Elizabeth- Elizabeth and her government

Question 1

When was Elizabeth coronated?

Answer 1

1559

Question 2

What rebellion was Elizabeth accused of being part of (to overthrow Mary)? What were the consequences?

Answer 2

Wyatt rebellion- Elizabeth was held for two months in the Tower of London

Question 3

What provoked the Wyatt rebellion? When was it?

Answer 3

Mary I’s marriage to Philip II of Spain (1554)

Question 4

Who was court run by?

Answer 4

The Lord Chamberlain

Question 5

What castle was the only castle that Elizabeth spent money on during her reign?

Answer 5

Windsor Castle

Question 6

What did Elizabeth’s royal progresses enable her to do?

Answer 6

• to be seen by her subjects
• to display her power and riches
• flatter any nobles who she stayed with
• allowed Elizabeth to live lavishly at the expense of her nobles and therefore save money
• the Royal Palaces could be cleaned before her return

Question 7

What were the two political crisises that shaped Elizabeth from a young age?

Answer 7

• Thomas Seymour → a flirtatious relationship that almost resulted in Elizabeth being accused of treason for attempting to overthrow Edward VI - taught her to not trust men
• Wyatt rebellion → against Mary that wanted Elizabeth to take the throne - Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower for 2 months

Question 8

What was the function of court?

Answer 8

• gave an impression of power
• propaganda to glorify Elizabeth’s image
• strict rules in court encouraged loyalty and obedience to Elizabeth

Question 9

What was the function of patronage?

Answer 9

• showing favouritism to particular men for the job
• to create intense competition and rivalries between people
• made everyone totally loyal to her

Question 10

What was the Privy Council?

Answer 10

A council of advisors to Elizabeth that coordinated financial departments, law courts such as the Star Chamber and regional bodies such as the Council of the North.

Question 11

Why might Elizabeth speak against the Privy Council?

Answer 11

To create a statement of her political independence

Question 12

How did Elizabeth create her Privy Council to function in her favour

Answer 12

• Elizabeth’s council was a lot smaller in comparison to Mary’s (Mary’s had about 40 members while Elizabeth had around 20)
• Elizabeth was careful to keep some of Mary’s advisors but not to appoint any strong catholics
• Elizabeth had a range of views protestant vs catholic in her council (e.g. Puritan Francis Walshingham and slightly more sympathetic to the catholics- Christopher Hatton)
• over time Elizabeth made her Privy Council to consist of educated, full-time, politicians largely from the gentry HOWEVER this could be argued as signs of weakness as it could encourage resentment among the nobility
• trusting individuals greatly (e.g. William Cecil)

Question 13

Who were some of Elizabeth’s most trusted advisors?

Answer 13

• Sir William Cecil
• Sir Francis Walshingham
• Robert Dudley
• Sir Christopher Hatton

Question 14

What was the role of parliament under Elizabeth?

Answer 14

• Elizabeth decided when Parliament should meet and for how long
• Elizabeth used parliament to pass laws or to introduce new taxes

Question 15

What’s an example of when Elizabeth used parliament to pass taxes?

Answer 15

1563- taxes approved to fund wars against France and Scotland
1601- taxes granted to pay for war against Spain and to pay for an army in Ireland

Question 16

What methods did Elizabeth use to maintain power?

Answer 16

• use of monopolies to reward loyalty to the queen
• the Privy Council → trusted members, differing views etc.
• exercising her power over the Privy Council e.g. not doing as they said
• created few lords (at the end of her reign there were only 55 lords- therefore the House of Lords was small)
• patronage
• Royal Progresses
• The Cult of Gloriana
• able to appoint the ‘Speaker’ in parliament and could arrest troublesome MPs (e.g. Peter Wentworth in 1576 → wanted freedom of speech)
• not marrying = maintaing her power
• not appointing an heir- keeping her out of danger
• censoring media
• appointing bishops

Question 17

When were years of decline for Elizabeth? Why did this happen?

Answer 17

1590s

• personal tragedies as her personal councillors died e.g. Dudley in 1588 and Cecil in 1598
• new younger council members
• country being in increased poverty with plague and repeated harvest fails
• Essex Rebellion (1601)- organised by one of her favourites

Question 18

What did Elizabeth learn from Mary?

Answer 18

Not to marry- marriage diminished Mary’s power as a female monarch

Question 19

What’s an example of the social ideas that Elizabeth came up against (ideas against women being leaders / monarchs)?

Answer 19

The same year she ascended to the throne, Scottish protestant John Knox wrote a book diminishing female rulers. Elizabeth ruled Knox as a political enemy rather than a protestant ally.

Question 20

When was Parliament not allowed to discuss Elizabeth’s marriage ever again?

Answer 20

1566

Question 21

Who were foreign suitors that proposed to Elizabeth?

Answer 21

• Prince Eric of Sweden
• King Philip II of Spain
• Charles of Austria (son of the Holy Roman Empire)
• Duke of Alencon

Question 22

Why did Elizabeth immediately reject Philip II of Spain?

Answer 22

• he was catholic
• he had treated her sister poorly
• Mary’s choice of a Spanish husband had been so unpopular that it triggered the Wyatt rebellion

Question 23

Who was the main English suitor for Elizabeth and why did this not workout?

Answer 23

Robert Dudley (many historians agree that Elizabeth genuinely loved him)

• Childhood friends
• Dudley was already married however
• Dudley’s wife then mysteriously died at the bottom of a staircase
• This all appeared too convenient and would cause a scandal if they were to marry

Question 24

What names did Elizabeth go by in rejection of marriage?

Answer 24

• the ‘Virgin Queen’
• married to her country

Question 25

Why and when would Elizabeth not nominate a second heir?

Answer 25

• In 1562, Elizabeth contracted smallpox and was expected to die- and after surviving, Parliament urged her to nominate an heir or marry
• Elizabeth denied both and said that nominating an heir would place her in danger

Question 26

Who became the obvious heir at the end of Elizabeth’s life?

Answer 26

Protestant, James I of England (James VI of Scotland)