Queen Elizabeth Flashcards
What years were the house of Tudor?
1485 - 1603
Who did King Henry Vll marry?
Elizabeth of York
When did King Henry Vll marry Elizabeth of York?
In 1486
Who were King Henry Vll wives?
Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleve’s, Catherin Howard, Catherine Parr
What were the years of King Henry Vll reign?
1485 - 1509
What were the years of King Henry Vlll reign?
1509 - 1547
Who were Queen Elizabeth’s siblings?
Mary l and Edward Vl
What were the years of Mary l reign?
1553 - 1558
Who was Elizabeth l’s mum?
Anne Boleym
What were the years of Edward Vl reign?
1547 - 1553
Who was Arthur Tudor?
King Henry Vlll brother
Who was Catherine of Aragon initially married to?
Arthur Tudor, King Henry VIII brother. King Henry Vlll married her after his brothers death
Why was Queen Elizabeth am autocrat?
Because she made all the major decisions herself
In Elizabethan England what had to happen before a law was passed?
Queen Elizabeth had to give her consent
Could queen Elizabeth decide when parliamen was going to be called?
Yes
Could queen Elizabeth decide when parliament was going to be prorogued?
Yes
Could queen Elizabeth decide when parliament was going to be closed?
Yes
Could Elizabeth decide who became ministers in her privy council?
Yes
Cold Elizabeth decide who attended court?
Yes
Elizabeth was th centre of the ……… System
Patronage
Who was responsible for the nature of religious worship in Elizabethan England?
Queen Elizabeth
In Elizabethan England, who could decide when England could go to war?
Queen Elizabeth
How much did queen Elizabeth care about her appearance?
A lot, she was very vain
How smart was Queen Elizabeth?
Very smart and she learnt to speak multiple languages from a young age
How many years was Queen Elizabeth’s reign?
45 years
Queen Elizabeth’s reign is often referred to as the what age?
The golden age
What was the mid Tudor crisi?
The excessive problems the Tudor monarchs before queen Elizabeth faced
Who wrote about the mid Tudor crisis?
Whitney RD Jones in 1973
Which 8 problems did Jones highlight as being issues during the mid Tudor crisis?
1) Weak rulers.
2) Economic problems
3) Failures in foreign policy
4) Rebellions
5) Problems in religion
6) Factional fighting in court
7) Problems in local government
8) Problems over succession
What society was Tudor England?
A patriarchal society, one dominated by men
What did the lord deputy of Ireland say about Queen Elizabeth being a queen?
‘God’s wounds , this is to serve a base, bastard, pissing kitchen woman!’
What did a London woman say upon seeing queen Elizabeth for the first time?
“Oh Lord, the Queen is a woman”
What did Queen Elizabeth famously say in 1566 ?
“I will have but one mistress and no master “
What did queen Elizabeth say to the earl of Leicester and parliament in 1603?
“my sex cannot diminish my prestige”
What problems did Queen Elizabeth have upon gaining the the throne in 1558?
Forming a new privy council, her gender, marriage, religion, war with France, finance
How many Queen’s and ruled England before Elizabeth in 1558?
2, Queen Matilda and Bloody Mary and both these reigns were seen as failures so there was initially no hope for Elizabeth
What does precedent mean?
First example
What did the ‘great chain of being ‘ mean?
That everyone had a fixed place in the social hierachy
John Knox’s ‘first balst of the trumpet against the monstrous regiment of women’ attacked Mary Queen of Scots and praised who?
Queen Elizabeth, claiming she was an exception and that she had been made queen by God to restore the gospel
Who was John Knox?
A Scottish reformer, who was the founder of the Scottish Calvinist church
Why was Mary’s marriage to Philip unpopular?
Because England became a Spanish satellite and followed Spanish rule
Which councillors felt the need to advise the queen directly as she was ‘only’ a woman?
The earl of Winchester and William cecil
When was Wyatt’s rebellion?
In 1554
Why couldn’t Queen Elizabeth be the head of the church of England?
Because she was a woman
By the 1570s, Queen Elizabeth had created a cult of….
Gloriana
What was the cult of gloriana?
The men of England celebrated the harmony and progress of the virgin queen’s rule. She was a woman who presented herself as foregoing earthly pleasures because she was married to England.
What does ‘all my husbands, my good people’ refer to?
the English nation
Why did men wear lockets holding queen Elizabeth’s portrait around their necks?
To show their loyalty and love for Elizabeth (it had previously been the fashion to carry the likeness of your lover in such a locket)
Elizabeth used her gender as a…
political tool
When Elizabeth wanted to pass a difficult law in parliament, what would she do?
she would make people aware of her vulnerability
What would Queen Elizabeth do if she wanted to make a decision at council?
She would play to the stereotype that women were indecisive. On many occasions, this bought her valuable time before making a difficult decision
Why did Elizabeth pretend to consider marriage?
To get her subjects off of her back
Who were some examples of people Queen Elizabeth wooed?
the earl of Leicester(Robert Dudly) and Walter Raleigh
When did Elizabeth’s last courtship end?
in 1581(when she was 48) with Francois, Duke of Anjou
How many years younger was Francois, Duke of Anjou than queen Elizabeth?
22
What was Queen Elizabeth’s nickname for Francois, Duke of Anjou ?
‘frog’
How did queen Elizabeth overcome the issue of her not being able to become the head of the church of England?
She changed the title to the ‘supreme governor of the church of England’
What did Queen Elizabeth say to her troops during the battle with the Spanish at tilbury?
‘I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any Prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm’.
What happened at the privy council?
Decisions were made
What did M Tillman say about the privy coucil?
That the privy council was the ‘select ruling board of the realm’
How many people did Mary have in her privy coucil?
Over 40
What model of the privy council did elizabeth prefer?
The Cromwelian model, with a smaller council of 20
What did Queen Elizabeth say about having a big council?
‘a multitude doth make rather discord and confusion rather than a good council’
Did Elizabeth increase the frequency of meetings and occasionally chair meetings herself?
Yes
Who was Sir William Cecil?
Elizabeth’s first secretary of state, her overseer of her estates while she was still a princess, and the secretary during Edward l’s reign
What religion was William Cecil?
a moderate protestant
How many years older than Elizabeth was William Cecil?
10 years older, so he became a father figure to Elizabeth
What did J Guy say about William Cecil’s political abilities?
That he was ‘a experienced politico’
Where did William Cecil’s power come from- his abilities or was it because he was a magnate?
His power came from his abilities
Who was seen as one of the greatest political figures of the tudor age?
William Cecil
What did Richard Rex say about William Cecil?
that he was ‘the most organised politician of the sixteenth centurt’
Who helped to draft the 1559 Religious settlement ?
William Cecil
Who smashed the auld alliance between France and Scotland with the 1560 treaty of Edinburgh ?
William Cecil
When was Robert Dudley appointed to Queen Elizabeth’s privy council?
in 1562
Was Robert Dudley a Protestant or a Catholic?
He was a Protestant
Which Protestant administrators did Queen Elizabeth appoint to her privy council?
Sir Francis Knollys, William Parr and Sir Edward Rogers, all of whom had served under Edward Vl
What were magnates?
people who had power because of the land they owned and their title
What was the role of lord treasurer focused around?
money
was queen Elizabeth’s first lord treasurer a magnate?
Yes
who was queen Elizabeth’s first lord treasurer?
Marquess of Winchester
Which Catholics were initially part of Elizabeth’s inner ring but they soon fell away from power?
Heath and Cheney
Was Queen Elizabeth’s first privy council successful?
Yes
Under Edward Vi’s reign, were priests allowed to marry?
Yes
What is the main difference between Catholic and Protestant churches?
Catholics would go to church to celebrate God. Whereas Protestants would go to church to worship God.
In Catholicism, who was the leader?
The Pope and there was a hierarchy of priests and bishops
In Lutheranism , who was the leader?
There was no central leadership
What is Lutheranism ?
An extreme form of Protestantism that follows the teachings of Martin Luther
In the Anglican faith, who was the leader?
The King was the head, and there was also priests and bishops
What religion was Anne Boleyn?
Protestant
What religion was Catherine Parr?
Protestant
What did the 1559 Religious settlement say in relation to the creation of the new prayer book?
That all clergy and office holders had to agree to an oath to help others conform to the new prayer book, and that church ornamentation and clergy’s dress should be as moderate as they were in the 1549 prayer book
What settlement revoked the Heresey acts and the papal supremacy?
the 1559 Religious settlement
According to the 1559 Religious settlement, what would happen to people who failed to use the prayer book or those who publicly objected to its use?
They would be punished
What settlement declared Queen Elizabeth the supreme governor of the church of England?
the 1559 Religious settlement
In Queen Elizabeth’s time, what would happen to people who refused to attend church on Sunday or those who didn’t attend the services of other holy days?
they were meant to be fined, however, this rarely happened
What did Queen Elizabeth omit from the book of common prayer?
The black rubric of 1552, which denied the real presence of Christ during the communion service and changed the words said by the priest as he consecrated the bread and the wine. This was probably dome in the hope that the ambiguity would enable people of wide religious opinions to participate in the new national church.
What did the royal injunctions of 1559 order clergy to do?
1) observe the royal supremacy and preach against superstitions and papal authority
2) condemn images, relics and miracles
3) preach only with permission, which came in the form of a license
4) report recusants to the privy council or to the JP’s
5) marry only with the permission of their bishop and 2 JP’s
6) observe the ornaments rubric laid down during Edward Vl’s reign
What did the act of the first fruit and tenths do?
allowed for the transfer of property owned by the church to the monarch. The few monasteries Mary had restored were dissolved and property went to the monarch
What did Elizabeth do to overcome the fact that she couldn’t become head of the church?
She made herself supreme governor of the church of england instead
What did all bishops -except one- do when Elizabeth declared herself supreme governor of the church of england?
They resigned
Who filled the empty bishop roles?
Marian exiles
Why did Mary leave behind a debt of £227,000 for Elizabeth?
Because when she died in 1558, England was allied with Spain and at war with france and war costs a lot of money
did Mary update tax records?
Yes
who was Elizabeth’s first lord treasurer?
the Marquis of Winchester
by 1585(the start of the spanish war) how much money did elizabeth have in savings?
£300,000
who did elizabeth make collect taxes?
unpaid local sheriffs and JP’s
Why did elizabeth avoid the costs of building new palaces?
To decrease the money she was spending
why did elizabeth freeze office salaries?
because inflation was going up and she wanted to save money
Instead of using forms of patronage that cost the goverment money, what did elizabeth do?
she started to use those that cost others -like monopolies
did elizabeth sharply reduce the size of the royal household?
Yes
What did elizabeths dependency on unpaid government officials to collect her taxes result in?
A lot of corruption, as they would often take some of the taxes for themselves
Whilst decreasing her expenditure, what should Elizabeth have also done?
she should’ve increased her revenue- through enforcing taxes
how did Elizabeth make decisions?
through the privy council
Elizabeth fiercely defended the royal…
prerogative
who decided when parliament could be closed, prorogued or closed?
Queen elizabeth
who was the centre of the patronage system?
Queen elizabeth
who could decide if england could go to war.
Queen Elizabeth
who could decide the nature of religious worship in england?
queen elizabeth
What was it called if queen elizabeth was disobeyed?
Treason, which was punishable by death
What did S.T bindoff say about Elizabeth?
A ‘superb and matchless flower’ and that ‘no wiser or mightier ever adorned the English throne’
Why couldn’t Elizabeth rule solely by herself and why did she have to rely a lot on the privy council?
Because she was always short on money and had no army or civil service to impose her will
What matters did some members of the parliament challenge the royal prerogative over?
Matters such as Elizabeth’s marriage and monopolies
Who were required to work in the local government to ensure peace and that policies were actually being carried out?
Lord lieutenants and justices of the peace
What were some of the roles of the privy council?
-managing the queen’s legislation through parliament
-overseeing the court of wards
-managing crown lands
- defence of the realm
-controlling religion
-administering the realm
-to discuss matters of state and offer policy advice
How did the privy council defend the realm?
-by coordinating naval policy
-by financing the Spanish war
-by overseeing the training of local militia
How did the privy council control religion?
-By enforcing the 1559 religious settlement through lord lieutenants and Jp’s
-Drafting new anti Catholic laws from the early 1580’s
How did Elizabeth administer the realm?
By overseeing local governments e.g the work of lord lieutenants and by dealing with domestic unrest e.g. the Oxfordshire food riots of 1596
Why was there a decline in the loyalty and the effectiveness of the privy council on the 1590’s ?
Because many older ministers died and the is lead to the appointment of less able and less loyal younger ministers
When was the essex’s revolt?
In 1601
Where was court held?
In the presence chamber
who controlled the court ?
The Lord Chamberlain
What did the household proper look after?`
The physical needs of the court-from food to transport
What did all correspondence to the queen need to pass through?
the secretary of state (william cecil)
who controlled access to the queen in court?
the Lord Chamberlain
how did the fact that Elizabeth knew several languages helped her out?
It ensured that the council was honest and that elizabeth wasn’t being told only one side of the story
did Elizabeth’s cult of gloriana continue even after she grew older?
Yes
What happened at the Accession day tilts?
jousting occurred in defence of the queen’s honour
What was Elizabeth’s royal progress?
Essentially Elizabeth moving around England
What would happen with the court each summer?
the court would leave the unsanitary London and visit the great houses of elizabeth’s courtiers in southern and central england(at their expense).
When was the earl of Leicester’s water pageant?
in 1575
What was included in the earl of Leicester’s water pageant?
feasts and entertainment and representations of sea creatures and poems in the queen’s honour
What was the basis of Shakespeare’s ‘A midsummer night’s dream’?
the earl of Leicester’s water pageant
What was central to the patronage and faction system?
the court
What is patronage?
the reward the crown needed to give out to acknowledge the loyalty and the service of the political nation
How many men had political power in elizabethan england?
no more than 2,500
How many of the men who had political power in elizabethan england had directly attended court at some stage in their life?
approximately 1000. This considerable proportion reflects the importance of the function of the court.
What system did patronage underpin?
The faction system
Who did C Haigh say a courtier’s ‘following in his locality’ depended on?
‘his ability to provide patronage’
What 4 types of patronage were used by elizabeth?
-financial rewards that cost the crown
-financial rewards that did not cost the crown
-employment
-non-financial patronage
What are examples of financial rewards that cost the crown?
-pensions, gratuities and annuities
-wardship of crown lands
What are examples of financial rewards that did not cost the crown?
custom farms and monopolies
What are examples of Elizabeth using employment as a form of patronage?
- she gave out offices in the local system and the local administration
- she gave positions in the armed forces
-she gave positions in the church(bishoprics)
What are examples of non-financial forms of patronage elizabeth used?
-court honours
-knighthoods
-peerages
What roles did courtiers often also have?
as well as being courtiers, they were often ministers and members of parliament as well
What does it mean to have wardship over crown lands?
to be able to oversee crown lands
what is gratuity?
a large sum of money
what is annuity?
a large sum of money that is given each year
what was a custom farm?
where people would collect tax on imports
what were monopolies rights?
rights enabling people the right to control a bit of the economy
what were bishoprics?
areas controlled by bishops
did the court make laws?
no- that was the role of the privy council
what did Elizabeth use the court to do?
for getting truthful information from foreign ambassadors, projecting the cult of gloriana ,and for giving out patronages
How many great factional rivalries were there during Elizabeth’s reign?
3
Describe the factional rivalry between the earl of Sussex and the earl of Leicester
Leicester tried to get Sussex convicted of misconduct over his work in Ireland whilst Sussex tried to prove that leicester had murdered his wife. By 1566, the factions were carrying weapons and wearing their own party colours.
What was the earl of Leicesters faction colour?
Purple
What was the earl of sussex’s faction colour?
Yellow
What would have happened if Elizabeth hadn’t stepped in and forced reconciliation between the earl of Sussex and the earl of Leicester?
The re may have been a duel
Who did Elizabeth force to ride through London together in order to try and enforce reconciliation?
The earl of Sussex and the earl of Leicester
Which colours did Elizabeth ban from court due to factional rivalry between the earl of Sussex and the earl of Leicester?
Yellow and purple
Describe the factional rivalry between William Cecil and the earl of Leicester in the late 1560’s
this rivalry centred on Leicester’s ambition to marry Elizabeth and Leicester’s resentment on Cecil’s influence. Cecil was keen for Elizabeth to marry but he did not want Elizabeth to marry Leicester. Leicester even tried to get Cecil dismissed, but failed
Describe the factional rivalry between robert Cecil and the earl of Essex in the late 1590’s
Whilst robert Cecil looked to fill his father’s shoes, Essex wanted to replace Leicester as the queen’s favourite. Matters came to a head in 1601 when Essex returned without permission from his command of the queens forces in Ireland. He was convinced that Cecil was engineering his downfall and Elizabeth banned him from court and took away his monopolies. Essex then launched a doomed revolt and ended up being executed.
What does Regnum cecilinum mean/
A Cecil dominated government which went on to the Stuart period.
What happened when essex was banned from court?
his faction was weakened
Did Elizabeth put the earl of essex under house arrest?
Yes
What monopoly did Elizabeth take away from the earl of essex?
his monopoly on sweet wines
What was the role of the lord Chamberlain in the Elizabethan system of government?
The lord Chamberlain ran the household, supervised appointments and controlled access to the privy chamber
What was the role of the lord treasurer in the Elizabethan system of government?
The lord treasurer was responsible for keeping England solvent. He administrated ordinary revenues and kept government expenditure within limits
What was the role of the chancellor of the duchy of lancaster?
Administering the estates and revenues of the duchy of lancaster. In 1559, sir Ambrose cave’s duties also included administering the oath of supremacy, raising a militia and ajudicating in cases of murder, burglary and other felonies
What was the comptroller of the household?
The household accountant
When was William Cecil made lord Burghley?
In 1571
When was Robert Dudley made the earl of Leicester?
In 1564
What was the keeper of the Great seal?
An honorary office that gave the holder control over the physical means by which documents were legalised
What did the secretary of state do?
They were the queen’s principal advisor and were expected to deal with any state matter or administrative problem that arose e.g agenda of the privy council, minutes of the privy council, what the queen read, chairing the privy council in the absence of the queen
What did the vice Chamberlain do?
Assist the lord Chamberlain
How many years did William Cecil serve for?
40 years. From 1558 - 1598
When did William Cecil die?
1598
When was William Cecil secretary of state?
In 1558
When was William Cecil master of the court of wards?
1561
When was William Cecil lord treasurer?
In 1572
Was William Cecil romantic?
No. He was not a favourite or a consort to be flirted with
Did William Cecil have a large faction?
Yes, but he tried to avoid overplaying his postion
What did Elizabeth do whilst William Cecil was dying?
She fed him broth, she really did not want him to die.not only was he an excellent member of her government, but he was like a father figure to her as well
Who drafted the 1559 religious settlement?
William Cecil
Who negotiated the treaty of Edinburgh?
William Cecil
What did McCaffrey say about William Cecil?
That he was the ‘dynamo which kept… government running smoothly and effectively ‘
What did Lee say about William Cecil
That ‘he bought to administration an attention to detail and accuracy…he was..adept at solving problems ‘
After 1585, who helped Elizabeth cope with the financial and administrative burden of the war with Spain, whilst struggling with his own health?
William Cecil
who cut government expenditure, saved ordinary revenues and sold crown lands- enabling England to meet the cost of war in the 1580’s onwards?
william cecil
who was central to the privy council?
william cecil
who created a propaganda system which ensured public acceptance of Elizabeth’s political regime and her religious settlement?
william cecil
who ordered for the execution of mary queen of scots?
william cecil
what were the years of service of robert dudley?
1558-1588 (30 years)
did robert dudley have any major government roles?
No
who was made master of the queen’s horse in 1558?
robert dudley
when was robert dudley made a privy councillor?
in 1562
what did Lee say about William Cecil?
that he ‘prepared to resort to devious means’ and was ‘able and charismatic but, above all…. a destabilising influence’.
when did William Cecil’s factional rivalry die down and why?
in the 1570’s, as the international situation grew more serious and co-operation was needed
who passed the legislation through parliament and oversaw the purging of the house of lords?
william cecil
what is one criticism of william cecil?
that he was a more successful secretary of state than lord treasurer.
did william cecil exploit his control of patronage?
yes
what were the years of service of sir francis walsingham?
1558-1590 (32 years)
who was elizabeth’s spymaster and leading diplomat?
sir francis walsingham
who was Elizabeth’s spymaster and leading diplomat?
sir francis walsingham
who investigated the 1569 ridolfi plot?
sir francis walsingham
in 1570, who was the ambassador to france/ secretly helped the huguenots?
sir francis walsingham
who dealt with the Throckmorton and Babington plots?
sir francis walsingham
who built the most effective internal and external spy network in Europe?
sir francis walsingham
was sir francis walsingham romantic?
no
was sir francis walsingham part of a faction?
no, but he was personally close to william cecil
what did lee say about sir Francis Walsingham?
that he was ‘private, withdrawn and highly organised…with… a good eye for detail’. He continued that Walsingham was ‘above reproach as far as loyalty was concerned’.
who was second to William Cecil?
sir Francis Walsingham
what were the years of service of sir Walter Mildmay?
1558-1589 (31 years)
who was helpful in Elizabeth’s government, but also held positions under Edward VI and Mary?
sir Walter Mildmay
when was sir Walter Mildmay? treasurer of the Queen’s household?
in 1558
Who was made Chancellor of the Exchquer and auditor of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1566?
sir Walter Mildmay
Is sir Walter Mildmay often overlooked by historians?
yes
How did Lee describe sir Walter Mildmay?
as ‘a man of cultivation and of great piety’
what did Elizabeth think of sir Walter Mildmay?
she trusted him with her money and was known to have listened to his moderating arguments about taking a harder line with the puritans
Was sir Walter Mildmay close to William Cecil?
Yes
Who was sir Walter Mildmay’s brother in law?
Sir Francis Walsingham
What were the years of service of Sir Christopher Hatton?
1558-1591 (33 years)
When was Sir Christopher Hatton appointed Vice Chamberlain and a privy councillor?
in 1558
When was Sir Christopher Hatton appointed Lord Chancellor?
In 1587
Like Sir Walter Mildmay, which other Elizabethan politician is often underestimated?
Sir Christopher Hatton
What did Lee say about Sir Christopher Hatton?
that he was ‘the key stabilising factor of the reign.. the main channel to the legislative’.
Was Sir Christopher Hatton romantic?
He was a great dancer and flirted outrageously with the queen
When was Sir Christopher Hatton’s faction most influential?
In the 1570’s and the 1580’s
Who did Sir Christopher Hatton rival with slightly to be the Queen’s favourite in the 1580’s?
Sir Walter Raleigh
what were the years of service of Sir Walter Raleigh?
1581-1595(14 years)
when was Sir Walter Raleigh appointed Captain of the Queen’s bodyguard?
in 1585
when was Sir Walter Raleigh appointed Vice-admiral of Devon and Cornwall?
in 1588
What did R Wernham say about Sir Walter Raleigh ?
that his achievements were only really as an explorer. He was never even a privy councillor-just a distraction
In terms of romance, how did R Wernham describe Sir Walter Raleigh?
as ‘dashing and flamboyant’; however, he made the mistake of looking at a woman other than elizabeth. After his release from the tower, he was only really a minor figure.
who accused sir walter raleigh of treason?
James I, elizabeth’s sucessor
Who did Sir Walter Raleigh have factional disputes against?
Sir Christopher Hatton and Essex. However, he was not really bright enough to win
Who did Sir Walter Raleigh get preganant?
Elizabeth Throckmorton
When was Sir Walter Raleigh Queen Elizabeth’s favourite?
in 1581
When did Sir Walter Raleigh name Virginia after Elizabeth ?
in 1588
What were the years of service of Robert Deveruex?
1593- 1601 (8 years)
When did Robert Deveruex become a privy councillor?
in 1593
when did Robert Deveruex lead the fleet in the attack on the spanish fleet at cadiz?
in 1597
when was Robert Deveruex appointed to lead the army in ireland?
in 1599
What was Robert Deveruex ‘s title?
the earl of essex
what did lee say about Robert Deveruex ?
‘it is difficult to say anything positive…a wasted career’. he was ‘impatient, petulant and ruthless..he..played little direct part in the administrative process’
was Robert Deveruex part of a faction?
yes, he built a powerful faction but broke the system. This led to his downfall and revolt
what were the years of service of robert cecil?
1591 - 1603 (12 years)
when did robert cecil become a privy councillor?
in 1591
when was robert cecil appointed as secretary of state?
in 1596
when was Robert cecil appointed master of wards?
in 1599
By 1603, who had patronage powers beyond even those of his father?
robert cecil
what did Mervyn say about robert cecil?
‘his advancement was not rapid. His organisational skills were eventually recognised’. However, he was always an unpopular figure and some say this rubbed off on elizabeth
why was parliament bi-cameral?
because there was 2 chambers
Who did the house of lords consist of ?
unelected housing bishops, aristocrats and lords
Who did the house of commons consist of ?
people elected to represent the rest of the nation state
What were the 3 roles of Elizabethan parliament?
1) Granting money to the government when it was required (supply/subsidy)
2) Passing laws/legislate
3) Being a ‘point of contact’ between the government and the people of England
Was there a prime minister in the Elizabethan government?
No
Were there political parties in the Elizabethan government?
No
Was the problem with elections in the lower house (the house of commons)?
The MP needed the support of important people in their locality, elections were often rigged, only men with a certain annual income could vote
As well as Elizabeth, who controlled Elizabeth’s parliament?
Councillors, like William Cecil
Between 1589 and 1601, did Elizabeth require money from parliament to finance the Spanish war?
Yes
How many parliaments did Elizabeth call in her 45 year reign?
10 Parliaments
How many years passed between parliamentary sessions?
3
What percentage of MP’s spoke in parliamentary debates?
Only 10%
What percentage of MPS’s voted in parliament?
Only 47%
What is evidence that MP’s became more educated during Elizabeth’s reign?
in 1563, only 26% of MP’s had legal training . By 1593, this figure had risen to 44%. This meant that MPS’s were more able to question bills
How many acts were passed per parliamentary session?
33, which is more than any other Tudor monarch
What could Elizabeth do to stop bills passing in parliament?
The Royal Veto, which she used 34 times
What is histiography?
where historians draw different conclusions on topics
What is the historical debate surrounding Elizabeth and her parliament?
whether there was conflict or co-operation
What was the thesis of J.E Neale?
that conflict was the dominant theme of Elizabeth’s relationship with her parliament
What books did J.E Neale write?
‘The Elizabethan House of Commons’ and ‘Elizabeth i and her parliaments’
What are gentry?
Middle class
What did Neale argue was the central issue from which conflict formed in parliament?
Religion. He argued that there were Puritans in the house of commons, who prioritised their religion over their Queen. He called them ‘the puritan choir’.
What was the thesis of G.R Elton?
that co-operation was the dominant theme of Elizabeth’s relationship with her parliament
Did Elton reject the idea that Puritanism was a progressive political force?
Yes
Who questioned the existence of ‘the puritan choir’?
G.R Elton
Did Puritans sign the act of supremacy?
Yes
