Elizabethan England

• Elizabeth I


  • Took the throne after her sister, Mary, had died in 1558
  • Her position was not secure as her mother, Anne Boleyn, had been executed for treason and Elizabeth had been declared illegitimate
  • She was a protestant and many of the English were Catholics, who believed she was not a true heir as she had been born of a second marriage
  • She had to be politically clever to survive
• Elizabeth


  • Confident and charismatic which enabled her to win over her subjects and command support in Parliament
  • Well educated, spoke Latin, Greek, French and Italian
  • Resilient, had spent time in the tower accused of treason, could cope with the pressure of the crown
  • Had an excellent grasp of politics, able to use her powers of patronage effectively by understanding her subjects
  • There was a growing number of protestants in England which made her position as queen more secure
  • Would use her powers of negotiation well in order to settle the disputes between Catholics and Protestants
• Court


  • Courtiers would try to use their presence to influence the Queen
  • Involved up to 2000 people, many were servants employed to provide for the court
  • Strict dress code which meant that attending court could be expensive
  • Took care of Elizabeth's personal needs and helped her to govern
• Where the court met

  • The court would meet at one of Elizabeth's palaces, usually at Hampton Court or Greenwich
  • The court would also move around the country on progresses with Elizabeth, staying at the houses of noble men and women, who had to provide for the queen and her courtiers
  • Elizabeth was able to use the court to control her public image, she would use portraits to put across the image of herself as a woman in control of her court and her country
• Who was involved in Elizabeth's court

  • The Court - noblemen who acted as the monarch's advisers and friends
  • Justices of the Peace - large landowners, appointed by the government, who kept law and order locally and heard court cases
  • Lord Lieutenants - noblemen, appointed by government, who ruled over English counties and raised the local militia
  • The Privy Council - members of the nobility who helped govern the country, monitored parliament and Justices of the Peace, oversaw law and order and the security of the nation
  • Parliament - advised Elizabeth's government, made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons
• William Cecil

  • Elizabeth's longest serving minster/advisor
  • Became Secretary of State in 1571
  • Acted as Lord Treasure so was responsible for government money
  • Had considerable influence over Elizabeth's decisions including the execution of Mary QoS and the war with Spain
  • Passionately defended the religious settlement and any attempts to undermine it
• Robert Dudley


  • A very close friend of the queen as she was growing up
  • It was rumored he and the queen were lovers, reinforced by the unexplained death of his wife Amy
  • His behavior caused scandals, he had affairs with Baroness Sheffield and Lettice Knollys, wife of the Earl of Essex, which led to children and him being banished from court
  • He was a strong supporter of Protestantism in England and the Netherlands where he led military expeditions
• Francis Walsingham


  • A Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis before becoming the queen's private secretary in 1573
  • Closely involved with ensuring the queen's safety and security
  • Ran a network of spies and informers who uncovered plots against Elizabeth including the Babington and Throckmorton plots
  • He used codes in all correspondence and developed ways of translating codes of those who plotted against the queen
• Elizabeth trusted her ministers to help her shape government policy
• Cecil and Walsingham were both MPs and so could monitor the opinions of those in Parliament and also persuade MPs to pass laws
• The desire to influence the queen led to rivalries at court which kept them in check and Elizabeth as the most powerful
• Patronage


  • Elizabeth would use a system of patronage in order to keep her advisors and court in order
  • This involved her showing favouritism by giving particular men important jobs
  • She would give male courtiers specific roles and made sure to give politicians places at court
  • The jobs were highly sought after because they not only brought wealth but also prestige
  • The system was certainly corrupt but it was very effective in creating intense competition between people
  • This competition ensured that everybody had to remain loyal to Elizabeth and that she remained at the centre of the political system
• Progresses


  • Tours, mostly of the South East, Midlands and East Anglia, that Elizabeth would go on with her court to visit the homes of the nobility of England
  • This was an opportunity for her to be seen by her subjects and flatter the nobles she stayed with
  • Elizabeth would usually travel with her full court procession of around 400 wagons
  • Progresses also allowed Elizabeth to live a life of luxury at the expense of her noble subjects
  • The nobility would try to impress her with extravagant and generous offerings, very useful as Henry and Mary had left her in such debt
  • This also allowed her to get out of the capital during times of plague
• Patronage and Progresses were essential elements of Elizabeth's reign. She used both to keep her courtiers in check pitting them against one another and also to ensure the crown could manage it's debt built up by Henry and Mary
• Why was Parliament important

  • The monarch was not able to raise new taxes without the consent of Parliament
  • Taxes and legislation put forward by the monarch had more authority if passed by Parliament
  • MPs could use Parliament to criticise the government and even the queen
  • Parliament could act as a pressure group e.g. in he succession issue
• Limits on Parliaments power

  • Elizabeth rarely called Parliament, she summoned them 13 times during her reign for a total of 140 weeks
  • Most MPs were businessmen who wished to return to their estates, this made them less likely to confront government
  • Many MPs saw challenging the government as time consuming and risky, and they could be punished for doing so
• The need to manage Parliament

  • It was the job of Privy Councillors to persuade MPs to pass the queens laws
  • Privy Councillors would sit on Parliamentary committees to speed up the introduction of laws, sometimes even Elizabeth would attend these committees
  • The crown could bribe and scare voters to influence who was elected to Parliament, this made MPs easier to control
• Issues discussed by Elizabeth's Parliaments

  • Parliamentary rights, especially the rights of MPs to criticise the government without fear of arrest
  • Taxes or subsidies, how much Parliament should raise as taxies at the monarchs request
  • The poor, especially vagrants, who were seen as an increasing threat to Elizabethan society
  • The Succession, many MPs wanted Elizabeth to find a husband, give birth to an heir and so resolve the issue of who wold inherit the throne
  • Religion and the Church of England, the religious settlement of 1559 was key in making England a Protestant nation
• Parliament and the succession

  • By the 1590s Parliament began to demand Elizabeth name a successor, she refused to do so as it would reduce her authority
  • By the late 1590s many assumed James VI of Scotland, the son of Mary QoS, would take the throne as he was a Protestant
  • Elizabeth never formally named him as there were a number of options and she did not want to increase rivalries or tensions
  • The Queen and Privy Council decided James would be king, not Parliament, and he became king in 1603
• Why was succession important

  • The monarchy needed to be strengthened by ensuring a male heir
  • It was not usual for a woman to govern alone, unmarried women without an heir were seen as weak and vulnerable, a husband and male heir were seen as essential
  • If Elizabeth did not marry there would be a disputed succession as there were a number of potential successors
• Why did Elizabeth never marry

  • Elizabeth famously claimed she would 'happily live and die a virgin'
  • Her marriage suitors included: Robert Dudley, Philip II of Spain, Henry Duke of Anjou, Eric of Sweden and Francis Duke of Alencon
  • Philip proposed early in her reign but she refused as he had been married to Mary and was a Catholic
  • Dudley was disliked by the court and had been involved in many scandals
  • Any marriage could deepen divisions at court and lead to civil war, because of this Elizabeth marketed herself as the virgin queen and chose not to marry
• Parliament and the Marriage

  • Many in Parliament wanted the queen to marry but not to a Catholic such as Philip II of Spain
  • By the 1570s the only remaining option was Francis, Duke of Alencon, the brother of the King of France, many were not pleased as he was a Catholic and they did not want a Catholic close to the throne
  • Others saw the marriage as a way to strengthen the monarchy
  • By the 1590s Elizabeth had defeated the Armada and strengthened her authority, Parliament accepted she would not marry
• Strengths at the end of her reign 1590-1603


  • Essex's rebellion had been defeated, Elizabeth was still in charge, the rebellion was directed at her advisors not at her
  • Elizabeth's authority was being reinforced by military victories e.g. Cadiz in June 1596
  • Elizabeth remained in very good health until rather late in her reign
  • The execution of Mary QoS meant there were no rival threats to the throne
• Reasons for declining authority towards the end

  • Elizabeth was getting older, more bad tempered and less clear in her judgements
  • Key advisors were dying, Walsingham in 1590 and William Cecil in 1598, this weakened her control on Parliament and her court
  • Courtiers began to challenge her, the Earl of Essex nearly drew his sword on her and had to be restrained, this led to Essex's rebellion
  • Infighting at court, 'new men' such as Robert Devereux and William Cecil fought for influence and the queens favour which weakened her government
  • Bad harvests in the 1590s led to food shortages and discontent which undermined her popularity, this situation was made worse by tax increases in 1601
  • Elizabeth was losing financial independence, she was forced to ask Parliament to increase taxes in 1593 and 1601, this exposed her to Parliamentary demands about the succession
• Who was the Earl of Essex

  • Robert Devereux was a politically ambitious courtier, professional soldier and favourite of Queen Elizabeth
  • However, by 1598 he had fallen out of favour with the queen after he distributed captured gold to his men rather than to the government, he had also failed to capture gold on the Spanish treasure fleet crossing from South America to Spain
  • Essex was banished from court but was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and told to crush the Irish Rebellion led by Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, however, he failed at this as well
• Causes of the Rebellion


  • Essex's ambition, he overestimated his support in court and in the country
  • Elizabeth's power and authority were weakening leading to more rivalries
  • Rivalry with Robert Cecil, by the late 1590s the court was filled with Cecil's supporters, Essex needed to strengthen his position
  • Finance, Essex was not wealthy, his position depended on patronage from the crown and so banishment weakened his monopoly on sweet wines
  • Humiliation, Elizabeth had slapped Essex across the face in 1598, he had to be prevented from drawing his sword and was banished from court
• Essex's Rebellion


  1. Essex failed to put down a rebellion in Ireland, as a result he was put under house arrest in 1600

  2. He returned to Essex House, where he was arrested and sent to trial at the Tower of London

  3. Essex rode to London to gather support, this failed as the Mayor of London told people to remain in their houses

  4. The Lord Chancellor and other royal officers visited Essex but he imprisoned them
• Why did the rebellion fail? Essex overestimated his support, many of the nobility, even those who sympathised with him, would not join him
• The court was filled with Cecil's supporters. Essex needed to strengthen his position.
• Finance


  Essex was not wealthy. His position depended on patronage from the crown and so banishment weakened his monopoly on sweet wines.
• Elizabeth had slapped Essex across the face in 1598, he had to be prevented from drawing his sword and was banished from court.
• Essex failed to put down a rebellion in Ireland. As a result he was put under house arrest in 1600.
• Essex's rebellion


  1. Essex gathered 300 of his supporters at Essex house, which he had fortified

  2. The Lord Chancellor and other royal officers visited Essex but he imprisoned them

  3. Essex rode to London to gather support. This failed as the Mayor of London told people to remain in their houses

  4. He returned to Essex House, where he was arrested and sent to trial at the Tower of London
• Why did the rebellion fail?
• Reasons for the rebellion's failure

  • Essex overestimated his support. Many of the nobility, even those who sympathised with him would not risk their position
  • Government spies in Essex's camp undermined the rebellion. For example, Ferdinando Gorges released Essex's prisoners so he had no hostages
  • As a result of this Essex's support collapsed, he was executed for treason and Robert Cecil's supporters dominated the court
• Social Hierarchy: Countryside


  • Nobility – Major landowners, often Dukes, Lords or Earls
  • The Gentry – Owned smaller estates
  • Tenant farmers – rented land from the gentry
  • Landless laboring poor – Did not own land, had to work on land to provide for their family
  • Homeless and vagrants – Moved from place to place looking for work
• Social Hierarchy: Towns


  • Merchants – Traders who were very wealthy
  • Professionals – lawyers, doctors and clergymen
  • Business owners – Silversmiths, carpenters or tailors. Highly skilled
  • Craftsmen – Skilled employees including apprentices
  • Unskilled workers and unemployed – people with no regular work who could no provide for themselves
• Sumptuary Laws (1574)


  • Only royalty could wear ermine
  • Only nobility could wear silk, sable fur, gold and silver fabric
  • Only royalty, gentry and nobility could wear purple
  • Ordinary people (merchants, professionals, business owners etc.) had to wear wool, linen or sheepskin, and were restricted to certain colours
  • Breaking these laws could lead to fines, prison or even execution
• Obedience, care and conformity


  • In Elizabethan society you owed obedience and respect to those above you and had a duty of care to those below
  • Landowners ran their estates on these ideas, taking care of tenants especially during times of hardship
  • In households, husband and father was head of the household. His wife, children and servants were expected to obey him
• The 'rise of the gentry'

  • This phrase refers to how the gentry grew in size, wealth and influence
  • Some gentry members (Raleigh, Walsingham and Drake) became more influential at court. This meant the influence of noble families declined
  • Other members of the gentry joined the nobility through marriage, wealth or the queens grace (William Cecil was named Lord Burghley in 1571)
  • As members of the gentry grew more wealthy they were able to build and extend houses in towns and the countryside