Challenges at home

• Legitimacy

  Catholics didn't support Henry VIII's first divorce, so didn't view his second marriage and any child from it as a legal heir to the throne.

  Elizabeth is viewed as being born out of wedlock - no legal right
• Religion

  Catholic citizens were mad due to the reformation which made England a protestant country.

  The Pope challenged Elizabeth and influenced catholics to also challenge her rule and legitimacy
• Marriage

  It was expected she would marry, with someone of her own status ---> she thought it would put her under the control of another country.

  She turned down King Phillip of Spain ---> she was 'married to her country'

  Privy council always put pressure on her to marry
• Gender

  It was viewed that women were inferior to men and people applied this view to a woman as monarch.

  People didn't trust her to lead an army and thought she was not strong enough to make decisions
• Economy

  She was in £300,000 in debt from her sister (bloody mary, and her wars against france) so she had to raise taxes, which made her unpopular
• Children

  Privy council put pressure on her to have a child to secure the Tudor line ---> without a child she was vulnerable to assassinations
• Personality

  She was hesitant to make decisions ---> which frustrated the privy council and further supported the gender stereotypes surrounding her
• Previous Tudor Women

  People worried elizabeth would be like her sister ---> Bloody Mary who killed over 300 protestants and lost wars to France