Use of royal progresses

Question 1

What were progresses?

Answer 1

Journeys made by the ruler in court in areas beyond London.

Question 2

Why were royal progresses used for?

Answer 2

• Enhance respect and obedience in localities, doing festivities to show loyalty.
• Remind communities of the monarch’s military and legal power.
• Show off power and wealth and prestige of the court.
• Subdue a politically restless population - address local instability and misgovernance by direct intervention.
• Opportunity to raise grievances with the monarch and seek patronage.

Question 3

Henry VII

extensive to enhance control

Answer 3

• Moved around constantly to assert power and influence as a usurper - travelled with magnificence.
• First year after Bosworth, he extended progress to Midlands and the North - mainly areas from which he faced the greatest challenge to his reign.
• Military purpose - deal with challenges (1487/97) by marching his army to the area, as undoubtedly, the sight of a king to encourage obedience, if not loyalty.

Question 4

Henry VIII

less extent, great tool, neglected the North

Answer 4

• Made royal progresses every summer (stayed in his 40 residences, bringing his court with him).
• Visited beyond the outskirts of London into Essex and Thames Valley but other visits to England was limited:
• 1535 = Gloucestershire and the Bristol Channel, Salisbury, Winchester and Southamptom, possibly preventing rebellions in the religiously conservative S. W England in 1536, compared to the neglected North (demanded a N. Parli, reflecting the region’s feelings of neglect of a South based govt IN POG).
• Rectified this neglect in 1541 - stayed in York but it took him 4 yrs to venture to the North after the POG - only persuaded to, following reports of further political unrest.

Question 5

Royal Progresses under Mary and Edward

Answer 5

• The boy-king Edward VI was encouraged to go on progress by Dudley both to increase his knowledge of his realm and as a demonstration of his authority, e.g. his visit to the south in 1552 included a review of the navy at Portsmouth.
• However, Edward VI and Mary heavily reduced their visits because of age and health respectively. Additionally, bitter factional rivalry under Somerset meant that it was extremely risky to allow Edward to move too freely.

Question 6

Royal progresses on Liz

Answer 6

• Revived, going yearly - driven by political and also economic concerns, saving money by staying in leading noble and gentry homes.
• Like HVIII - visited the South East and Midlands, where she had many royal palaces. The longest Northern progresses were to Staffordshire and Lincolnshire, and the longest West progresses were Bristol and Gloucestershire.
• Varied her routes, to some extent; 1560 and 1569 - Hampshire; 1572 - Midlands; 1578 - East Anglia.
• Never ventured to the furthest regions like Yorkshire and Cornwall, although used other methods like LL, Councillors and JPs to enhance royal control (possible cause of the N.E rebellion).
• Used progresses to strengthen the bonds of trust and royal authority with her leading Councillors which ran local government - visited the homes of (23x) Robert Dudley and (20x) William Cecil the most and about 200 JPs, MPs, or LL played host.