Royal court + minister

Question 1

Royal court

Answer 1

-Wherever the King/Queen was, included their advisors, social climbers, nobles + servants

Question 2

Presence chamber

Answer 2

An open area where anyone who had the right connections could access

Question 3

Lord Chamberlain

Answer 3

-Managed the operation of the court
-Usually a member of nobility/close relative
-Decided who has access to the queen

Question 4

Privy Chamber

Answer 4

-Declined in influence as the gentlemen of the privy chamber no longer had access to the monarch

Question 5

Factional rivalry

Answer 5

-The coherence of her govt began to decline in the 1590’s when clashes between Cecil + Essex made govt difficult
-From 1587 onwards is when factional rivalry rose
-Began between Cecil + Dudley BUT they were able to work it out as they needed each other

Question 6

Essex ‘rebellion’

Answer 6

1601
-Essex planned a military coup to bring down Cecil BUT Cecil was prepared + forced him to surrender
-Essex was later on executed
-significance was that it showed the weakening of elizabeths authority

Question 7

Privy council

Answer 7

-In the beginning of her reign she had 19 members, but by the end this became 11
-Met 3 times a week at the start, but almost daily by the end

Question 8

Main functions of the privy council

Answer 8

-Adjudicate partly as a court of law
-Discuss matters of state
-Manage crown finances w/ lord treasurer
-Enforce religious settlement of 1559
-Enforce a range of laws + regulations

Question 9

Important areas discussed in the privy council

Answer 9

-Mary Queen of Scots
-Foreign wars
-Issues w Ireland
-Issues w Succession
-Money + taxation

Question 10

William Cecil

Answer 10

-Elizabeth’s key minister + dominated the privy council during the beginning
-Served her for almost 40 years
-Made Lord Treasurer in 1572
-Fell from power after Mary Queen of Scots execution

Question 11

Sir Francis Knollys

Answer 11

-Privy councillor + statesmen
-Played a key role in the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots

Question 12

Sir Nicholas Bacon

Answer 12

-Keeper of the Great Seal in the first part of Elizabeth’s reign- had control over the physical means which legalised documents

Question 13

What weakened the court from the 1580s?

Answer 13

-A number of ministers died in quick succession e.g. Robert Dudley 1588
-Queen failed to make immediate replacements + when she did they were ineffective
-Absence of senior noblemen on the council