Virgin Queen: legitimacy, gender and marriage

• Elizabeth faced pressure from her Privy Council and Secretary of State regarding marriage decisions. They also gave her advice as she was inexperienced
• Elizabeth marrying could cause expensive wars which would damage royal taxes and require taxation. The crown was already 300000 pounds in debt
• If Elizabeth married a Protestant, it could alienate Catholics; if she married a Catholic, it could upset Protestants
• In 1588, it was expected that Elizabeth would marry, but her marital choices posed political problems.
• Legitimacy refers to the right to rule based on lawful succession
• Many Catholics, especially in England, rejected Elizabeth's rule, seeing her as illegitimate
• Catholics viewed Elizabeth as illegitimate because her mother, Anne Boleyn, was not recognized by the Catholic Church
• Elizabeth's legitimacy was questioned due to her father's (Henry VIII) divorce and remarriage
• At 21 years old, Elizabeth was young and lacked experience as a monarch
• Elizabeth became queen after the death of her sister, Mary, and needed to establish her authority
• Elizabeth marrying would reduce her power, as her husband would be expected to govern the country and deal with the parliament
• Many people disagreed with the idea of a queen regnant (a queen who ruled, opposite of queen consort)
• Elizabeth was unmarried and it was unusual for a queen to rule in her own right, as Christian traditions suggested that women should follow men’s authority. Many people disapproved of the idea of a queen regnant (a queen who actually ruled)
• Elizabeth could issue royal proclamations and had prerogative powers, enabling her to govern without parliament’s consent, especially in foreign policy. However, laws could only be passed with parliament’s approval as Acts of Parliament.
• If Elizabeth was unmarried and she died without an heir, a civil war could start