Elizabeth’s government and key minister Flashcards
(13 cards)
What acronym allows you to remember why the privy council was important ?
APPLE
A - advice
P - protection
P - propaganda
L - laws
E - economics
Who did the privy council exist of ?
The most important courtiers. They met most days at court and carried out a number of important jobs
How did the Privy council give advice ?
The privy counsellors advised the Queen of important issues such as religion and foreign policy. The secretary of state was the Queen’s main adviser and the leading Privy counsellor
How did the Privy council offer protection ?
Counsellors organised England’s military forces and protected England from invasion or rebellions. The council organised networks of spies to uncover plots against the Queen
How did the Privy council offer propaganda ?
The council helped to create a positive image of the Queen through plays, books, portraits and progresses
How did the privy council have an input of laws ?
The councils advised Elizabeth on new laws and helped her control parliament. They decided speeches in support of the Queen’s policies. The lord chancellor was in charge of judges and the law courts
How did the Privy council have an effect of economics ?
The council advised the Queen on taxes and how to spend her money. The lord Treasurer was in charged of royal finances and kept track of income and expenditure
How did Elizabeth control the decisions in the privy councils ?
Elizabeth made it clear who was in control. She refused to be rushed into important decisions
How did Elizabeth keep control of her key ministers ?
- She chose her counsellors very carefully and took care not to offend powerful nobles who could turn against her
- She deliberately chose counsellors with different viewpoints. This allowed her to listen to all sides and then make the final decisions herself
- She rewarded counsellors who did their job well and this encourages loyalty, if a counsellor upset Elizabeth they would be quickly dismissed and punished
What is an example of Elizabeth keeping in control of her key ministers ?
She didn’t appoint her closest friend, Robert Dudley, as a counsellor for four years because she thought that it might make expiating counsellors jealous
Who was William Cecil, Lord Burghley (1520-98) ?
- Elizabeth’s minds trusted experience adviser (he has already served as a privy counsellor under Edward Val, Elizabeth’s brother)
- Became Secretary of State in 1558 when Elizabeth became Queen
- Managed meetings of parliament
- Became Lord treasures in 1572
- Became Secretary of State again in 1590 (after walsingham’s death). When Cecil died, his son Robert Cecil took over this role
Who was Christopher Halton (1540-91) ?
- Organised the Queen’s progresses. The progresses were important as they were the main opportunity people had to see their Queen. Ve try few people could travel to London, so Elizabeth went to regular tours around the country
- These helped her display her power as she travelled with her royal court. She stayed, free of charge, in houses owned by wealthy nobles. They often spent huge sums of money trying to impress her and organised entertainments for the royal court
- Hatton laid on magnificent feast and entertainments at the royal court that impressed foreign visitors
- Hatton also helped Elizabeth control members of parliament and pass laws
Who was Robert Dudley (1533 - 1588) ?
- An experienced soldier- Elizabeth made him an army commander and he was sent to fight Spanish forces in the Netherlands (in1585)
- He was appointed as Master of the Horse, which made him personally responsible for protecting the Queen
- When the Soanish Armada threatened England in 1588, he was put in charge of all the land forces guarding the country
- As a courier, he was always keen to impress Elizabeth and spend a fortune on Kenilworth castle and hosting Elizabeth for 19 days ob her royal progress in 1575 (this was the longest Elizabeth eleven stayed with a member of her court).
