Elizabeth I: Character and Aims Flashcards
What does Norman Jones suggest / argue in relation to Elizabeth’s religious views?
He argues that Elizabeth was a Protestant and wouldn’t accept a Church separate from the State. She was however tolerant to Catholic behaviour.
How old was Elizabeth when she became Queen?
25
How was Elizabeth different to her sister Mary?
She was better educated, was a better judge of character and had a shrewder grasp at political processes. She learned much from her personal experience involving her relationship with Thomas Seymour
How did Elizabeth let everyone know that she was very much in charge right from the start of her reign?
In 1559, Elizabeth told Parliament that ‘we hope to rule, govern and keep this our realm in good justice, peace and rest, in like wise as the king my father held you in.’
What was Elizabeth determined to preserve during her reign?
She wanted to preserve the prerogative powers of the Crown, which meant that she insisted on taking the most important decisions.
What were Elizabeth’s primary aims when she came to power?
To consolidate her position
To settle religious issues
To pursue a peaceful settlement with the French
Who was William Cecil?
He was the first Baron Burghley who first enjoyed prominence under Somersetand managed to transfer allegiance to Northumberland. He had the trust of Elizabeth and managed her succession well. He served her as principal secretary and then as Lord Treasurer in 1572.
What issues troubled England upon Elizabeth’s accession?
England had suffered a series of bad harvests, so food was sparse and expensive. The country had also suffered from a flu epidemic which brought the highest mortality rate since the Black Death. The political and religious situation was delicate. England had fought in a war with France which resulted in the loss of Calais.
Summarise the 5 key features to Elizabeth’s consolidation of power
Her accession was helped by the acceptance from Mary’s key councillors. On 17th November, Nicholas Heath (Mary’s Lord Chancellor and the Archbishop of York) announced Mary’s death and proclaimed Elizabeth’s accession. However he had no legal right to do this, Parliament should have led to the dissolution of Parliament. This was significant, because it showed that Mary’s key councillors collectively assented to Elizabeth’s accession.
She appointed William Cecil principal secretary and some other household appointments. However she kept Mary’s councillors guessing about her intentions and speculating about their chances of retaining royal favour.
She took herself to the Tower to show herself to her subjects and to benefit from pageants which were organised on her behalf by the City of London.
She proceeded quickly to her coronation, based on astrological advice, on 15 January.
The Spanish ambassador, the Count of Feria, had been present several days before Mary’s death and tried to broker a marriage alliance between Elizabeth and Philip. Nothing came of this, but it showed that Phillip was unwilling to disrupt the smoothness of Elizabeth’s accession.
Outline the 3 options that Elizabeth could chose for her initial religious policy
An Anglo-Catholic Church, a Church who’s doctrines and practices were essentially Catholic even though papal supremacy was rejected.
A moderate Protestant church, similar to that implied by the Act of Uniformity of 1549.
A more radical evangelical Church as implied by the Act of Uniformity of 1552
Outline the key features of the Act of Supremacy, passed in 1559
The papal supremacy restored under Mary was rejected.
Reformation legislation under Henry VIII was restored.
Heresy law under Mary repealed.
Powers of royal visitation (under Henry VIII) were revived. So the crown could appoint commissioners to ‘visit, reform, order, correct and amend errors, heresies and abuses.
The queen was described as supreme governor of the church as opposed to supreme head (this was interpreted as a concession of Catholic opinion, a reflection of attitudes towards women and an assumption that only God could be head of the church.
An oath of supremacy was to be taken by clergymen and church officials. There were penalties for refusal
What contentious amendments were made through the Act of Uniformity of 1559?
Both the 1549 wording and the 1552 wording derived from the beliefs of the Swiss reformer Zwingli were permitted.
The ‘Black Rubric’, included in the 1552 prayer book was omitted.
Why were all Protestants not fully pleased with the Act of Uniformity?
The act specified that such ‘ornaments of the church and of the ministers thereof’ should be those that were in place during the second year of the reign of Edward VI (before the passing of the Act of Uniformity of 1549). Many returning Protestant exiles assumed this was a mistake, because many Calvinist clergy saw the ‘ornaments’ as ‘Popish’ and therefore objected strongly to them
What were the royal injunctions?
They were a set of instructions about the conduct of church services and government of the Church issued in he queens name as supreme governor. Royal injunctions were previously used by the Crown to impose its will in relation to church practices
What changes did the royal injunctions bring about?
The first emphasised ‘the suppression of superstition’ and the need ‘to plant true religion to the eradication of all hypocrisy, enormities and abuses’. They emphasised that the Eucharist be administered at a simple communion table rather than the alter. They called for the removal of Catholic practices such as pilgrimages, the use of candles and the use of Latin Bibles.
