The Causes and Development of the Challenge: Problem posed by Mary QS, Court Politics and Faction; the Role of the Duke of Norfolk; Economic and Religious Insecurities of Northern Nobility

Question 1

What did Elizabeth have to do when she came to power?

Answer 1

Define her position on religion, this was protestant, had to seperate herself from Mary’s reign

Question 2

Why did Elizabeth have to seperate herself from Mary’s reign?

Answer 2

The restoration of Roman Catholocism and the link with the Pope wasn’t in line with her faith, too closely linked with the persecution of heretics, unpopular marriage and loss of Calais - discontent

Question 3

Why was defining her religious doctrine problematic?

Answer 3

Religious changes had provoked rebeliions in Henry’s and Edward’s reign and led to repressive policy in Mary’s reign

Question 4

What was the issue of religion closely tied with?

Answer 4

Elizabeth’s marriage - questions over new alliances, 1559 England was still allied to Catholic Spain in the war against Scotland and France

Question 5

What were Elizabeth’s personal beliefs?

Answer 5

• Educated by leading protestants
• Didn’t want candles at her coronation - too Catholic
• Attended protestant services but liked Catholic practices and rituals, kept crucifixes in her private chapel

Question 6

What did Elizabeth aim for in her religious settlement?

Answer 6

Aimed for a degree of religious toleration, “I would not open windows into men’s souls” Wanted Catholic faith to fade away, eventually forced to take a harsh stance

Question 7

What was Elizabeth’s religious settlement referred to?

Answer 7

‘A middle way’ - compromise between Catholic and Protestant, her church combined protestant doctrine with elements of Catholic ceremonial

Question 8

What did Elizabeth’s protestantism signify?

Answer 8

A break from the repression of Mary’s reign and ensured the loyalty of the policitcal nation whom were mostly protestant

Question 9

How did Elizabeth try and minimise Catholic backlash?

Answer 9

Tried to make the church familiar to Catholics, wanted to reassure foriegn Catholic powers that the church hadn’t changed that much, let Catholics have private beliefs

Question 10

How was the religious settlement put in place?

Answer 10

Act of Supremacy - Supreme Govenor - not head of the church due to her gender
Act of Uniformity - Redrafted to include some concessions to Catholics

Question 11

Why did the revolt of the northern earls break out in 1569?

Answer 11

Due to Elizabeth’s rule in the North of England, led by two members of traditional nobility - Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland

Question 12

Why was MQS a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 12

Mary had a legitimate claim to the throne, potential figurehead for Catholic rising, foreign enimies saw Liz as illegitimate whereas Mary was born in wedlock

Question 13

Who was MQS?

Answer 13

Only surviving child of James V from Scotland, claim from Margaret Tudor - Henry VIII’s sister, Elizabeth’s cousin, spent her youth in France, heir to French throne

Question 14

Why didn’t Spain support MQS despite her being Catholic?

Answer 14

Spain was France’s enemy and MQS married a French man, didn’t want a French candidate as Queen of England, didn’t want France to have too much power

Question 15

What did MQS do after her husband died in 1560?

Answer 15

Returned to Scotland, still French connections with Guise family, faced Protestant noble revolt in Scotland, imprisoned and forced to abdicate for her son James

Question 16

When did Mary arrive in England?

Answer 16

1568

Question 17

Who was Elizabeth’s most trusted counsellor and why was this an issue?

Answer 17

William Cecil, nobility thought Cecil would lead her into a war with Spain, resentful of his influence

Question 18

What problems was Phillip of Spain facing in 1568?

Answer 18

Protestant rebellion broke out in Spanish Netherlands, put down by Spanish brutality, 4 Spanish ships also siezed by English pirates containing gold and silver, cut off army pay

Question 19

Why did the English fear antagonising the Spanish?

Answer 19

Phillip of Spain was in a stronger position and the presence of Spanish forces in the Netherlands created fears of possible invasion in England

Question 20

Who was involved in the court plot against Cecil?

Answer 20

Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk - protestant with Catholic sympathies, Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland - Catholic

Question 21

What was the aim of the court plot against Cecil?

Answer 21

Duke of Norfolk would marry Mary, easier to control Mary, would protect Mary’s claim, Elizabeth could put Mary as her heir, thought Norfolk could then remove Cecil

Question 22

Why were people desperate for Elizabeth to marry?

Answer 22

People thought she should marry the Duke of Norfolk, supporters thought it would secure the succession and prevent political instability

Question 23

What happened in September 1569 when Elizabeth found out about the court plot?

Answer 23

• Forbade any further discussion of marriage
• Norfolk was catholic which was threatening
• Norfolk feld to Norfolk

Question 24

Who was the Duke of Norfolk?

Answer 24

Elizabeth’s most trusted advisor, most powerful member of nobility, under suscipican at court due to Northumberland and Westmoreland having links with him

Question 25

Why did Norfolk decide not to go to the North?

Answer 25

He was scared to rebel, went to his estates in Norfolk, wrote to WMLD and told him not to rebel, motivated by concern of declining role of traditional nobility

Question 26

What happened after Norfolk returned to his estates?

Answer 26

He returned to court and was imprisioned in the tower

Question 27

What religious concerns did the Northern Earls have?

Answer 27

• Catholic beliefs
• Divided loyalties to the queen and the pope
• Elizabeth began to impose more strict religious policy - appointed protestants - James Pilkinton, Bishop of Durham

Question 28

Why was there threat of a rising in the North?

Answer 28

Remoteness made it harder for central gov to respond quickly to threat, 75% of North was Catholic, Catholics under suspician after relations deterriorated with Spain

Question 29

What was the Earls issue with James Pilkington, Bishop of Durham?

Answer 29

Preached against Catholocism and traditional power of the nobility, attempted to remove church furniture, religious imagery related to Catholocism replaced

Question 30

Why was the change felt when protestants were appointed in the North?

Answer 30

Because Mary had appointed traditional Northern nobility to political posts in 1553, nobels felt deprived of their positions and overlooked, Lord Hundson took the Earl of Northumberland’s position

Question 31

Who was appointed Warden of the Middle March and who took over the running of the counsil of the North?

Answer 31

Sir John Forster, from the North, a rival to the Earl of Northumberland’s local power and completely loyal to Elizabeth
Thomas Radcliffe, Earl of Sussex took over COTN in 1568

Question 32

What were the economic concerns of the North?

Answer 32

• Lack of opportunity
• Loss of income when position were taken over by protestants
• Had to loan money

Question 33

Where was MQS moved to when she arrived?

Answer 33

Tutbury Castle, 1569 - couldn’t stay near London or the Scottish boarder, put Elizabeth in a difficult position - Mary was anointed and had been deposed by her subjects

Question 34

Why didn’t Elizabeth want to execute Mary?

Answer 34

• She didn’t want people to see it was justified to execute a monarch