Elizabeth (EDUQAS)

• Ways Elizabeth remained in control

  • Royal Court
  • Courtiers
  • Patronage
  • Privy Council
  • Factions
  • Parliament
• Royal Court


  • Centre of political power
  • Ladies-in-waiting, servants, chief advisors and government officials
  • Travelled with her, to give advice
  • Kept them close, to keep an eye on them
  • Courtiers competed to be her 'favourite'
• Patronage


  • Gave land or titles/positions to people as a form of reward
  • Ensured loyalty to the queen
  • Cheap form of reward
• Factions


  • Rivalry between councillors
  • People competed to be a 'favourite'
• Privy Council

  • Group of advisors and ministers appointed by queen, to help her rule
  • Met at least twice a week
  • Offered recommendations
  • Elizabeth did not have to listen to advice, but did find them helpful
  • Elizabeth chose who she wanted
  • Took care of day to day issues
• Parliament


  • Elizabeth called Parliament only when she needed them to: grant taxes; give advice or pass laws
  • She was unwilling to call them as they often tried to speak out against decisions she made
• Elizabeth inherited a debt of £270,000 from Queen Mary: she paid this off but needed Parliament to give her money to fund wars in her later years
• Ways Elizabeth remained popular

  • Coronation
  • Personality
  • Portraits
  • Royal Progresses
  • Royal Court
• Coronation

  • Elizabeth travelled down the Thames on a ceremonial barge & on the streets
  • Made people aware of her
  • Symbols used to show her power: orb and sceptre in coronation portrait
• Personality


  • Well educated, fluent in languages
  • Studied bible carefully
  • Careful with money
  • Able to talk to people across Europe
  • Could make clear religious choices
  • Could get country of debt
• Portraits


  • Many painted to be displayed in houses of her nobles & for leaders around world
  • Imagery showed her as strong
  • Nobles had portraits to show loyalty
• Royal Progresses


  • Stay in noble houses over the summer
  • Her Royal Court would come
  • Did not go too far from London
  • Ensure her subjects could see her - loyal
  • She could check loyalty of her nobles
  • Saved money - paid for by nobles
• Social classes


  • Nobles & Gentry
  • Wealthy merchants & Tenant farmers
  • Cottagers & Skilled Artisans
  • Unskilled Labourers
• Homes of the rich

  • New or extended homes: eager to impress the queen
  • The long gallery: a walkway the length of the house, with large windows; used to display paintings and for exercising in bad weather
  • Landscaped gardens: no longer just practical (food), but pleasure
  • Rented out some of their land to tenants
• Homes of the lower classes

  • Houses: small; the poorest cottages only had one room; earth floor; walls made of timber (wood) frame
  • Richer craftsmen or farmers built new houses with glass windows and separate bedrooms
  • Little furniture; usually just a bed, table and stools
• Fashion of the rich

  • Nobleman: wore doublet (jacket), stiffened ruff, jerkin (jacket), leather shoes; clothes made of rich fabrics like silk; jewellery
  • Lady: farthingale (petticoat) with wooden hoops to make the skirt stand out; gown (dress) of satin, silk or velvet
• Fashion of the lower classes


  • People had few clothes because they were poor
  • Men: Clothes were practical: leather shoes; woolen stockings; leather breeches (trousers)
  • Women: linen petticoat; dress; kerchief (head scarf)
• Education of the rich

  • Sons tutored at home in the classics, Greek and Latin; taught how to behave like gentlemen; learned hunting, hawking and dancing
  • Daughters were taught by a governess; how to run a home
  • Sons went to grammar schools; 360 schools by the end of the period; taught how to be a gentleman
• Education of the lower classes

  • Little or no education; some children attended the local parish school to learn to read and write
• Causes of Poverty


  • Rising population
  • Bad Harvests
  • War
  • Dissolution of Monasteries
• Poor Laws


  Series of laws increased support for deserving poor, & punishment/house of correction for undeserving
• The poor laws did not end poverty, which continued to rise
• Religious beliefs


  • Catholic beliefs
  • Protestant beliefs
  • Puritan beliefs
• Act of Supremacy, 1559


  • Elizabeth made Supreme Governor of the Church of England
  • All clergy and gov officials had to swear oath of loyalty
  • Archbishops and Bishops would run the church
  • Bible, prayer book and church service in English and clergy could marry
  • Decoration and vestments allowed to please Catholics
  • Recusants (Catholics who didn't want to go to Church) fined
• Royal Injunctions, 1559


  • Instructions to clergy to ensure uniformity of worship and behaviour
  • Teach royal supremacy; Condemn Catholic practices; Identify recusants
  • Priests needed licence
• The majority of people were moderate Protestants who were tired of religious change. Catholics and Puritans wanted a different church
• Elizabeth wanted a moderate Protestant church that would include everyone, a 'middle way' or via modena, to unify the country
• Attitudes to the theatre

  • Support
  • Criticism
• Theatre design


  • Round or octagonal, with a space in the centre, with the stage
  • The back of the stage had a roof to protect against rain
  • Beneath the stage was a trapdoor for 'hell'
  • Prices were low for standing room - to encourage crowds
• Catholic beliefs


  • Head: Pope
  • Hierarchy: Cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests
• Protestant beliefs


  • Head: Monarch
  • Hierarchy: Archbishops, bishops, priesty
• Puritan beliefs


  • Head: no-one
  • Hierarchy: Elected committees
• Worship


  • Catholic: Latin services and bible, Decoration, vestments
  • Protestant: English, little decoration
  • Puritan: English, no decoration
• Priests


  • Catholic: Shouldn't marry
  • Protestant: Could marry
  • Puritan: No priests
• Legislation


  1. Act of Supremacy, 1559

  2. Act of Uniformity, 1559
• Act of Supremacy, 1559


  • Elizabeth made Supreme Governor of the Church of England
  • All clergy and gov officials had to swear oath of loyalty
  • Archbishops and Bishops would run the church
  • Bible, prayer book and church service in English and clergy could marry
  • Decoration and vestments allowed to please Catholics
  • Recusants (Catholics who didn't want to go to Church) fined
• Enforcement


  1. Royal Injunctions, 1559

  2. Visitations
• Royal Injunctions, 1559


  • Instructions to clergy to ensure uniformity of worship and behaviour
  • Teach royal supremacy; Condemn Catholic practices; Identify recusants
  • Priests needed licence to preach
• Visitations


  • 125 commissioners appointed to travel the country to check rules were being followed and ensure oaths of supremacy taken
• The Episcopacy


  • Church to be run and supervised by the Episcopate (Archbishops, Bishops)
  • Many Catholic bishops resigned and were replaced with Protestants