Elizabeth Flashcards
(17 cards)
Religious settlement of 1559
Elizabeth’s idea that she could find a way for both Catholics and Protestants
to live alongside each other in England, without religious wars breaking out, or the need for large numbers of execution. Elizabeth wanted to make England appear to have one religion – the Church of England,but was not too worried about people’s genuine religious beliefs.
The religious settlement had 3 parts to it:
1. The Act of Supremacy
2. The Act of Uniformity
3. The Royal Injunctions
The Act of Supremacy
This made Elizabeth supreme (top) governor (leader) of the Church of England.
All clergy and royal officials has to swear an oath of allegiance to her
An Ecclesiastical High Commission was set up to keep an eye on churches and enforce the new rules. They would punish members
of the clergy not obeying the rules
The Act of Uniformity
This made clear rules about what a Protestant church should look like and have inside
It introduced the Book of Common Prayer to be used in all churches – this said exactly how a church service should be
conducted. Its wording was deliberately unclear to allow for Catholics taking part in the service.
Made rules about Priests needing to wear special clothing
Said everyone had to attend church on Sunday and on religious festivals. Those who did not (recusants) would be fined
The Royal Injunctions
These were Royal orders issued by Elizabeth to help to further establish the Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity
They included lots of extra rules and demands such as:
All clergy had to teach that Elizabeth was head of the church (not the Pope)
Those not attending church had to be reported to the Privy Council
Every parish had to have a copy of the Bible in English (not Latin)
Issue of Legitimacy
There were questions over Elizabeth’s legitimacy to be queen, as
her father had divorced and remarried. Some saw her as
‘illegitimate’
Relations
with France
France was richer and bigger than England, with a larger
population. It was also traditionally England’s enemy.
French Relations
with Scotland
Scotland bordered England and was also a traditional enemy.
They had an ‘auld alliance’ (old friendship) with France.
How many members of privy council
19 - met 3 times a week
The
Puritan
Threat
Thought Elizabeth had not gone far enough and should move the
Church of England even further from the Roman Catholic church.
Some Puritan clergy made different rules for their churches and
services.
Solution to Puritan threat
Crucifix controversy:
The Queen gave in as the Bishops
threatened to resign
Vestment controversy:
In 1566 the Archbishop of
Canterbury supported the Queen, so
most clergy agreed to wear special
clothes. A few did not and were
The
Roman
Catholic
Threat
The religious settlement Said everyone had to attend (the Church
of England) church on Sunday. Those who did not (recusants)
would be fined.
In 1566 the Pope told Roman Catholics in England not to attend
the Church of England.
In 1569 ‘The Revolt of the Northern Earls’ was an uprising from
the nobility in the north. It was partly a religious issue, with the
rebels holding a Catholic Mass in Durham Cathedral
Roman catholic solution
Elizabeth just ignored the issue of
‘recusants’
Elizabeth’s troops put the revolt
down and executed hundreds of
(Roman Catholic) rebels.
Foreign
powers
The ‘Counter-Reformation’ (an attempt to stamp out
Protestantism) was sweeping through Europe by the 1560s.
France: Religious war between Catholics and Protestants in
France.
Phillip of Spain opposed the Reformation and wanted to stamp
out Protestantism
Spain and the Spanish Netherlands: Spain was persecuting
Protestants in the Spanish Netherlands. This was Elizabeth’s
chance to support her Protestant friends in the Netherlands and
stand up for Protestantism against King Phillip II of Spain..
Foreign powers solution
Elizabeth helped French Protestants
but then had to sign the Treaty of
Troyes when the Protestants made
peace with the Catholics
Elizabeth did little to help Dutch
Protestants
MQS threat to elizabeth
Mary Queen of Scots was an obvious alternative to Elizabeth, and someone who had the support of many English Catholics.
Many English Catholics preferred Mary, especially as they questioned Elizabeth’s legitimacy (see KO 1.1)
Elizabeth was worried about upsetting one of God’s monarch’s, but worried about the threat posed by Mary to her.
Mary in England
Mary hoped Elizabeth would help clear her name of Darnley’s murder, but Elizabeth refused to do this and kept Mary imprisoned.
Mary’s trial for Darnley’s murder reached no verdict.
Elizabeth kept Mary imprisoned in various English castles from 1568 until her execution in 1587 (see KO 2.1)
