elizabeth part 1 Flashcards
when was elizabeth’s reign
1558 to 1603
why didn’t people think elizabeth would be queen
When she was born, no one ever expected Elizabeth to
become monarch. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, had been
executed for treason on the orders of her father, King
Henry Vill. Further, Elizabeth’s elder sister, Queen Mary I of
England, saw her as a potential threat to her own rule. The
family tree shows how unlikely Elizabeth’s coronation would
have seemed when she was a child. She was the middle of
Henry’s three children and both her younger brother and her
older sister came before her in the line of succession. Yet,
as a princess, Elizabeth had been educated and brought
up within the royal household. She learned quickly that
the court could be a dangerous place for her if she was not
careful in what she said, did, and whom she trusted.
power in elizabethan england
Elizabeth was only 25 when she became queen and she
needed to establish her authority quickly, Although being
queen gave her power, she could not do as she pleased
Her government had a clear structure of advisors and other
powerful figures. Most of the power was held by a few key
trusted individuals in Elizabeth’s court. Many, but not all.
of these were privy councillors. The queen could ensure
support through patronage.
court life
The royal court and the government were not the same
thing. The court was made up of all the officials, servants
and advisors that surrounded Elizabeth. The court was the
centre of power, but also the source of the latest trends and
fashions. It included the Privy Council, but Justices of the
Peace and Parliament were not part of it. The government
was made up of the queen and her closest advisors, usually
privy councillors, but always men whom she trusted.
lord lieutenants
Appointed by the queen. Responsible for running a particular area of the country. Responsible for raising a militia to fight for the queen if needed. Many also served on the Privy Council.
justices of peace
Several in every county.
Responsible for
maintaining order and
enforcing the law.
parliament
Made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
Had influence over tax and was responsible for passing laws.
The queen could choose when to call Parliament and was free
to ignore their advice.
privy council
Responsible for the day-to-day running of the
country, dealing with all policy areas.
Although the queen could technically appoint
whoever she wished, in reality she had to
appoint the most powerful landowners in the
country, in order to prevent rebellion.
If the council was united, it was almost impossible
for Elizabeth to go against their wishes. However,
unity was very rare in a group filled with ambitious
rivals.
Led by the Secretary of State.
William Cecil and Francis Walsingham were
two significant and powerful figures who each
served as Secretary of State. Both had a huge
influence on Elizabeth.
problems elizabeth faced- succession
Elizabeth was the last living child of
Henry Vill and she had no children of her
own. So it was unclear who would succeed her
if she died before producing an heir. In the past,
situations like this had led to violent struggles for
power.
In 1562, she nearly died of smallpox. This drew
attention to the uncertainty of England’s future.
As a result, senior figures were keen that she
marry as soon as possible.
problems elizabeth faced- foreign policy
Catholic countries like Spain and France wanted influence over England and had the support of the Pope in this aim. The threat of invasion was very real. • One key area of tension was the Netherlands, where the Protestant population was in conflict with its Spanish rulers. Elizabeth had to decide whether or not to become involved.
the problems elizabeth faced- religion
The Tudor period had seen England’s
official religion change a number of times,
and this had created instability and violence.
Many Catholics did not trust Elizabeth and some
claimed that she had no right to be queen (they
did not recognise Henry’s marriage to Elizabeth’s
mother].
Puritanism, an extreme form of Protestantism,
was also seen as a threat. There were a number
of Puritans who had hoped to take control of
Elizabeth’s Church and make it more extreme
this could have damaged the whole religious
settlement.
problems elizabeth faced- taxation
The country was short of money and Elizabeth needed to raise taxes. Poverty was widespread and raising taxes would be very unpopular.
problems elizabeth faced- mary queen of scot’s
With no direct heir, the next in line to the throne
was Elizabeth’s Catholic cousin, Mary. Many
Catholics saw her as an alternative Queen of England and
this made her a serious threat to Elizabeth.
problems elizabeth faced- ireland
Like her predecessors, Elizabeth
considered herself to be Queen of
Ireland. In 1559, she faced a major revolt in
Ireland - the first of several during her reign.
arguements in favour of marriage
Create an alliance with a foreign country or guarantee the
loyalty of a powerful English family.
Produce an heir to continue the Tudor line and stop Mary, Queen
of Scots from becoming queen when Elizabeth died.
arguements against marriage
Loss of authority - either to a foreign ruler or Englishman.
By not marrying, Elizabeth - and England - kept their
independence.
Giving birth was very risky for the mother.
Her experience of marriage had been bad - her father had
married six times and ordered her mother to be executed and
her sister’s marriage to Philip of Spain had been unhappy and
did not produce an heir.
Elizabeth was able to use the possibility of marriage to her
advantage when dealing with foreign leaders and important
figures in England.
potential suitors- francis, duke of Anjou and Alençon
The French King's brother and heir to his throne. By the time a marriage was proposed, Elizabeth was 46 and probably beyond having children. A childless marriage could result in England falling under French control. He was Catholic and many important figures in Elizabeth's court were against the marriage.
potential suitors- king philip II of spain
One of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. He had been married to Elizabeth's sister, Queen Mary I, but he had rarely visited England and the marriage had not produced an heir. He was Catholic.
potential suitors- robert dudley, earl of leicester
A childhood friend of the queen and a favourite of hers throughout her reign.
Many assumed they were in love.
A key figure in the royal court and a member of the Privy Council.
When his wife died, he became free to marry Elizabeth but the scandal
surrounding her death (and rumours of his involvement) meant this was
almost impossible.
what was parliament
Consisted of lords, bishops and other nobles who sat in the House of Lords and
‘commoners’ (Members of Parliament - MPs] who sat in the House of Commons.
Its role was to discuss issues and advise the queen.
Responsible for passing laws and setting taxes.
Although the queen could decide when to call Parliament (allow it to meet) and did
not have to listen to what it said, in practice she could not ignore it completely. She
needed to deal with Parliament very carefully.
