Monarchy and government

Question 1

Why was the tudor claim to the throne weak? (Line)

Answer 1

Henry’s mothers line (Mary Beaufort) was descended from Edward III’s illegitimate son John of Gaunt

• He only later became legitimate on the promise that their descendants would not lay claim to the crown

Question 2

Why was the lack of a male heir such a problem for Henry

Answer 2

• people may see the daughters as weak and try to overthrow them
• a male heir would be clear and undisturbed

Question 3

Why did Henry blame his wives for the lack of a male heir

Answer 3

• Henry knew he was able to bear a son as he had an illegitimate one with a mistress, Henry Fitzroy

Question 4

Catherine of Aragon child

Answer 4

• Mary I
• lots of miscarriages and still borns between 1510-18
• Gave birth to a son (Henry) who lived only for 3 weeks
• Mary was made illegitimate after he annulled the marriage and claimed the child was never valid

Question 5

Anne Boleyn child

Answer 5

• Elizabeth I
• promised Henry she would have a son, so he married her
• Jan 1536 gave birth to deformed male foetus, lots of still births/ miscarriages

Question 6

Jane Seymour child

Answer 6

Edward VI

• unfortunately die shortly after

Question 7

How did the tudor monarchs use propaganda?

Answer 7

• used progresses and discussings

- reinforced popular obedience and loyalty

Question 8

progresses

Answer 8

• went around the country to be seen and met by the people
• an opportunity for monarchs to show themselves and be seen by their people
• they would stay in the houses of leading local nobility and gentry to save money

Question 9

examples of progresses

Answer 9

• Elizabeth I in particular used this method and went on progresses with her entire court nearly every summer
• In 1560 and 1569 she visited Hampshire, in 1572 she went to the midlands
• Henry also went on some in 1535 to Sailsbury and the Bristol Channel

Question 10

disgusings

Answer 10

• such as tournaments
• open to all spectators
• more private banquets and court plays
• emphasises monarchs power, wealth and legitimacy of the tudor dynasty
• Henry’s reign saw a staged battle on the Thames in which the king dominated over the papcy

Question 11

Other forms of propaganda

Answer 11

• paintings

- Mary and Ed showed wealth through things such as plays, masques etc

Question 12

What is a faction

Answer 12

• an informal grouping whose members have shared aims e.g. to promote religious reform
• faction members would seek to gain power and access to the monarch- both informally through the chamber and through formal position in the government, such as the council
• membership fluctuated and was not stable

Question 13

Why did factions in the tudor court become more intense from the 1530s onwards?

Answer 13

• in the later parts of Henry’s reign, factions often formed along religious lines
• the factions competed and attempted to influence henry by placing their supporters in positions where they could influence him, often in the privy chamber or council
• this did not bother henry until his later years and the reign of his son, when they could destabilise politics

Question 14

factions

Answer 14

conservative faction at court - favoured a return to traditional catholic forms of worship

reformer faction- favoured more reform to make the church more protestant

Question 15

Edward seymour

Answer 15

Duke Of Hertford

Earl of Somerset

Question 16

How could a faction destabilise Tudor government?

Answer 16

• could effect the line of succession
• could change the focus of religion
• could influence the monarchs decision

Question 17

What did Henry do as his health began declining

Answer 17

• due to Henry’s declining health, as the 1540s progressed it was clear that a form of regency council would be required until Edward was of age

Question 18

Why was it dangerous for a minor to rule?

Answer 18

• The last minor (Edward V in 1483) had been usurped by his uncle Richard III and soon later disappeared
• Henry was determined his son would succeed without challenge

Question 19

Why as there political instability by 1546

Answer 19

• Henrys declining health meant he was unable to control rival factions in his chamber and council
• this resulted in political instability
• the balance of power between the factions had swung in favour of reformer as Hertford ensured that men important to him were placed in key positions in the privy chamber
• these men, such as Sir John Gates and Sir Anthony Denny controlled access to the dry stamp

Question 20

Henry’s will

Answer 20

In december 1546, influenced by the reformer faction, Henry changed his will to make provisions for a regency council of 16 men, who would rule on behalf of his son

• he did this in hope that one man would not take over the power of the country

Question 21

What happened to Henry’s will?

Answer 21

• In January 1547, as Henry lay dying, a series of political maneoverigns took place through which Hertford was able to enhance his control over the future king

Question 22

What did Hertford do?

Answer 22

• the will was changed so that the regency council had ‘full power and authority’ to make any decisions
• a further addition to the will was the ‘unfulfilled gifts’ cause that allowed the council to make gifts after Henry’s death which he had ‘granted, made or promised’

Question 23

what happened when Henry died?

Answer 23

• Henrys death was made secret for 3 days whilst BTS negotiations took place, including getting custody and control of young Ed
• The regency council named by Henry voted to make Hertford Edwards protector and Hertford supporters were rewarded under the UG clause,
• Hertford made himself duke of somerset and in total crown laws worth £27,053 were granted to Hertford and his supporters
• this shows how easily the political situation could be manipulated

Question 24

What was supposed to happen when Ed died with no heir?

Answer 24

• Under the terms of the Act of Succession (1544) and Henry’s will, the throne was supposed to pass first to Mary and her heirs and then to Liz

Question 25

How was Edward manipulated by others in terms of his succession

Answer 25

• greatly influenced by John Dudley, (Northumberland)
  who had taken Hertford’s place as Edward’s protector in 1550
• Northumberland surrounded the king with members of his faction

Question 26

Why did Edward not want to pass on the throne to Mary

Answer 26

• she was a committed catholic, the reformation and progress he made in the protestant church would be reversed
• Under the terms of the 1534 act of succession, Mary had been declared illegitimate, and although Henry had revise the succession to include her 10 years later, this had never been formally reversed

Question 27

Why did Edward not want to pass on the throne to Elizabeth

Answer 27

• despite her protestant leanings, he believed she was also too illegitimate as a result of the 1536 act of Succession
• suspect legitimacy was serious at this time and could be manipulated by potential rivals to the throne

Question 28

What was Edward’s ‘device for succession’

Answer 28

• something drawn up by Edward (helped by Northumberland and his advisors) in 1553
• hoped initially that when he died either the Duchess of Suffolk or her eldest daughter Jane would have a son
• however by May it was clear he was dying and he changed his device so that Jane would inherit the throne, overturning both an Act of PLMT and his fathers will

Question 29

Could Northumberland have heavily influenced Edward’s decision?

Answer 29

• Northumberlands motives in 1553 were to retain his power and political position after Eds death
• He was also responsible for overseeing the final steps of the protestant reformation, meaning he was unlikey to support Liz or Maz. He would be removed from power

Question 30

How did Northumberland enhance his power with the succession

Answer 30

• On 21 May 1553, he enhanced his grip on power through the marriage of his forth son, Sir Guildford Dudley, to Lady Jane Grey
• it is suggested that Ed made his alterations to the ‘device’ after this date

Question 31

Who was the first female ruler?

Answer 31

Empress Matilda- early 12th century 1135

• became empress because she was the eldest daughter of Henry 1st, who’s sons died
• her cousin Stephen battled with her to be kind, people turned against her

Question 32

How does Empress Matilda exemplify medievali attitudes towards female rulers

Answer 32

• showed that female rulers were looked down upon

- her reign bought 18 years of civil war, only resolved when Matilda’s son tok over the throne

Question 33

Why was the accession of a woman potentially a problem for the tudor regime?

Answer 33

• dangerous people would view the monarch as weak and easy to overthrow
• the throne was supposed to be passed down the male line
• people believed women couldn’t rule, her advisors wouldn’t therefore follow what she said

Question 34

What did John Knox say about female rulers

Answer 34

the ‘regiment’ of women was ‘monstrous’

• insulting to god
• against nature
• undermines the social order

Question 35

Problems facing Maz and Liz as queens

Answer 35

• viewed as weak and feeble and unfit to rule he country, intellectual bias
• Torn loyalty between trying to be a mother/ wife and lead the country
• deemed illegitimate by Henry

Question 36

How did Maz and Liz overcome these problems

Answer 36

• claimed though they were physically unfit, mentally they were as strong and powerful as a man
• used language to manipulate the idea that they should be married to their country. Mary in her speech at the London Guildhall in 1554 and E in parliament in 1559
• Mary overthrew LJG showing her power and ruthlessness

Question 37

LIz’s speeech

Answer 37

• delivered speech to the Troops at Tilbury on Aug 9th 1588 in preparation for an expected invasion from the Spanish Armada
• a form of propaganda, showing people she would sacrifice herself for her country, strong, courage
• says despite her exterior she has the strength of a king and will fight to protect her country

Question 38

Why did Mary marry Philip of Spain

Answer 38

• choosing a foreign husband who was already king would avoid internal tensions (that may arise if she were to marry eng nobility like Edward Courtenay) as she would be marrying someone equal in rank
• the marriage united Spain and England. Economic benefits, spain controlled the Netherlands (vital partner in Eng Cloth trade)
• Phillip was a devout catholic who would help her restore it to Eng

Question 39

What opposition did Mary face with her marriage to Philip

Answer 39

• from her council and her own parliament
• when PLMT met in 1553, concerns were expressed about the marriage, showing the difficulties of women at the time
• attitudes of the time led to the assumption that if Mary married a foreigner, her husbandd would automatically rule England
• wyatts rebellion

Question 40

How did Mary and her council calm the fears surrounding her marriage

Answer 40

Marriage Treaty 1554

• Stated Phillip was not allowed to rule England, only assist
• If MAz died Phillip would not rule and children of the marriage would inherit the throne
• Phillip was not allowed to appoint foreigners to positions in english gvm
• Eng could not be drawn into wars between Spain and France

Question 41

Elizabeth and marriage

Answer 41

• was wary of marriage due to the problems it presented to a female ruler
• in 1560, she angrily berated a parliamentary delegation who had requested she marry
• opportunity to marry Robert Dudley, but this would have caused tensions at court
• could have also gone foreign- phill of spain, french prince Henry Duke of Anjou

Question 42

How did Liz get around the fact that she was umarried

Answer 42

• she publicly encouraged the notion of courtly love and image of the ‘Virgin queen’ from the late 1570s
• used this to pose as desirable, yet beyond reach, thus controlling her male courtiers
• used clever rhetoric to present herself as leader of men. E.g. speech at Tilbury in 1588, wore a silver breastplate over her dress