Elizabeth I & Court Flashcards
What is patronage?
Being given gifts such as lands, offices, monopolies (having the sole right to produce or sell a good) and titles in return for loyalty.
Who bestowed patronage?
The Queen and key ministers, such as Cecil
Why was patronage important?
Being given an office was the most valued gift from the monarch. Offices might be in the Church, central government, the law or the Royal Household.
How many titles did Elizabeth give throughout her reign?
- She only gave 18 titles (making people peers) during her reign.
- By the end of her reign in 1603, there were fewer nobles than at the start of her reign in 1558.
What was The Household (royal)?
The monarch’s domestic staff.
Who was the head of Elizabeth’s household and how many were employed in it?
Headed by the Lord Chamberlain, it employed 1500 people.
How did Elizabeth’s government and court run?
- The monarch was the centre of government and the court was wherever the monarch was.
- Officials had to attend court to get royal permission for their actions.
- Nobles had to attend to get noticed and be rewarded with patronage.
- Elizabeth promoted loyal, competent men at court to posts in the Privy Council or her Household.
- She also promoted favourites, who then became the target of jealousy and court politics.
Who were Elizabeth’s key courtiers from the gentry?
- Sir William Cecil
- Sir Christian Hatton
- Sir Walter Raleigh
- Sir Francis Walsingham
Who was William Cecil?
- Lord Burghley from 1573.
- He was Elizabeth’s most important and trusted adviser.
- His son, Robert Cecil took his place in 1596.
- Cecil first served Elizabeth I as Secretary of State and later as Lord Treasurer.
- Elizabeth I favoured Cecil because of his administrative skills.
- Cecil’s political views were aligned with Elizabeth, relatively conservative and focused on maintaining stability.
Who was Sir Christopher Hatton?
His close friendship with Elizabeth was especially resented by the nobility.
Who was Sir Walter Raleigh?
A favourite from the 1580s. Hatton was jealous of him.
Who was Sir Francis Walsingham?
A staunch Protestant. He developed an extensive spy network and was instrumental in Mary, Queen of Scots’ execution.
Who were Elizabeth’s key courtiers from the nobility?
- Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester from 1564.
- The Earl of Sussex was from the old nobility.
- The Earl of Essex was Elizabeth’s last great favourite, but it ended disastrously.
What was the role of Elizabeth’s ministers?
- Elizabeth I’s ministers were trusted advisors who helped her govern the kingdom.
- That said, they were there to advise Elizabeth I, not tell her what to do.
- Elizabeth I believed she had a ‘divine right’ to rule (meaning she was chosen specially by God).
How did Elizabeth’s ministers help maintain her image?
- Elizabeth I’s ministers also helped shape the Queen’s image and how it was communicated to her subjects and foreigners.
- This ‘propaganda’ (information which aims to influence an audience) presented Elizabeth I as a powerful, Protestant Queen who could overcome the weaknesses usually associated with her sex.
To what extent did Elizabeth’s gender influence her relationship with her ministers and her ability to assert her royal authority?
Natalie Mears (2005):
- ‘Entrenched gender assumptions privileged the role of (male) counsellors and provided a stimulus for arguments that Elizabeth should listen and accept advice.’
- ‘… gender did not eclipse concepts and practices of counsel and governance established before 1553; rather it competed with them.’
Who was in the Conservative Court faction and was it influential?
- The Duke of Norfolk, the Earls of Sussex and Shrewsbury, Sir James Croft and Sir Christopher Hatton.
- Conservative influence (except for Hatton’s) waned in the 1570s after the Northern Rebellion (a rebellion in 1569 where Catholic nobles tried to overthrow Elizabeth I and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne) and Ridolfi Plot (a plot to assassinate Elizabeth I and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne).
Who was in the protestant faction and were they influential?
- Sir William Cecil, Sir Walter Mildmay, Sir Francis Walsingham, the Earls of Leicester, Warwick and Bedford.
- These men formed an ‘inner ring’ around Elizabeth from the 1570s.
What were the early Privy Council factions?
- Cecil and Leicester had their followings at court and often disagreed on political issues. They conflicted over Elizabeth’s potential marriage in the 1560s.
- In the 1570s and the 1580s, factional rivalry was limited. Courtiers co-operated and Elizabeth managed any rivalries effectively.
What were the later Privy Council factions?
- By the 1590s, a new generation of courtiers dominated. Factional rivalry grew after the deaths of Leicester (1588), Walsingham (1590) and Hatton (1592).
- Cecil’s ill health diminished his influence after 1592. His son, Robert, eventually replaced him.
- In the late 1590s factions formed around Robert Cecil and the young Earl of Essex. Essex lost Elizabeth I’s favour and was executed for treason in 1601.
