Elizabeth I and Succession Flashcards
Marriage and Virginity
Over the decades, it became apparent that Elizabeth I would not marry. She began to develop a reputation for being the ‘Virgin Queen’. It was commonly said that her impregnable body represented an impregnable country.
Bond of Association
In 1583, Cecil established the Bond of Association. This was in response to the Throckmorton Plot (a plot to assassinate the Queen). The Bond of Association was written in case the Queen was murdered and had not chosen a successor. It gave its signatories the power to execute the Queen’s killer. It gave the signatories power to choose the new monarch. This had huge consequences because it meant the succession could be the prerogative of Parliament.
The Duke of Anjou
Elizabeth’s last suitor was the Duke of Anjou, who courted the Queen in 1579.
The Duke of Anjou was a French Catholic.
It is unknown if Elizabeth I wanted to marry the Duke. She did appear to like him. He gave her extravagant presents. She endearingly called him her ‘little frog’.
Opposition to the Duke of Anjou
The Protestant faction in Elizabeth’s Court did not want her to marry the Duke because he was a Catholic. Cecil spread rumours about the Duke to make him fall out of favour with the Queen. The Protestant faction applied considerable pressure on Elizabeth I, emphasising her as the Virgin Queen. An example of this pressure is seen in the ‘Sieve Portraits’. The sieve symbolises virginity.
Royal Prerogative
Over the years, Parliament repeatedly pressured Elizabeth I to name a successor.
But Elizabeth believed that they did not have the right to tell her what to do. She used her royal prerogative (privilege) and forbade them from discussing the matter.
Not Naming a Successor
Elizabeth I’s decision not to name a successor was strategic. With no clear successor, England could fall into civil war.
Naming a Successor
Elizabeth I faced many plots to assassinate her. If Elizabeth I did name a successor, people could be encouraged to overthrow her in favour of her named successor. So the lack of a named successor ensured Elizabeth I’s survival as the monarch.
The Throckmorton Plot
The Throckmorton Plot in 1583 was a plot to assassinate Elizabeth I accompanied by the invasion of England by the Duke of Guise.
This plot terrified Elizabeth I’s closest ministers and they wanted to have a backup plan in case she was killed.
Bond of Association in Response to The Throckmorton Plot
In 1583, Cecil established the Bond of Association. The Bond of Association was written in case the Queen was murdered and had not chosen a successor. It gave its signatories the power to execute the Queen’s killer and gave the signatories the power to choose the new monarch.
Implications of the Bond of Association
Historians such as Lake have emphasised the far-reaching implications of the Bond of Association. Cecil essentially planned a situation where there would be no monarch: a republic. Cecil wanted to give a select group of politicians the authority to choose the future monarch. This was unprecedented as usually, the ability to choose the line of succession was a royal prerogative.
