equal rank vs 1554 treaty showed she could marry monarch, Alencon of right status
Religion- needs Protestant vs could restrict Catholics to private mass and Phillip still willing to marry her
Public- Xenophobic + want Protestant vs right candidate might change this
Fear of faction- Dudley or English suitor would divide court vs not a problem with popular suitor
Independence- wants control vs marriage unlikely to diminish her power

Question 28

why was there pressure for her to marry

Answer 28

Provide heir as James VI was born
Smallpox scare
Needs support of a King

Question 29

Suitors- Alencon

Answer 29

not very religious
‘wooed’ her 1579 and 1581
gave him up ‘for her people’
public opposed, PC divided and Elizabeth scared of birth

Question 30

Suitors- Dudley

Answer 30

unpopular courtier
legacy of traitors in family
Mysterious death of wife could taint E's rep
Cecil opposed
She tried to marry him to MQS

Question 31

Suitors- Archduke Charles

Answer 31

Hasburgh, Catholic and backed by Phillip
she showed interest but said no
1564 he was rebacked by Cecil due to Smallpox and need to undermine Dudley
Essex negotiates but death of MQS and events in Scotland mean E feels safe enough to say no

Question 32

Suitors- Charles XI

Answer 32

Dudley proposes the French king to oppose Charles
E couldn’t marry a monarch
As relations with Spain worsened alliance with France attractive
Failed due to religion in 1571

Question 33

Suitors- Eric of Sweden

Answer 33

Bro John of Finland promotes him
Protestant so suitable
John’s spending in London make match popular
Eric calls back John as he thinks her is courting Queen

Question 34

Impact of marriage and succession on Foreign Affairs

Answer 34

Henry II and Guises back MQS- threat decreased when she returns to England
MQS sends envoy to discuss succession in 1561
Leicester marriage with MQS rejected and instead she considers Don Carlos worrying Elizabeth
MQS falls and James VI unofficial successor
E’s holding Mary- her return could cause problems for Scotland
Spain- supports Mary and involved in some of the plots
Don John plan to rescue and marry Mary- Alencon is ineffective at stopping this
Threat muted until 1588

Question 35

Impact of marriage and succession on Domestic Affairs

Answer 35

Pressure from Parliament- 1559 petition for marriage, 1563 HOL push marriage and preamble about marriage in subsidy Bill scorched by Queen, 1566 Molyneux and Sadler want decision because of illness, Katherine Grey and MQS having sons
Elizabeth opposes- thought naming successor would increase plots and she utlined to Parliament it was her prerogative
Public Pressure- opposition to French match vis Stubb’s pamphlet who looses right hand but gets sympathy from public