Challenges at home and abroad

• • Elizabeth faced debts of £300,000 from her sister, Mary's reign
• • Elizabeth's cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, had a claim to the throne
  • Mary was a Catholic and so she was seen as a rightful heir by Catholics in England
  • She was also married to the heir to the French throne - this gave France a claim to the English throne
• • There was major religious conflict when Elizabeth took the throne
  • The country had gone from Protestant under Henry VIII and Edward VI to Catholic under Mary
  • Elizabeth had to create an agreement to please both faiths
• • Elizabeth inherited a bad relationshio with France from Mary I
  • France were supportive of Mary Queen of Scots
  • Mary I and her husband, Phillip of Spain, were in an anti-French alliance
  • Mary lost the town of Calais which England ruled for hundreds of years
  • This left England more vulnerable to attack
  • Elizabeth tried to take back Calais and failed
• French threat:

  • France was wealthier with larger population
  • Ally of English enemy - Scotland - friendship was Auld Alliance
• • Elizabeth was concerned that France and Spain were no longer at war
  • Countries were both Catholic and Elizabeth was Protestant