Chapter 17 - character and aims

• Royal injunctions were issued in 1536, 1538, 1547 and in 1559
• Foreign Policy 1558-1564:

  Aims:

  1. Prevent invasion (National security)
  2. Ensure foreign relations benefited English interests

  • This may mean maintaining English/Elizabeth’s prestige abroad 
  • Or mat mean maintaining the economic interests of the country 
• How secure was England in 1558:

  • England’s capacity for war was limited (due to high debt - £200,000)
  • Population was small - ½ of spain’s and ¼ of France’s 
  • England had no standing army 
  • BUT THE COUNTRY WAS EASY TO DEFEND AS IT IS AN ISLAND and has a lot of patriotism 
• Context behind relations:

  • First half of 16th century had foreign relations largely dependent on dynastic interest
  • This began to change after 1555 when Charles V divided the HRE between his son and brother.
  • After 1555 foreign relations became more dependent on RELIGION. 
• The treaty of Cateau-Cambresis, April 1559:

  • France would retain calais for 8 years 
  • Calais would then be restored to english control as long as england had kept the peace
  • If France failed to return Calais they would be ordered to pay £125,000 - France was not going to return Calais so Liz knew she was getting £125,000 in 8 years.
• Henry II of France’s death in june 1559 causeed problems in scotland.

  Francis II succeeded Henry. His wife was Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth’s cousin and catholic claimant to the throne.

  • Francis’ accession made France more catholic 
  • France wanted to use Scotland in their foreign policy - AULD ALLIANCE
• France sent troops to Scottish fortresses. 

  • Which alarmed John Knox, the radical calvinist who led the scottish reformation, and the Lords Congregation
  • They look to Elizabeth for protestant support. Cecil and Liz disagreed on whether to intervene - liz didn't want to
  • Cecil threatened to resign if action wasn't taken so the Queen reluctantly gave in
• The intervention in Scotland:

  • Initially intervention was limited to money and armaments 
  • In December 1559 the navy was sent to the Firth of Forth to stop french reinforcements from landing 
  • Feb 1560 - Treaty of Berwick - offered Lords Congregation conditional support 
  • March 1560 - army sent north 
  • Army + Navy blockaded Leith - where the french forces were
  • A french withdrawal was forced and Regent Mary of Guise died in a storm during the return 
• Following Mary of Guise's death Cecil was able to secure favourable terms in the Treaty of Edinburgh

  • The Lords of the congregation were accepted as the concillar government
  • Mary queen of scots was forced to return to Scotland and accept the religious and political power of her protestant enemies
• March 1562 - conflict in France between Catholics and Protestants 

  Robert Dudley encouraged Liz to put military pressure on France while it was weak in order to try and win back calais.

  • Elizabeth promise the Huguenot leader, the prince of Conde, 6000 men and a loan of £30,000 in return england would get control of the port Le Harve 
• Failed intervention in France 1562 cont'd:

  • Huguenot’s + conde were defeated + conde captured
  • Catholic Duke of Guise was assassinated
  • Both sides were leaderless and agreed to make peace. 
  • Both sides united to drive the English out of Le Harve 
  • Egland was forced to sign the unfavourable Treaty of Troyes 1564 

  Liz lost Calais permamnently

  (but calais was expensive to maintain)

  Liz’s prestige was harmed

  Elizabeth now became more cautious about supporting european protestants
• How Liz was better than mary:

  She was younger - only 25, mary was 37 when she became queen

  Better educated - spoke 5 languages

  She had a shrewd grasp of the political process

  She had a better judge of character
• Elizabeth had lived with Catherine Parr for several years and was groomed by her husband and brother of the Duke of Somerset, Thomas Seymour

  Seymour was arrested and executed in 1549
• in 1554 she had possible involvement in Wyatt’s rebellion and was placed in the tower

  THESE EVENTS TAUGHT HER CAUTION.
• Key issues:

  1. Consolidation of her position 
  2. Settling religion 
  3. Pursuing peace with France (had just lost Calais)

  Also:

  • Flu epidemic worst death toll since black death 
  • Debt - £200,000
  • Bad harvests 
  • Mary's marriage had caused much speculation - also pressure for her to marry 
• the succession:

  • Mary's death announced 17th Nov' 1558
  • councillors didn't interfere with the succession
  • Nicolas Heath, Archbishop of York, proclaimed Liz's succession even though he had no right to do so
  • Liz was quickly coronated, and the ceremony took place on 15th January 1559 due to astrological advice
• William Cecil was appointed as Principal secretary and worked for Liz for 40 years
• Religious Settlement

  Two Key Elements:

  1. Legal status of the church - who would govern it 
  2. The doctrine and liturgy (wording) of the services

  Made up of

  1. Act of supremacy -1559
  2. Act of uniformity -1559
  3. Royal injunctions -1559
  4. New book of common prayer -1559
  5. 39 articles of religion - 1563

  *the settlement didn't accurately reflect Elizabeth's own religious views
• ACT OF SUPREMACY 1559:

  • Restored royal supremacy over the church - GAVE HER TITLE OF SUPREME GOVERNOR - NOT SUPREME HEAD
  • Papal supremacy rejected (Mary's changes removed)
  • Henry’s legislation was restored
  • Mary’s heresy laws were repealed
  • Power of Royal visitations were re-established, which meant Elizabeth could seek out heresy but were used rarely at first
  • ‘visitors’ were focused on high members of clergy
  • An oath of supremacy had to be taken by all clergymen 
  • Many of mary’s bishops rejected the settlement and were removed
• Act of Uniformity 1559

  MODIFIED 1552 BOOK OF PRAYER MUST BE IN USE IN EVERY CHURCH.

  • Offered alternative wordings 
  • Permitted different interpretations on the Eucharist 
  • The ‘black rubric’ was omitted (which removed the necessity of kneeling at communion)

  Church interiors and the clothes of clergymen should be the same as in 1548 (pre-radical act of uniformity 1549)

  • Altars should be replaced by plain tables
  • Catholic crucifixes and other items could be placed on the tables 
• Royal injunctions - 1559

  The injunctions announce how services should be run and how to enforce the settlement.
• 1559 injunctions part 1:

  • States the church should be protestant
  • ‘Superstition’ (popular Catholicism) should be rooted out
  • the Eucharist should be given at a simple communion table 
  • Pilgrimages should end 
  • candles shouldn’t be used/candlesticks should be plain
  • people should not dispute religion in Public
  • Every parish should have a copy of the English bible
• 1559 injunctions part 2:

  • States monuments to fake miracles were to be destroyed but images in churches were NOT forbidden - crucifix could remain.
  • Clergymen could marry but only with permission from 2 JPs and a bishop (conservative views on marriage)
  • States that Clerical dress code should be same as in 1548
  • States that bishops had to be licensed by convocation and must have a masters degree
  • preachers had to use prescribed sermons which angered protestants
• Elizabeth required Erasmus’ book Paraphrases to be in all churches

  • Erasmus was Catholic humanist
  • This was also implemented in 1547 injunctions
• Some priests diverged from the act of uniformity 

  400-2000 of old Marian Clergy lost their jobs

  • Elizabeth wasn’t too concerned with punishing these - didn’t want to lose popularity
• Crucifix controversy:

  Many crucifixes were removed by the commissioners

  Elizabeth wanted them restored 

  Two of her bishops threatened to resign and she backed down 

  Crucifix was banned - but she kept them in her private chapel