The nature of the Elizabethan monarchy: Government and Parliament Flashcards
(32 cards)
What means did Elizabeth have to rule England?
- Privy council
- Parliament
- Local government
How did Elizabeth initially choose her councillors?
Elizabeth controlled who was on the Privy Council and when she first ascended the throne she chose her councillors from a small group of men, she needed people who she could trust and who knew what they were doing, and so she appointed council members who had also sat in her sister, Marys, privy council.
Elizabeth had a balanced approach to appointing people to her privy council as she wanted to avoid factions.
–> Elizabeth was open and wanted to listen to contrasting views e.g. Cecil and Dudley
Amount of people in Es privy council at the start of her reign compared to the end.
Elizabeth’s first Council only had nineteen members, compared to about fifty members under her predecessor, and by her death in 1603, this had been reduced to thirteen.
–> In 1559 the Spanish ambassador believed E governed the country with Cecil, Dudley, Bacon and Parry.
What happened to the Privy Council in 1590?
- Key members of the privy council had died, and she didn’t bother reappointing members.
Cecil, Dudley and Walsingham had all died - Factions became a problem between Essex (eventually led an uprising against her after his failure in Ireland and he was thus executed) and Robert Cecil (William Cecil’s son)
Issue with parliament over marriage
The issue of marriage was a significant one within parliament and the privy council and Elizabeth was continuously pressured to marry in order to provide England with an heir.
Parliament thought it best for Elizabeth to marry Philip, King of Spain, as this would provide an alliance between England and Spain and also an heir, however Elizabeth was adamantly against this.
Both Houses of Parliament saw fit to petition Elizabeth repeatedly on the issues of marriage despite her evasive answers and attempts to stop discussion of marriage.
Why was Elizabeth forced to compromise on the issue of Mary Queen of Scots
The combined forces of the two houses and the Privy Council made Elizabeth’s position untenable and she was forced to agree to Marys execution, even though she did not want to.
Why was Elizabeth forced to compromise on the issue of Mary Queen of Scots
The combined forces of the two houses and the Privy Council made Elizabeth’s position untenable and she was forced to agree to Mary’s execution, even though she did not want to.
How could Elizabeth control parliament?
Elizabeth had a variety of ways in which she could control Parliament; she could call and dissolve parliaments and had the power to veto bills.
How could Elizabeth control parliament?
- She could decide when to call parliament
- She could prorogue parliament (suspend parliament)
- She could dissolve parliament (to send parliament away)
- She could veto Bills (she vetoed a Bill which said Mary Queen of Scots could never be queen of England)
- Elizabeth could appoint the speaker of the house, who had the power to decide who was going to speak and what they were going to speak about –> Hugely important role.
- Elizabeth would make speeches e.g. Her golden speech in the 1590s on monopolies, she would also use her gender to her advantage during these speeches.
- Elizabeth would spread rumours
Why was parliament adament that Mary Queen of Scots be executed?
Parliament was adamant that Mary Queen of Scots should be executed due to the threat she posed to the stability of the monarchy.
This is because in 1570 the pope issued the papal bull which excommunicated Elizabeth from the Catholic church, meaning that Catholics were free to kill her and not go to hell. This meant that many Catholics used Mary as their figurehead and wanted her to replace Elizabeth. Therefore, parliament saw Mary as being a threat to Elizabeth’s life and repeatedly petitioned Elizabeth to get rid of Mary or make it clear that she would never inherit the English throne.
Why and When was Elizabeth forced to agree with Parliament over Mary Queen of Scots?
Elizabeth continued to oppose parliament until 1586 when Mary was found to be involved in the Babington plot against Elizabeth. Elizabeth was thus forced to finally agree with her parliament and have her executed.
What was the other issue that arose out of the problem of Mary Queen of Scots and succession?
The issue of Mary Queen of scots and succession also raised concerns about the issue of freedom of speech in parliament.
MPs were not happy with the way that Elizabeth forbade talk over the issue of marriage and succession.
What happened in 1576 with Peter Wentworth?
In 1576 Peter Wentworth made a speech in parliament in which he challenged the way the queen-controlled debates through “rumours and messages”,
Wentworth was subsequently committed to the tower.
How well did E deal with the issue of freedom of speech?
Elizabeth was able to somewhat control the issue of freedom of speech during her reign as she declared it part of her royal prerogative.
How much of a problem did Mary Queen of Scots pose to E?
the issue of Mary Queen of Scots posed a significant problem to Elizabeth, with Elizabeth eventually being forced to cave on the issue of Mary
Why was marriage such an important issue?
During the Tudor period, it was expected that monarchs should marry, especially female monarchs as it was believed that a queen needed a husband to make political decisions for her and to organise and lead her military campaigns.
They were also expected to provide a male heir to continue the Tudor dynasty and avoid a civil war should there be no heir.
Impact of marriage on factions?
/ Why couldn’t E marry an Englishman?
Elizabeth’s potential marriages to Robert Dudley caused a rise in factional tensions.
If Elizabeth had been completely free to choose who she was to marry, she would have probably chosen Robert Dudley.
However, Elizabeth understood that marrying Robert Dudley would not benefit England if she were to marry him it would only tear apart the country as it could appear as though she were favouring one faction over another.
During the 1560s there was a dangerous factional conflict between Leicester and Sussex, the different factions even began to wear coloured ribbons, and Leicester and Sussex threatened to fight a duel.
How did E deal with factions about her marriage and why was this important?
Elizabeth was able to end tensions between the two factions by making it clear that she would not marry Leicester.
Significant as it could lead to civil war if it appeared as though she was favouring one faction over another.
Why did people oppose female monarchs?
- There was the belief women had no part in government.
- There was the theological objection especially amongst radical protestants that it was contrary to nature.
How did Elizabeth exploit her gender?
- She would bind men to her.
- She sought mens praise to enhance her reputation
- -> e.g. The Faerie Queen was dedicated to her
How did Elizabeth exploit her gender?
- She would bind men to her.
- She sought mens praise to enhance her reputation
- -> e.g. The Faerie Queen was dedicated to her in which she was glorified as a “most virtuous and beautiful lady”.
- She expected expected praise of her beauty.
Why did the Privy council want E to marry?
The Privy Council were fearful that France and Scotland would unite, and that England would face threats on two fronts now. However, this would not have been such an issue if England and Spain were united through marriage, as it would have been France who would have been between the two nations and so the Privy council wanted Elizabeth to marry Philip This was the insurance that the Privy Council believed England would have if a marriage between Elizabeth and Philip occurred.
Why was E able to oppose the privy council of the issue of marriage?
The Privy Council all wanted Elizabeth to marry, however, they could not agree among themselves who she should marry, since they were not united it was thus easy for Elizabeth to ignore their opinions. For example, when it came to the issue of her marriage Elizabeth often dismissed what they had to say.
As we know E didn’t end up marrying showing that she was in control of the privy council over this issue.
How did E try to control her council?
Elizabeth would listen to her council’s advice, but she was not bound by it, she tried to keep control over her council by having one-on-one talks with members when discussing policy in order to assert her authority.
