Foreign Relations

• Mary Queen of Scots


  Married to Francis I
• Mary Queen of Scots' rule in Scotland

  1. Henry II dies

  2. Mary ascends to the throne

  3. Francis dies

  4. Mary of Guise dies

  5. Mary returns to Scotland

  6. Scotland run by John Knox (sexist & protestant)
• Elizabeth sends troops to stop French intervention

  Small successes
• Mary rules a protestant Scotland until uprisings force her to England
• France was England's traditional enemy because of its size, proximity, its alliance with Scotland and the claims of the Kings or England to the French throne
• France was Roman Catholic and supported the claims of MQS to the English Throne because of her French blood and her marriage to the Dauphin
• The French monarchy had been alarmed at Spanish control of England as a result of Philip II's marriage to Mary Tudor – it threatened French communication with Scotland and increased French fears of Spanish encirclement
• In 1559, England also signed the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis, which confirmed the loss of Calais
• Calais had been captured by the English in 1347, and in their power since then
• Calais was captured by the French in 1558. France could then dominate the southern shore of the Channel
• In 1559, King Henry II died in a jousting tournament and was succeeded by Francis II
• Francis II was a puppet for the Guise's
• Philip II ruled over Spain, the Netherlands, France-Comte, parts of Italy and the Spanish conquests in the New World
• Spain's population was three times that of England & the silver mines of Mexico and Peru had increased Philip's income immeasurably
• It was crucial that the communication routes between Spain and the Netherlands were kept open
• Philip was concerned that the French control of Scotland and/or England would threaten this
• Philip took his title of most Catholic King seriously, but in 1558 he preferred a heretic on the English throne to a French puppet
• Philip half-heartedly proposed to Elizabeth in 1558 and persuaded the Pope to withhold her excommunication
• Elizabeth refused Philip's proposal, as she was well aware of how unpopular the relationship between Philip and her half-sister had been
• Key point in Liz's foreign policy = she wanted to avoid the appearance/reality of falling under control of a foreign power
• France and Spain signed the treaty of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559 after half a century of fighting
• Philip had no wish to be dragged into a war against France to defend England, Spain's traditional ally, and he would have watched Elizabeth's activities in Scotland with unease
• England had traditionally relied on the jealousy between France and Spain to help it maintain its independence
• Peace between the two powerful countries upset the subtle balance of power
• If France and Spain were to unite in a common cause against England, to uphold the catholic religion for example, there was little doubt that England would lose its independence
• Philip II moved to Madrid in 1558, leaving weak administrators to rule, and inadequate Spanish ambassador was sent to England and a breakdown of communications occurred
• At least ¾ of all English overseas trade went through Antwerp
• Antwerp was upset by Mary I's Book of Rates (duties on imports were increased by 75%)
• Philip's chief minister (cardinal Granvelle) saw Elizabeth backing protestant rebels + believed English traders were spreading Protestantism through the Netherlands with Elizabeth's backing
• In 1563, Granvelle banned import of all English Cloth, using a plague breakout in London as an excuse
• Elizabeth retaliated and stopped all imports from the Netherlands, all trade ceased
• Economic suffering caused the resumption of trade within 12 months
• Outbreak of Calvinist riots in Netherlands – brief period of religious turmoil
• In 1567, Philip announced his determination to crush heresy in the Netherlands + sent Spanish army under Duke of Alva
• Rebels seeking exile in England, despite Elizabeth's condemning of them, events affected Elizabeth's view of Philip II + his intentions towards England
• The Habsburg domains (controlled by the Habsburg family) were expanding and fragmenting during the sixteenth century (Netherlands, the Spanish kingdoms, and the Holy Roman Empire)
• England had established commercial relationships with two of Charles V's domains: the Hanseatic League of North German ports and the Netherlands
• The Netherlands was crucial for English cloth exports
• Charles V's abdication in 1556 and the partition of his empire between his son Philip and his brother, Emperor Ferdinand I, created a novel situation for Queen Elizabeth I upon her accession