Elizabethan Government

Question 1

Significance of the royal court?

Answer 1

It was the centre of gov
Travelled with the queen and came under jurisdiction of lord chamberlain

Question 2

Significance of the privy council?

Answer 2

The main formal body in which the queen’s principal ministers met
Work and pleasure combined
Queen met with ministers in both a formal and informal setting

Question 3

What did eliz do in order to be an active ruler?

Answer 3

Deliberately chose a much smaller privy council than Mary’s
This was intended to reduce faction fighting and improve efficiency
Around 10 members regularly attended
Some of Mary’s councillors kept but she added her own choices giving council a new dynamic

Question 4

Principle functions of the privy council?

Answer 4

• to discuss and advise on state matters, helping to formulate policies
• to manage crown finances
• to manage parliament
• to oversee the regional councils and local officials
• to oversee national defence
• to enforce the 1559 religious settlement
• to act as a court of law (when sitting as star chamber)

Question 5

Did eliz work well with council?

Answer 5

Yes, despite some disagreements over FP and the execution of MQS

Question 6

Who was eliz’s chief advisor?

Answer 6

William Cecil

Question 7

Who had Cecil also served under?

Answer 7

He had served under Edward

Question 8

Who was eliz’s favourite council member?

Answer 8

Robert Dudley - joined council in 1562

Question 9

Example of factional rivalry

Answer 9

Leicester and Cecil (two of eliz key ministers), disagreed over eliz’s potential marriage and were frequent rivals in political matters, with competition between Dudley (Leicester) and Cecil factions at court.

Question 10

When was the influence of the traditional conservatives reduced?

Answer 10

1570s

Question 11

What happened as a result of perceived disloyalty in the 1560s?

Answer 11

Norfolk was executed and Winchester died
Firmly prot councillors also emerged, including walsingham

Question 12

Francis walsingham?

Answer 12

Became eliz’s principal secretary in 1573-90 and acted as her chief spy minister
Worked with lord burghley to create an effective spy network
Also instrumental in convincing eliz to execute MQS in 1587

Question 13

What was the inner ring of strongly Protestant councillors?

Answer 13

Leicester, Warwick, Bedford, walsingham and burghley

Question 14

Problems of gov in the 1580s and 90s?

Answer 14

• several key ministers died in quick succession - e.g. earl of Leicester in 1588
• eliz was slow to replace deceased councillors and often less capable men were promoted
• the great noble families were no longer represented on the council
• clashes took place between Cecil’s son, Robert and Leicester’s stepson, earl of Essex
• eliz would not allow Cecil (lord burghley) to retire, despite ill health, he appointed his his son Robert as privy councillor, 1593 and principal secretary 1596.

Question 15

When was the Essex rebellion and what happened?

Answer 15

1601
Problems stemming from the Cecil-Essex faction culminated in this rebellion when Essex (who had failed in his bid to defeat Irish rebels and had been banished from the court by eliz because of his arrogant manner) tried to revise his declining influence by mounting a coup against Cecil. This attempt failed and he was tried and executed. Essex lacked political judgement, but his attitudes nevertheless reflected increasing wider discontent with the rule of Elizabeth and Cecil.

Question 16

Was parliament important under eliz?

Answer 16

Continued being a feature less important than the privy council

Question 17

How many parliaments did eliz call in total?

Answer 17

13 sessions, most lasted around 3 months
11 out of the 13 parliaments were asked to grant revenue

Question 18

How many acts were passed by eliz’s parliament?

Answer 18

438 acts
Notably the acts of supremacy and uniformity in 1559 and the poor laws of 1597/8 and 1601

Question 19

Within parl which house was more important?

Answer 19

House of Lords was more important than the House of Commons and all bills were first discussed there.
Parliamentary sessions were carefully managed and Cecil was active in preparing bills, assisted by the crowns representatives in the House of Commons and privy councillors.

Question 20

Who managed the commons?

Answer 20

Cecil
They were expected to be respectful, and not hinder parliamentary business with undue debate
This tactic seems to have succeeded

Question 21

How many bills passed through both houses had eliz refused?

Answer 21

60 bills

Question 22

What would eliz not allow?

Answer 22

Undivided debate or opposition on any matter which she regarded as her prerogative. Matters included marriage and the succession, religion and FP.
This bought several clashes w queen and parliament

Question 23

Until 1593, what were relationships between queen and parliament like?

Answer 23

Generally cordial. Most mps accepted the restrictions imposed and those who did not were punished severely.

Question 24

How did the crowns relationship with parl deteriorate after 1593?

Answer 24

• eliz barred politician’s advancement as one of burghley’s associates criticised the Archbishop of Canterbury - queen took this as personal criticism
• peter wentworth was imprisoned, with 3 colleagues, for arguing for a named successor to eliz - queen saw this as an attack on her royal prerogative

Question 25

Why did the relations between eliz and her parliaments break down in 1601?

Answer 25

Debate over monopolies - whereby the sole right to sell or manufacture a particular commodity was bought by an individual or company
A compromise was achieved through the parliamentary session ended with the queen’s emotionally moving Golden Speech (essentially a farewell) to a crowded gathering of MPs