Elizabethan England, c1568–1603 Flashcards
(106 cards)
Summarised timeline to Elizabeth I coming into power
1) Henry VIII marries Catholic Aragon= Mary I
2) Divorces her and starts the Protestant Church as a result
3) Marries Boleyn= Elizabeth I
4) Beheads Boleyn, marries Seymour= Edward VI
5) Henry VIII dies, Edward VI rules but dies at 14 (Protestant)
6) Mary I rules, marries Phillip II of Spain (Catholic)
7) Elizabeth I (Protestant), not seen as legitimate
Elizabeth’s childhood
-During her father’s reign she was well looked after and educated
-Would most likely be married off for alliances (no say)
-In 1554, Queen Mary accused her half sister of conspiring against her and imprisoned her in the Tower of London
2 reasons why some people didn’t want Elizabeth as Queen
-GENDER: Most believed men should rule. Expected her to act as a figurehead without any real power who let her male counsellors or husband take control. However, she was determined to rule in her own right
-ILLEGITIMACY: Divorce was forbidden in the Catholic Church so many saw Henry and Boleyn’s marriage as not valid. This issue weakened her claim to the throne and some saw MQS as having more right
What was the Royal Court?
-A large group of people who surrounded Elizabeth at all times
-Govt officials, ladies in waiting, servants, advisors, privy council, nobles, ambassadors and Elizabeth’s favourites
-1000 members of all different classes
-Courtiers expected to flatter Elizabeth with gifts and love
-Past times included concerts, hunting, tennis and grand meals
4 groups that had power in Elizabethan England
-Parliament
-Privy council
-Lord Lieutenants
-Justice of the Peace (JPs)
Parliament’s power in Elizabethan England
-House of Lords (nobility) and Commons
-Much less powerful than modern day but had an influence on tax and legislation
-Queen decided when to call Parliament and how much of their advice to listen to (disliked it and used it as often as possible)
Privy council’s power in Elizabethan England
-Responsible for day to day running of the country
-Members were Elizabeth’s main and closest advisors
-She appointed the most powerful landowners for the council
-Deal with military/foreign affairs, religion, queen’s security
-If they agreed on an issue, it was hard for Elizabeth to refuse
-Led by the Secretary of State
Lord Lieutenants’ power in Elizabethan England
-Appointed by Queen to take administrative responsibility of a particular area of the country
-Involved settling disputes and collecting tax
-Raised a military to fight for the Queen if needed
-Most were also part of the Privy council
-Position could lead to great power and success
Justice of the Peace (JPs) power in Elizabethan England
-Several JPs for each county to ensure order was kept
-Selected from the local gentry
-Role was to ensure the laws passed were properly enforced
-A single JP had the power to send someone to prison but many were required to sentence a criminal to death
-Swore to treat everyone, rich or poor, equally
What was Patronage?
-Handing out titles, offices, or monopolies giving men a source of income
-Royal patronage was distributed at court
-Elizabeth used it to ensure loyalty and stability
-People stayed loyal, income and status was dependent on her
-A way to reward her courtiers without spending royal revenues as economy was weak in her reign and income was limited
William Cecil
-Served as secretary of state twice from 1558-1598 and an MP
-Elizabeth’s most trusted advisor
-Highly skilled politician and administrator
-Played a key role in developing the Poor Laws and the new religious policies
-Given title Lord Burghley (1571) and Lord High Treasurer (1572)
Francis Walsingham
-Served as Secretary of State from 1573 until his death
-Known as her ‘spymaster’ with eyes and ears everywhere
-Helped establish England as a powerful force at sea
-Took the lead in dealing with England’s biggest rivals
Examples of disagreements with Elizabeth and Parliament
-MPs were concerned about who would rule after her and tried to persuade her to marry or name an heir
-Some Puritan MPs challenged the religious settlement
-MPs were worried about the threat of MQS and Catholic plots, trying to convince her to take action on Mary
5 problems Elizabeth had as a female ruler
1) Succession
2) Mary, Queen of Scots
3) Ireland
4) Taxation
5) Religion
Succession as a problem for Elizabeth as a female ruler
-Elizabeth was yet to produce an heir
-If she died without an heir, there would be risk of a civil war
-Elizabeth nearly died in 1562 after getting smallpox which drew attention to the uncertainty of her future
-Parliament and the Privy Council were keen for her to marry and have a child but Elizabeth refused to discuss the matter
Mary Queen of Scots as a problem for Elizabeth as a female ruler
-The next in line went to Elizabeth’s cousin MQS
-In 1568, Mary was exiled from Scotland to England and became a huge threat to Elizabeth’s rule
-MQS was a legitimate Catholic with a child making her an ideal ruler especially for Catholics in England
Ireland as a problem for Elizabeth as a female ruler
-Elizabeth considered herself Queen of Ireland
-Many Irish disagreed
-1559 revolt in Northern Ireland saw her spending thousands of pounds and sending her best soldiers to limit it but nothing worked in the long term
Taxation as a problem for Elizabeth as a female ruler
-Government needed money and one of the few ways to get it was increasing taxes
-At a time of great poverty, this would be very unpopular and raising taxes would be very dangerous for a new monarch
Religion as a problem for Elizabeth as a female ruler
-Elizabeth was Protestant but also practical and didn’t want to make enemies immediately angry
-Allowed Catholics to follow their faith privately but many were unhappy and believed she had no right to be Queen
-Many Puritans (extreme Protestants) were unhappy too
Foreign policy as a problem for Elizabeth as a female ruler
-France and Spain were powerful Catholic countries supported by the Pope
-They saw Protestant England as a target
Difficulties of finding a suitable marriage
-Elizabeth would inevitably lose power and authority
-If she married foreign, the foreign country could take too much influence on England
-If she married an English noble, there would be anger and resentment among those not chosen and there would be no chance of a foreign alliance
-It would be difficult for Elizabeth to marry a Catholic
3 possible suitors to marry Elizabeth
1) Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
2) Duke Francis of Anjou
3) King Phillip II of Spain
Robert Dudley as a possible suitor of Elizabeth
-Queen’s childhood friend and one of her ‘favourites’
-A key figure in the Royal Court
-A Privy councillor who yielded great power and influence
-Some thought he deliberately killed his wife to marry Elizabeth
-Members of the Privy Council (including Cecil) were strongly opposed to the match and so it didn’t go ahead
Duke Francis of Anjou as a possible suitor of Elizabeth
-The French King’s brother who could lead to influence in France
-Francis was heir to the French throne
-Elizabeth was assumed too old for marriage by this time (1570’s)
-Francis was a Catholic