Queen, government and religion Flashcards
(28 cards)
Give four examples of the problems Elizabeth faced when she became Queen of England
- Legitimacy - parents’ marriage declared illegal so many Catholics believed she had no claim to the throne
- No husband - concerns over female ruing along - made England vulnerable to attack. No heir
- Religion - the country was split between Protestants and Catholics. Elizabeth was President
- Invasion - France was a Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, who was married to the son of the French King should be ruler of England
Which body had to be consulted if Tudor monarchs wanted more money
Parliament. They were only in session 9 times between 1558 and 1588. In each session taxes were granted
What was the name of the body of Elizabeth’s advisers?
Privy Council - William Cecil was in charge of this (secretary of state) 19 people sat on this council
What was the name given to the growing middle class
The gentry. Cecil was a member of the gentry
How much debt did Elizabeth inherit from the war in France
£300 000
What were 2 of Elizabeth’s aims regarding religion
- To heal the divisions between Protestants and Catholics to avoid Civil War
- To maximise her personal power by taking as much control over the church as possible
Who was Francis Walsingham
He was a close advisor of Elizabeth and her spymaster
Who was Robert Dudley the Earl of Leicester
Leading Nobleman, advisor and favourite of Elizabeth9
What did Elizabeth create in 1559 to solve the issue of religious division
The religious settlement. Also known as the Middle Way
What was the Act of Supremacy 1559
It re-established the break from Rome and an independent Church of England and all members of the clergy had to swear an oath of loyalty to Elizabeth
Elizabeth became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. This meant Catholics could still recognise the Pope as head of the Church
However, as a compromise with archbishops and Bishops being kept which it was hoped would please Catholics
What was the Act of Uniformity, 1559
Catholic Mass was abandoned and the Bible was written in English (to please Protestants). Ornaments such as crosses and candles could be placed on the communion table and Priests had to wear traditional - style Vestments (to please Catholics)
Clergy were allowed to marry
Failure to attend church meant you could be fined
How were these two acts viewed at the time
Majority were happy but Puritans and extreme Catholics thought it gave too much away to the ‘other side’
Geographically, where was Catholicism strongest in England
North East and North West
What was a Puritan
An English Protestant who wanted to further simplify the Church of England and remove anything related to Catholicism
What was the impact of the religious settlement of the Clergy
8 000 priests took the oath of supremacy showing their support for the Acts introduced
However, only 1 Bishop took the oath, so 27 new bishops were appointed
What was the role of the Church of England
Church courts - these dealt with issues such as marriage and death - wills and inheritance. Enforcing the Religious Settlement
Inspectors would visit a church to ensure the priests was following the terms of the settlements
Give two examples of when Puritans challenged Elizabeth and how Elizabeth dealt with them
The Crucifix controversy - Elizabeth liked crucifixes. Puritans did not like crucifixes. This was a problem as several Bishops threatened to resign and as a result the Queen backed down and removed crucifixes from the church
The Vestment Controversy - Elizabeth wanted priests to wear special vestments (clothes) but some refused. A special exhibition was healed in London to show what vestments they should wear. Of the 110 invited 37 didn’t come and they lost their post. Elizabeth had won this battle
How did the pope challenge Elizabeth, and what was the impact of this
He issued a statement in 1566 that Catholics should not attend protestants church services. This had virtually no impact
What was the impact of the Religious settlement on the Catholic nobility
Many of the Catholic Nobles could practice their religion on peace but the Earls of Northumberland, Westmorland found themselves out of favour because of their Catholicism, and as a result, their political influence decreased
What is a heretic
People who didn’t believe the teachings of the Catholic Church
What was recusancy
Refusal o attend Church of England services
Describe the Catholic threat from abroad
- There was a small risk that the French might try to reverse the religious settlement so Elizabeth signed the treaty of Troyes confirming that Calais belonged to France in 1564
- Philip of Spain disliked Elizabeth’s support fro French Protestants and the fact she refused to marry him. However he avoided challenging her religious settlement in the 1560s as he wanted to keep the peace
Neither France nor Spain had the military resources to invade England in the 1560s
Why was Mary Queen of Scots a threat to Elizabeth in 1568
- She was Elizabeth’s cousin and heir although Elizabeth had not named her successor. Her grandmother was Margaret Tudor and her great grandfather was Henry VII. She also had a son, James
- She had close links with France as her mother was Mary of Guise and she had spent time in France as a child. This could mean a plot involving France to put her on the English throne
- She was Catholic and could gain support of many Catholic nobles in England who did not believe that Elizabeth was a legitimate Queen
- She had arrived in England in 1568 after having to abdicate the Scottish throne as she was implicated in the murder of her second husband, Lord Darnley. This could mean she might become a focal point for Catholic plots to remove Elizabeth and put a Catholic on the throne
How did Elizabeth deal with Mary in 1568
mary was kept under house arrest
