Problems she faced at the beginning of her reign Flashcards
What problems might she face?
-she was in house arrest
-loss of Calais
-relationship with France
-Spanish relations
-gender
-religion->she was a Protestant and the country is Catholic at the time she took the throne
-rebellions
-marriage pressures to help solve problems
-securing the succession (heir)
-shortage of money->Cloth Trade declining and debasement
-gaining favour with the government
-Scotland
-France
What problems did she have to overcome within the Privy Council?
-she had to decide on the composition of her Privy Council
-her choice of councillors would be an early indication of her religious settlement and her style of government
What problems did she have to overcome about religious settlement?
-she had to decide on the nature of the religious settlement she would introduce
-she could follow the English Catholicism of her father, the Protestantism of her brother, the Roman Catholicism of her sister or develop something of her own
-she had to take into account the fact that the Pope might excommunicate her at any money as he would regard her as illegitimate
What problems would she have to overcome about her succession?
-she was not regarded as the legitimate heir to the English throne by the Roman Catholics->they supported her cousin Mary Queen of Scots->Mary also had the support of Henry II of France
What problems would she have to overcome due to the unrest in Ireland?
-Mary I’s attempts to colonise Ireland by introducing a system of English plantations was causing unrest
-Ireland was staunchly Catholic and refused to accept Henry VIII as Head of the Church so would struggle to accept Elizabeth too
What problems would she have to overcome due to French troops in Scotland?
-in 1558 Scotland was ruled by the French regent and widow of James V (Mary Guise) on behalf of her daughter Mary Queen of Scots->she was brought up in France
-the traditional ‘Auld Alliance’ between Scotland and France and the presence of French troops in Scotland posed a threat to English security
What problems would she have to overcome with keeping the alliance with the Catholic Habsburgs?
-traditional alliance with the Habsburg family (ruled Spain, Holy Roman Empire and Spanish Netherlands) to preserve the balance of power in Europe
-the Habsburgs were staunchly Catholic->Elizabeth needed to work out how to keep the alliance despite her own Protestantism
What problems did she have to overcome due to paying off the crown’s debts and restoring the royal finances?
-royal finances had been severely strained by the war with France
-Mary I had left a debt of over £300,000 and resorted to selling crown lands->only served to weaken the monarchy’s finances in the long run
