Queen, government and religion, 1558-69 Flashcards
Who were the court?
- made up of noblemen who acted as the monarch’s advisers & friends
- they advised the monarch & helped display her wealth & power
- members of the court could also be part of the Privy Council
What was the government like during Elizabeth’s accession?
- Elizabethan government had many different features
- involved the court, the Privy Council, parliament, Lord Lieutenants & Justices of the Peace
Who were Justices of the Peace?
- large landowners
- appointed by the government
- they kept law & order locally & heard court cases
Who were the Lord Lieutenants?
- noblemen
- appointed by the government
- they governed English counties & raised the local militia
Who were the Privy Council?
- members of the nobility who helped to govern the country
- they monitored parliament, Justice of the Peace & oversaw law & order & the security of the country
Who were parliament?
- advised Elizabeth’s government
- made up of the House of Lords (made up of noblemen & bishops) & the House of Commons
- the House of Commons was elected, though very few people could vote
- parliament passed laws & approved taxes (extraordinary taxation)
When did Elizabeth I become queen of England?
1558
What is extraordinary taxation?
extra taxes required to pay for unexpected expenses, especially war
What is militia?
a force of ordinary people (not professional soldiers) raised in an emergency
Why couldn’t Elizabeth I possess complete power?
- she could not pass laws without parliament’s approval
- she could not raise taxes without parliament’s agreement
Why was Elizabethan society very rigid?
- it was based on equality & a social hierarchy
- alternatively based on a structure where everyone knew their place
What was the social hierarchy of the countryside (lowest to highest)?
- homeless & vagrants
- landless & labouring poor
- tenant farmers
- yeoman farmers
- gentry
- nobility
What was the social hierarchy of towns (lowest to highest)?
- unskilled labourers & unemployed
- craftsmen
- business owners
- professionals
- merchants
What percentage of Elizabethan England lived in the countryside?
90%
What percentage of Elizabethan England lived in towns?
10%
What is the social status of the nobility?
major landowners; often lords, dukes & earls
What is the social status of the gentry?
owned smaller estates
What is the social status of the yeoman farmers?
owned a small amount of land
What is the social status of the tenant farmers?
rented land from the yeoman farmers & gentry
What is the social status of the landless & labouring poor?
- people who did not own or rent land
- had to work or labour to provide for themselves or their families
What is the social status of the homeless & vagrants?
moved from place to place looking for work
What is the social status of the merchants?
traders who were very wealthy
What is the social status of the professionals?
- lawyers
- doctors
- clergymen (male religious leader e.g. minister or priest)
What is the social status of the business owners?
often highly skilled craftsmen e.g. silversmiths, glovers (glove makers), carpenters, tailors
What is the social status of the craftsmen?
skilled employees, including apprentices
What is the social status of the unskilled labourers & unemployed?
people who had no regular work & could not provide for themselves & their families
What is the significance of obedience & care in Elizabethan society?
- wherever you were in Elizabethan society, you owed respect & obedience to those above you & had a duty of care to those below
- e.g. Landowners ran their estates according to these ideas; ideally they would take care of their tenants, especially during times of hardship
- households were run along similar lines to society; the husband & father was head of the household; his wife, children & any servants were expected to be obedient to him
What is a feature? Describe an example
- a feature is an aspect of a topic
- e.g. obedience & care is a feature of Elizabethan society
What followed after Mary I’s death?
when Elizabeth I became queen following the death of her older sister, Mary I, she had to find a way of establishing her authority as reigning monarch
What problems faced Elizabeth when she became queen?
- young (21 yo) & lacked experience
- needed support of parliament to pass laws
- unmarried
- legitimacy in doubt
- Catholics refused to acknowledge Elizabeth’s right to rule England
- she was Protestant, whereas her predecessor, Mary I, was Catholic
- Elizabeth’s government needed money
Why was Elizabeth I’s legitimacy in doubt?
the Pope had refused to recognise her mother’s marriage to Henry VIII
What were the origins of doubts about Elizabeth I’s legitimacy?
- Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII, had divorced Catherine of Aragon & married Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth’s mother
- the Pope refused to recognise this divorce
- when Anne Boleyn was executed in 1536, Henry excluded Elizabeth from the succession, although he reversed this decision before his death
What is legitimacy?
refers to whether a monarch is lawfully entitled to rule
Why were there problems with Elizabeth I’s Protestantism?
- many Catholics, especially in the North, disliked the way Henry had taken over the Church in 1534 (the Act of Supremacy) & dissolved the monasteries
- they questioned Elizabeth’s legitimacy, claiming that she had no right to rule
- they preferred a Catholic monarch & there was a real risk of rebellion
What were the key issues facing Elizabeth in 1588?
- widely expected that Elizabeth would marry, however, this would reduce Elizabeth’s power, as her husband would be expected to govern the country & deal with parliament
- Elizabeth’s inexperience meant that she needed the support & advice of her Privy Council, especially her Secretary of State, Sir William Cecil
- Elizabeth could issue royal proclamations & had prerogative powers, enabling her to govern without parliament’s consent, especially in foreign policy. however, laws could only be passed with parliament’s approval as Acts of Parliament
Regarding Elizabeth I, what were the problems of marriage?
- if Elizabeth married a Protestant, this would anger Catholics
- if she married a Catholic, this would upset Protestants
- marriage could involve England in expensive wars, damaging royal finances & requiring taxation. the Crown was already £300,000 in debt
- yet marriage was important, as Elizabeth needed an heir; if she died without an heir the throne would be vacant & this could lead to civil war
What was the idea of ‘the Virgin Queen’?
- Elizabeth was known as ‘the Virgin Queen’ because she remained unmarried
- many people in the 16th century felt this meant she could not rule alone
- however, Elizabeth had a number of strengths as a ruling monarch
What were the aspects of Elizabeth’s character & her strengths?
- confident & charismatic - this enabled her to win over her subjects & command support in parliament
- resilient - she had spent time in the Tower accused of treason & facing possible execution; she could cope with the pressures of being queen
- well educated - she spoke Latin, Greek, French & Latin
- excellent grasp of politics - she understood the interests & ambitions of her subjects, & was able to use her powers of patronage effectively
- although Elizabeth was Protestant, the number of Protestants in England was growing, making her position as queen more secure; she could claim divine right with growing conviction
How did Elizabeth I reinvent her role?
- was able to use her strengths to reinvent herself as a different type of monarch
- she liked to demonstrate that, even though she was female, she was no ordinary woman
- she therefore argued that she did not need to marry & could govern England on her own
What was the significance of Elizabethan propaganda during Elizabeth I’s reign?
- throughout her reign, Elizabeth was happy to portray herself as a strong, legitimate, popular monarch & a ‘Virgin Queen’ - married only to England & not a prince or king
- this is reflected in paintings of her coronation, which shows a confident but feminine monarch rightfully crowned queen
What is a ‘Charismatic leader’?
someone who possesses great personal appeal & can use this to win people over
What is a ‘Legitimate ruler’?
someone who is legally & morally entitled to rule
What is the ‘Divine right’?
- the idea that God alone appointed the monarch, meaning that to challenge the monarch was to challenge God
- successful monarchs claimed divine providence (Godly approval) of their actions, reinforcing their legitimacy
- less successful monarchs could face charges of Godly disapproval & find their legitimacy undermined
Who were the Protestants?
- Christians who no longer accepted the authority of the Pope & many of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church
- during the Reformation (which began in 1517), Protestants, under Martin Luther, seceded (broke away from) the Roman Catholic Church, & this resulted in religious wars in France & Germany
What was ‘Patronage’?
- the monarch could use the granting of lands, jobs & titles to reward her supporters
- people who received these positions could use them to become wealthy
What made Elizabeth’s reign difficult?
Elizabeth faced a number of financial challenges at home when she became queen
What were the financial differences in 1558?
There was a need to improve the quality of money to help England’s finances
- the Crown was £300,000 in debt & had an annual income of only £286,667
- over £100,000 of Crown debts was owed to foreign moneylenders (the Antwerp Exchange), which charged a high interest rate at 14%
- Mary Tudor had sold off Crown lands to pay for wars with France, so the Crown’s income from rents was falling
- Elizabeth needed money to remain secure on the throne, as she could use it to reward her supporters
- since the 1540’s, the Crown had debased (devalued) the coinage, by reducing its silver & gold content, in order to make more money to fight wars against France; this resulted in inflation, as the value of the currency fell
What does the word ‘Crown’ refer to?
- the government
- which means the monarch & her advisors (Privy Councillors)
How were monarchs able to raise money?
- rents & income from their own lands (Crown lands)
- taxes from trade (known as customs duties)
- special additional taxes, known as subsidies, which had to be agreed by parliament
- profits of justice (fines, property or lands from people convicted of crimes)
- loans (sometimes loans were ‘forced’, meaning they were compulsory & never repaid)
What is inflation?
- where prices rise
- this happened because coins were worth less, so people charged more for what they sold
What could Elizabeth do to solve her financial problems in 1558?
- Raise taxes to boost the Crown’s income
- Improve the quality of money by increasing the gold & silver content in the coinage
What was the advantage of raising taxes to boost the Crown’s income?
the Queen could convene parliament & ask for subsidies (special additional taxes)
What was the disadvantage of raising taxes to boost the Crown’s income?
additional taxes would be unpopular with ordinary people, increasing the risk of unrest
What was the advantage of improving the quality of money by increasing the gold & silver content in the coinage?
in 1560, Thomas Gresham, the Crown’s financial adviser, suggested this to William Cecil, but the Crown was slow to respond
What was the disadvantage of improving the quality of money by increasing the gold & silver content in the coinage?
- any ‘new’ coinage would be traded alongside older, less valuable coins
- people would struggle to exchange the older coins for new ones
What were the effects of Elizabeth I’s policies?
- in spite of Elizabeth’s careful management of Crown finances, there was limited reform
- parliamentary grants were raised locally, with many landowners acting as Lord Lieutenants & Justices of the Peace, pocketing some of the proceeds before the rest was sent to the Crown
- this meant that ordinary people faced a heavier financial burden while the wealthy benefitted
What were the advantages of what Elizabeth did to combat her financial challenges?
- she did not raise taxes but instead hoarded her income & cut her household expenses by half
- like her predecessors, she sold Crown lands, raising £120,000
- by 1574, the queen could claim that the Crown was out of debt for the first time since 1558
What issue became prevalent from when Elizabeth I became queen in 1558?
when she became queen in 1558, Elizabeth faced a number of challenges from France, Scotland &, to a lesser extent, Spain & its influence in the Nethelrands
What challenges from abroad faced Elizabeth in 1588?
- the French threat
- the Auld Alliance
- War was an expensive business
- France had ended its war with Spain
- the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis
What impact did the French threat have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?
- France was wealthier than England & had a bigger population
- Elizabeth’s cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, was married to the heir to the French throne
- Mary had a strong claim to the English throne & English Catholics might rally to her if the French invaded
What impact did the Auld Alliance have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?
- France’s alliance with Scotland threatened England
- Mary of Guise (James V’s widow), who ruled Scotland on behalf of her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, kept French soldiers there, who could attack England
- the relationship between France & Scotland was further strengthened by the marriage of Francis (the heir to the French throne) to Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1558
- Francis became King Francis II of France in 1559
What impact did war have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?
- war was an expensive business & the Crown was in debt
- England could not afford a war with France, Scotland or Spain, as this would be ruinously expensive & deepen the government’s debts
What impact did France ending its war with Spain have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?
- French military resources were no longer stretched by war with Spain, making a war with England more likely
- there was also the possibility that France & Spain, both Catholic countries, would unite against Protestant England
- Spain also had troops in the Netherlands, not far from England
What impact did the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?
- under the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis, England had lost Calais to France
- this was England’s last remaining territory on the continent & there was pressure on Elizabeth to regain it
- however, war with France would be expensive & dangerous
How did Elizabeth deal with the challenges abroad?
Elizabeth did her best to avoid upsetting Europe’s most powerful countries.
- she sought to avoid war with France by signing the Peace of Troyes (1564), which recognised once & for all the French claim to Calais
- Elizabeth was able to deal with the threat posed by Scotland by placing Mary, Queen of Scots, who fled Scotland in 1568, in custody in England
- by imprisoning Mary & making peace with France, Elizabeth had only one significant threat by 1569: Spain
Why did Elizabeth cause religious division?
- Protestant queen
- Taking over largely Catholic country
Why was religion central to life in Elizabethan England?
- Religious teaching/practices guided morale & behavior as well as world understanding
- Birth, marriage and death were all marked by religious ceremonies
What did people believe about purgatory in Elizabethan England?
- Reduced time there if you went to Church, attended pilgrimages and confessed sins
What is purgatory?
Where the soul was purged of sin using ‘spiritual fire’ before reaching heaven
Why did religious division cause migration?
- Since the 1530’s many Protestants fleeing persecution in Europe had settled in England
- The number of English Protestants were growing
How was the effect of religious division seen on Protestants?
- Some became Puritans
Who were Puritans?
People who wanted to purify the Christian religion by getting rid of anything not in the Bible
How did religious division effect Northern England?
remained largely Catholic
How did religious division affect Christian denomination?
The Reformation divided the Christian Church between Catholics and Protestants from 1517
How were Catholics viewed?
The ‘old religion’
How were Protestants viewed?
The ‘new religion’
How were Puritans viewed?
Strict Protestants
What was the Catholic belief on religious officials?
The pope is the head of the Church helped by cardinals, bishops and priests
What was the Protestant belief on religious officials?
- No pope
- May be necessary to have archbishops or bishops
What was the Puritan belief on religious officials?
No popes, cardinals or bishops
What was the Catholic belief on Church?
- It is the intermediary (go-between) between God and people
What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on Church?
- Personal direct relationship with God via prayer and Bible
- Only God can forgive sins
What was the the Catholic belief on consecration?
During Mass bread and wine become actual body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation)
What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on consecration?
- The bread and wine simply represent the body and blood of Christ
What was the Catholic belief on sacraments?
7 sacraments
What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on sacraments?
- Only 2 sacraments
- Baptism
- Holy Communion
What was the Catholic belief on Priests?
They are celibate
What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on priests?
They can marry
What was the Catholic practice on services?
Services in Latin
What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on services?
Services in English
What was the Catholic practice on Church decoration?
Highly decorated
What was the Protestant practice on Church decoration?
Churches plain and simple
What was the Puritan practice on Church decoration?
Churches whitewashed with no decorations
Where was the Catholic support?
Majority in north and west England
Where was the Protestant support?
South-east England
Where was the Puritan support?
London & East Anglia
What did Elizabeth’s 1559 religious settlement aim to establish?
A form of religion that would be acceptable to both Protestants and Catholics
When was Elizabeth’s religious settlement?
1559
Why was the Act of Uniformity a key feature of Elizabeth’s 1559 religious settlement?
- Dictated church appearance
- Required everyone to attend church
Why were the Royal Injunctions a key feature of Elizabeth’s 1559 religious settlement?
- Reinforced Act of Supremacy & Uniformity
When was the Book of Common Prayer introduced?
1559
Why was the Book of Common Prayer a key feature of Elizabeth’s religious settlement?
- Introduced a set church service to be used in all churches
- Clergy had to follow Prayer Book or be punished
What does Ecclesiastical mean?
Anything to do with the Church
Why was the Ecclesiastical High Commission a key feature of Elizabeth’s religious settlement?
- Kept discipline within Church
- enforced settlement
- Disloyal clergy punished
Why was the Act of Supremacy a key feature of Elizabeth’s religious settlement?
- Elizabeth becomes Head of C of E
- Clergy &Royal officials swear oath of allegiance to her
How was the 1559 Prayer book inclusive for Catholics?
- Communion Settlement: blood and body of Christ
- Believed ‘real miracles’ experienced at pilgrimages
How was the 1559 prayer book inclusive for Protestants?
- Communion Sacrament as an act of remembrance
- Approved ban of pilgrimages to ‘fake’ miracles
How was the 1559 prayer book inclusive for Catholic mass?
Approve of use of candles, crosses and vestments in church services
What was the impact of religious settlement on ordinary people?
- Accepted settlement & attended church
- However many held on to Catholic beliefs
What did the Royal Injunctions state that clergy were required to teach?
Royal Supremacy
What did the Royal Injunctions state that clergy were required to keep?
Copy of the English Bible
What did the Royal Injunctions state that clergy were required to have?
Government licence to preach
What did the Royal Injunctions state that clergy were required to wear?
Vestments
What is the significance of the Church of England’s role in society?
the Church of England played an important role in national government, & in town & village life
What were the roles of the Church of England in society?
- preached the government’s message
- provided guidance for communities
- responsible for Church Courts
- visitations
- legitimised Elizabeth’s rule
- enforced Elizabeth’s religious settlement of 1559
What is the significance of preaching the government’s message in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?
- priests needed a government’s licence to preach
- this ensured the clergy preached Elizabeth’s religious & political message, as those who refused to do so would be denied a licence
What is the significance of providing guidance for communities in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?
the parish church helped people in times of hardship & uncertainty
What is the significance of being responsible for Church Courts in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?
it dealt with marriage, sexual offences, slander (false insults), wills & inheritance
What is the significance of visitations in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?
- bishops carried out inspections of churches & clergy, to ensure they obeyed the religious settlement
- these took place every 3-4 years
- visitations also involved checking the licences of physicians, midwifes & surgeons
What is the significance of legitimising Elizabeth’s role in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?
the Church encouraged people to remain loyal to & not rebel against their monarch
What was the role of parish clergy in village life?
- in all parishes the clergymen was a major figure in the village community & conducted church services including baptisms, weddings & funerals
- the clergy offered spiritual & practical advice & guidance to people, especially when times were difficult (such as during a poor harvest)
- the clergy were funded by taxes or tithes, or by other sources of income, such as the sale of church pews; the gentry funded some parishes while others remained independent of local landowners
What is a tithe?
a tax worth 10% of people’s income or goods produced
What was the role of parish clergy in town life?
- parish churches in towns contained a much wider collection of people, including merchants, craftsmen, labourers & vagrants; there was often a wider range of religious beliefs, too, especially in London, which contained mainstream Protestants, Puritans & Catholics
- the role of the clergy varied both within towns & between them; in London a wide variety of parishes existed, some of which were very wealthy while others were relatively poor
- due to overcrowding, parish clergy in towns had a wider range of issues to deal with than was the case in rural parishes; these included poverty, vagrancy & diseases, such as smallpox & plague
What challenged Elizabeth’s 1559 religious settlement?
- many radical Protestants (Puritans)
- however, by the late 1560s most Protestant clergy were doing as the queen required
Who were the Puritans?
radical Protestants who wanted to ‘purify’ the Christian religion by getting rid of anything that wasn’t in the Bible
Describe the main features of the Puritans
- wanted to develop their own Church, which would not be controlled by the queen; there would be no bishops, & priests would not wear vestments
- wanted to make the world a ‘more godly’ place by banning ‘sinful’ activities, such as gambling & cock fighting
- wanted a simpler style of worship, whitewashed churches & no ‘graven images’ (worship of religious idols), including crucifixes & statues, which were seen as ungodly & too Catholic
- minority of Puritans believed the monarch could be overthrown in certain circumstances; this was especially the case if the monarch was Catholic
- many Puritans were anti-Catholic & believed the Pope was the ‘anti-Christ’; other Puritans - millenarians - believed the world was ending & that Christians had to prepare for Jesus’ return
What are vestments?
special clothing worn by clergy during worship
Describe the nature of the Puritan challenge (Crucifixes)
- Elizabeth, anxious not to upset her Catholic subjects, demanded that a crucifix be placed in each church
- Puritans opposed this, &, when some Puritans bishops threatened to resign, Elizabeth backed down, as she could not replace them, as she could not replace them with educated Protestant clergy of similar ability
Describe the nature of the Puritan challenge (Vestments)
- Elizabeth wanted the clergy to wear special vestments, as described, as described in the Royal Injunctions
- Puritans resisted this, arguing that clergy should either wear no vestments or simple vestments; in 1566 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Parker, required priests in his Book of Advertisements to attend an exhibition showing the vestments they must wear
- this resulted in the resignation of 37 Puritan priests, who refused to attend church & to wear the new vestments as required
What was the extent of the Puritan challenge?
- Puritans were a vocal group within English society. Puritans, such as John Foxe, Thomas Cartwright & John Field were openly anti-Catholic & opposed to bishops
- while Puritans were active in London, Cambridge, Oxford & parts of East Anglia, Puritanism had less of an impact on northern England, where people remained mostly Catholic in outlook
- the government ignored most Puritan demands for reform of the Church of England, including the Admonition to Parliament in 1572, suggesting that Puritanism’s support was limited
What created hostility towards Elizabeth I?
the Catholic Church became increasingly hostile to Protestantism & Elizabeth’s rule
What was the ‘Counter Reformation’?
- the Catholic Church’s attempt to reverse the Protestant Reformation in Europe & stop its spread was known as the Counter Reformation
- Protestants in Europe were charged with heresy
- in 1566, the Pope issued an instruction to English Catholics not to attend Church of England services
What is heresy?
- involved denying the teachings of the Catholic Church
- the Catholic Church dealt with heretics severely, with many being executed for their beliefs
Describe the events leading up to the Catholic challenge at home
- 1517: Start of the Reformation by Martin Luther
- 1534: Act of Supremacy: the king & not the Pope is head of the Church of England
- 1553-58: Catholicism is restored under Mary Tudor
- 1559: Elizabeth’s religious settlement
- 1545-63: Council of Trent & Counter Reformation leads to determination to reverse gains made by Protestantism in Europe & England since Reformation
Describe the nature of the Catholic threat at home
Counter Reformation in Europe attempts to reverse the spread of Protestantism -> Catholic hostility towards Protestants -> Pope instructs English Catholics not to attend Church of England services/one third of the English nobility & a large part of the gentry are recusants -> Revolt of the Northern Earls (1569-70)
Who are rescusants?
- they practiced the Catholic religion in secret
- Elizabeth tolerated them initially, as she did not want to turn them into religious martyrs (people prepared to die for their religion) & to avoid a Catholic rebellion
Describe the extent of the Catholic threat
- up to one-third of the nobility (major landowners) & many gentry (smaller landowners) were recusants, especially in the north & northwest of England
- Catholic nobility tended to be from traditional & powerful families that had prospered under Mary Tudor, such as the Nevilles & the Percys; they resented their loss of influence of her favourites, such as Sir William Cecil & Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who they saw as Protestant upstarts
- the nobility in the North were very influential & had always enjoyed freedom of action (independence) from the Crown, so they well placed to incite a rebellion against Elizabeth
- this threat was increased by the Pope’s instruction that Catholics were not to attend Church of England services; this gave them a powerful religious reason to rebel
What threatened Queen Elizabeth’s monarchy?
many of Europe’s most powerful rulers tended to be Catholic and, encouraged by the Pope, represented a real threat to Queen Elizabeth’s monarchy, as they could seek to remove her from the throne & replace her with a Catholic monarch
Describe the extent of Catholic challenge from abroad in 1570
by 1570, Elizabeth was surrounded by potentially hostile Catholic powers that could seek to overthrow her & replace her with a Catholic monarch
Describe the Catholic challenge Elizabeth I faced from France
- when religious war began in France, in 1562, Elizabeth backed French Protestants, hoping to take back Calais in return
- yet, this policy failed, as French Protestants made peace with the Catholics later that year
- Elizabeth could not afford to upset both France & Spain, as this would increase threats to her throne
Describe the extent of Catholic challenge abroad in terms of the papacy
- the Counter Reformation meant the Pope was prepared to end Protestant rule in England
- he disapproved of the steps that Elizabeth had taken to suppress Catholicism following the revolt of the Northern Earls
- the Pope had already excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570; this could only encourage Catholic powers, such as France & Spain, to attack England
What is excommunication?
formally excluded from the Catholic Church & unable to receive its sacraments
How did the Spanish challenge Protestants?
- in 1566, the Dutch rebelled against Spanish occupation
- Elizabeth outwardly condemned the Dutch rebels, known as the Sea Beggars, but many made their way to England
- Spanish atrocities against Protestants (hundreds were put to death in the Netherlands) put Elizabeth under pressure to shelter rebels, who attacked Spanish ships in the Channel
How did the Spanish challenge the English?
- Spain was further angered by England’s seizure of the Genoese loan in 1568
- the Italian city of Genoa lent gold to the Spanish government
- ships carrying the loan sheltered in English ports, where Elizabeth seized it, arguing it belonged to Italian bankers not Spain
How did the Spanish challenge the Dutch?
- by 1570, Spanish rule in the Netherlands was secure
- the Privy Council now feared a Spanish invasion, as Spanish troops were in the Spanish Netherlands close to England
How did the Spanish challenge Elizabeth I?
the presence of Mary, Queen of Scots, as an alternative Catholic monarch encouraged the Spanish government to plot against Elizabeth
What made monarchy more difficult for Elizabeth I?
Mary, Queen of Scots, had a legitimate claim to the English throne & was at the centre of many plots designed to overthrow Elizabeth
Describe Mary, Queen of Scots claim to the throne
- Mary, Queen of Scots, was Henry VII’s great-granddaughter & Elizabeth’s second cousin
- she was descended from Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister
- she was Catholic & had a legitimate claim to the English throne
- Mary was married to the French king, Francis II, & inherited the Scottish crown when she was only six days old
- while Mary was in France, her mother, Mary of Guise, ruled Scotland
Why was Mary, Queen of Scots important?
- Mary was Catholic, which meant that many Catholics, including members of the nobility, would be prepared to support her claim to the throne
- Mary’s claim was strengthened by the fact there were no concerns about her legitimacy; Elizabeth’s legitimacy was questioned by Catholics, however, as her mother Anne Boleyn’s marriage to Henry VIII was seen by many Catholics as invalid; this undermined Elizabeth’s claim to the throne
- Mary, therefore, would always be at the centre of Catholic plots & conspiracies against Elizabeth; these involved both English plotters & foreign powers
What happened when Mary, Queen of Scots left Scotland?
- on the death of Francis II in 1560, Mary returned to Scotland & married Henry Stuart (Lord Darnley), producing an heir, James
- Darnley was subsequently murdered (possibly with Mary’s involvement) & this time Mary married the Earl of Bothwell
- many Scots assumed that Mary had murdered Darnley &, in 1568, they rebelled against her, imprisoned her & forced her to abdicate (give up her throne) in favour of her son, James
- Mary escaped & raised an army, but this was defeated at Langside near Glasgow
- Mary subsequently fled to England, seeking her cousin Elizabeth’s help against the Scottish rebels
Describe Mary’s 1568 imprisonment in England
- Mary was held in England in comfort but under guard while Elizabeth decided what to do with her
- the Scottish rebels demanded that Mary be handed over & tried for the murder of Darnley
Why did Mary’s arrival in England create a problem for Elizabeth?
- by remaining in England she could encourage rebellion, as many members of the Catholic nobility believed they could overthrow Elizabeth & place Mary on the throne
- however, to take action against Mary, as an anointed monarch, would also reduce Elizabeth’s own status, power & authority
Describe the overall relationship between Elizabeth & Mary
relations between the two monarchs remained tense, as Elizabeth became increasingly concerned about the presence of Mary, Queen of Scots, in England between 1568 and 1569, & the threat she posed to her throne
What were Elizabeth’s possible options with Mary, Queen of Scots (1568-69)?
- help Mary to regain her throne
- hand Mary over to the Scottish lords
- allow Mary to go abroad
- keep Mary in England
What were the possible problems of helping Mary to regain her throne?
- helping Mary regain her throne would anger the Scottish nobility & leave Elizabeth facing a Catholic monarch on her northern border
- the Auld Alliance with France could then be revived to threaten her
What were the possible problems of handing Mary over to the Scottish lords?
- Mary was the widow of the French king, Francis II
- her trial, imprisonment & execution by Scottish noblemen with Elizabeth’s permission could provoke France, driving them into alliance with Spain, which could lead both countries into war with England
What were the possible problems of allowing Mary to go abroad?
- allowing Mary to go abroad could see her return to France
- this could provoke a French plot that aimed to remove Elizabeth from the English throne & replace her with Mary
What were the possible problems of keeping Mary in England?
- keeping Mary in England was probably the best option for Elizabeth
- however, it carried the risk that Catholic plotters might try to overthrow Elizabeth & replace her with Mary
Describe the Casket Letters Affair
- a meeting was set up at York to hear the case against Mary between October 1568 & January 1569
- the Scottish lords brought love letters with them, supposedly written by Mary to the Earl of Bothwell, that showed she had plotted to murder Lord Darnley
- Mary said that she could not be tried because she was an anointed monarch, & would not offer a plea unless Elizabeth guaranteed a verdict of innocence
- the conference did not reach any conclusions; Mary, therefore, remained captive in England
What were the advantages of Elizabeth not handing over Mary (Casket Letters Affair)?
by not handing over Mary, Elizabeth ensured:
- the Scottish nobility would not imprison or execute Mary
- the French would be satisfied
- her subjects did not punish an anointed monarch
What were the impacts of the Casket Letters Affair?
- the conference did not reach any conclusions
- Mary, therefore, stayed in England, in captivity
- but, she remained a threat to Elizabeth, because any plots against her, especially those involving Catholics, would seek to replace Elizabeth with Mary
Why did Elizabeth not make Mary her heir?
- one further possibility was that Elizabeth would acknowledge Mary as her heir
- however, to do so would upset English Protestants, including those on her Privy Council
- without the support of these Privy Councillors, Elizabeth - already distrusted by many Catholics - would have few supporters left
- moreover, the prospect of a Catholic heir would, in the event of Elizabeth’s death, result in civil war
