Elizabethan Government 1563-1603

Question 1

How often did the Privy Council meet under Elizabeth at the beginning of her reign?

Answer 1

twice-3 a week

Question 2

Which historian has praised the Elizabethan government in being coherent and effective?

Answer 2

Haigh

Question 3

Why was the Royal Court important to the Elizabethan decision-malign process?

Answer 3

as it was here that Elizabeth could seek advice on an individual basis

Question 4

What was the main formal body in which the queen’s principle ministers came together which was responsible for the policy advice and administration of policy?

Answer 4

Privy Council

Question 5

Elizabeth’s Privy Council never had more than ___ ministers?

Answer 5

19

Question 6

By the end of Elizabeth’s reign, how much did the Privy Council meet?

Answer 6

6-7

Question 7

How would the Privy Council adjudicate partly as a court of law?

Answer 7

when it sat as the Star Chamber

Question 8

What sort of laws were the Privy Council to enforce?

Answer 8

law and order, vagrancy, prices and wages

Question 9

Where did the Privy Council receive appeals from?

Answer 9

from regional courts such as the Council of the North and the Council of Wales and the marches

Question 10

How did Elizabeth restrict the political influence of conservatives Marquis of Winchester and the earls of Sussex and Shrewsbury?

Answer 10

she positioned them with roles away from court

Question 11

What decade was there a re shaping in the Privy Council?

Answer 11

1570s

Question 12

How was the Privy Council reshaped in the 1570s?

Answer 12

the influence of the traditional conservative artisocracy was reduced with the downfall and execution of the Duke of Norfolk and death of Lord Treasurer Winchester

Question 13

IN the 1570s a nucleus of firmly Protestant councillors was appointed. What did this create according to John Guy?

Answer 13

an ‘inner ring; of 8 councillors, some of whom were militant Protestants along with Burghley (Cecil) :the only relatively conservative figures was Sussex

Question 14

While there was breakdown in relations over execution of Mary Queen of Scots, how was the general administration of the Privy COunciL?

Answer 14

served their queen well

Question 15

What were 4 problems which weakened the Elizabethan Council in the later 1580’s?

Answer 15

• A number of ministers died in quick succession
• Queen failed to make immediate replacements for the ministers who died
• Absence of senior noble men in the Council
• Refused to allow Cecil to retire despite him diminishing effectiveness in the 90s

Question 16

By 1597 how many members were in the Council due to successive deaths?

Answer 16

11

Question 17

Why was it a problem that the Queen failed to make immediate replacements for the ministers who died?

Answer 17

as after waiting so long, the eventual replacement of middle-aged sons of former councillors was ineffective as they lacked their fathers skill

Question 18

It has been thought that councillor government was affected by factional rivalries throughout ELiabeths reign. How did the structure of Elizabethan government, at least in the early stages of the reign, helped to prevent factional rivalry from getting out of hand?

Answer 18

. No single minster, not even Cecil had control over patronage
Various influential families at court within the Council balanced one another (Boleyns and Parrs)

Question 19

In which decade had the coherence of government declined?

Answer 19

1590s

Question 20

Why had the coherence of government declined in the 1590s?

Answer 20

due to fierce clashes between Cecil and Essex which made governance difficult

Question 21

How did Essex respond to his declining influence in 1601?

Answer 21

he planned an armed coup which would bring Cecil and his enemies down

Question 22

What did the revolt of the Earl of Essex reflect more widely?

Answer 22

it reflected a larger discontent with the unpopularity of Elizabeth’s and Cecil’s rule