Elizabeth and Her Rule Flashcards
Elizabeth I’s Childhood
Elizabeth I was the daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. As Henry VIII wanted a male heir, Elizabeth was a disappointment. After her parent’s divorce, Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. This would later be changed and she would return into the line of succession. Elizabeth was not involved in either the plot to change the line of succession to Lady Jane Grey or Wyatt’s Rebellion.
Elizabeth’s Character
Similar to her father, Elizabeth I is said to have had a short temper. Elizabeth received a thorough education. She particularly loved music and would become a patron of musicians when Queen. Elizabeth studied theology and was a moderate Protestant.
Elizabeth’s Aims
Elizabeth’s aim was to deliver a religious settlement which would satisfy as many people as possible. She wanted the Church of England to be Protestant in doctrine, yet she still wanted to keep aspects of traditional worship. Elizabeth wanted to secure stability in England during a time of considerable socioeconomic instability.
Queen Regnant
Like her sister, Elizabeth was a queen regnant. Many people in England were deeply opposed to Elizabeth being England’s ruler.
For example, John Knox published a pamphlet in 1558 called ‘The first blast of the trumpet against the monstrous regimen of women’. This attacked the authority of women as unnatural.
Causes of the Elizabethan Settlement
The Elizabethan Settlement was a reaction to the religious schism (divisions) in England. England’s religion had fluctuated during the reigns of Tudor monarchs.
The Act of Supremacy
The Act of Supremacy was passed in 1559. This act reiterated Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy in 1534, by stating that the Church of England was independent of Rome. Elizabeth I was made the Supreme Governor of the Church.
The Act of Uniformity
The Act of Uniformity was passed in 1559.
This act established the Church of England’s religious doctrine. Most importantly, the act legitimated the Book of Common Prayer. The Act was very contentious, only passing through Parliament by three votes.
The Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer outlines the Church’s liturgy. It set out prayers and services. Although the Book of Common Prayer was Protestant in doctrine, it contained elements of traditional worship. For example:
Clergymen could wear vestments (religious robes). This book combined the language from Edward VI’s moderate Prayer Book in 1549 and his more radical one in 1552.
39 Articles
The 39 Articles were published in 1563 (and would become part of the law in 1571). This stated the Church of England’s position in relation to the Catholic Church and radical Protestants.
Evaluation of the Elizabethan Settlement
Elizabeth was trying to find a compromise between Catholicism and radical Protestantism. Through the Act of Supremacy, Elizabeth was the head of the Church.
But many aspects of religious worship contained the traditional rituals of the Catholic Church. Elizabeth’s religious settlement was divisive and many hardline Protestants were disappointed.
Reluctance to Marry
There is debate over whether or not Elizabeth I wanted to marry at all. Arguably, she did but didn’t believe she had found a suitable match.
Finding the perfect husband was complicated. For example: If he was foreign, he might destabilise England’s foreign policy. If he was English, he might disturb the power dynamics in the English nobility. His religious beliefs were also very important.
Foreign Suitors
Between 1559 and 1562, Elizabeth I received several suitors. For example:
Philip II of Spain. Their union would unite England and Spain against France and Scotland.
Philip II’s cousins, Ferdinand and Charles courted Elizabeth, both Catholic.
Prince Eric of Sweden, a Protestant but he had little diplomatic benefit.
Elizabeth Toying with Suitors
Elizabeth took a long time to reject her suitors.
Although she may have never intended to marry any of these foreign suitors, it served her diplomatically to have some sort of relationship with them. This shows Elizabeth I’s diplomatic genius.
English Suitors
Elizabeth courted with several English suitors. For example:
The Earl of Arundel. Being a Catholic, he was not considered suitable.
Sir William Pickering. As only a member of the gentry, he did not have a sufficient diplomatic position.
Robert Dudley was a favourite of Elizabeth’s. But he was already married. Dudley had the Queen’s ear and had considerable influence. But Dudley’s wife was murdered and Dudley implicated in conspiracies. It would be impossible for Elizabeth to marry him.
Smallpox
In 1562, Elizabeth contracted smallpox (a life-threatening illness). Her illness made everyone fear about the line of succession. Although she recovered, Parliament applied considerable pressure on her to marry.
