Eliz

• Tudor family tree

  
• why did no one expect Elizabeth to become queen?

  she was Henry VIII's second child, the daughter of his second wife, Anne Boleyn. as a child, she was third in line (behind Edward VI and Mary I), hence no one expecting her to be queen.
• did Elizabeth have a difficult upbringing?

  yes, she sometimes even feared for her life. in 1554, she was accused of conspiring against her sister Queen Mary I - she was placed under house arrest for almost a year.
• what was Elizabeth like as a leader?

  - she was very cautious and only trusted a few close advisers. she could also be indecisive - reluctant to make decisions without considering the consequences.

  - she was intelligent, confident and very well educated. despite having had little training in how to govern, she became a powerful and effective leader.
• relating to gender, why did some not want Elizabeth to be Queen?

  - in the 16th C, most believed the monarch should be a man. they thought that rule by a woman was unnatural.

  - most expected Elizabeth to act as a figurehead, without any real power. they thought she should let her male counsellors take control or find a husband to govern for her.

  however, Elizabeth was determined to rule in her own right and refused to let her counsellors take over.
• relating to illegitimacy, why did some not want Elizabeth to be Queen?

  - in 1533, Henry VIII divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and married Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn.

  - divorce was forbidden in Catholic Church, so many Catholics believed that Henry's marriage to Anne was not valid, so therefore Elizabeth was illegitimate.

  - illegitimate children weren't usually allowed to inherit, so the issue of Elizabeth's legitimacy weakened her claim to the throne. some thought that Mary, Queen of Scots had more right to rule.
• what was the royal court?

  a large group of people who surrounded the monarch at all times. more than 1000 people attended the court, including Elizabeth's personal servants, members of the Privy Council, members of nobility, ambassadors and other foreign visitors, and Elizabeth's 'favourites'.
• why were some of Elizabeth's 'favourites'?

  - early in her reign, she was very close to Robert Dudley. she made him Earl of Leicester in 1564 and may have considered marrying him.

  - Christopher Hatton was another 'favourite'. in 1587, she made him Lord Chancellor, even though he had little relevant experience.

  - Walter Raleigh came to Elizabeth's court in 1581. she gave him many valuable gifts, including the right to colonise the New World.
• what was life like at the royal court?

  - courtiers were expected to flatter Elizabeth, shower her with gifts and pretend to be in love with her.

  - courtly pastimes included plays, concerts, hunting, jousting and tennis. there were also balls and grand meals.
• what did members of the court do while Elizabeth travelled?

  they went with her, when she moved between her palaces and when great processions were held. they also went with her when she travelled around the country visiting the houses of wealthy noblemen (these trips were known as royal progresses).
• why were entertainments and fashionable clothes on show at court?

  they were a way for Elizabeth to impress her subjects and foreign visitors by displaying her wealth and power.
• what is meant by 'political power relied on access to the Queen'?

  the Queen was the centre of gov, and political power revolved around her - those closest to Elizabeth had the greatest influence and power.
• how did courtiers have power?

  the court was the centre of political life - anyone who wanted to get ahead and increase their political power had to have a place in court. however, the courtiers didn't necessarily hold gov positions - they became powerful through their close relationship with the Queen.
• what led to growing competition at Elizabeth's reign?

  courtiers had to compete with one another for the Queen's attention and favour - leading to growing conflict between them.
• what was patronage?

  patronage involved handing out titles, offices or monopolies, which gave men a source of income. Elizabeth had a lot these offices to give away, including high positions in the Church. royal patronage was distributed at court.
• what did Elizabeth's use of patronage help to ensure?

  loyalty, those who received patronage became dependent on Elizabeth for some or all of their income and status, so they were likely to be loyal to her.
• what did patronage being widely distributed do?

  it helped ensure political stability - all members of the elite felt they had a chance to be rewarded by the Queen, so they were unlikely to rebel against her.
• what did patronage also Elizabeth to do?

  reward her courtiers without spending royal revenues - this was important as the English economy was weak during Elizabeth's reign and her income was limited.
• by promoting men who relied on her for their wealth and influence, what happened?

  Elizabeth limited the power of the traditional noble families, that gained their power mainly from the large amounts of land that they inherited, rather than the monarch. this made those who she promoted more loyal to her.
• what were the two main roles of the Privy Council?

  - give advice to the Queen

  - manage the administration of the gov: making sure Elizabeth's policies were enforced, oversaw many ares of the gov - religion, economy, military, foreign policy and the Queen's security
• what was the Privy Council made up of?

  around 20 men, all chosen by Elizabeth. members of the Privy Council were the Queen's closest and most trusted advisors. some key ministers served on the Council for many years.
• was the Queen obligated to follow the advice of the Privy Council?

  no, but the Councillors were expected to carry out her instructions, even when she was going against their advice.
• who was William Cecil?

  when she became queen in 1558, Elizabeth made William Cecil her Principal Secretary. he became her closest advisor, leading the Privy Council and making sure the gov ran smoothly.

  it can be argued that Elizabeth's success as a queen came from Cecil's remarkable skills as much as her talents.
• what title did Elizabeth give Cecil in 1571?

  Lord Burghley, the year after that made him Lord High Treasures, giving him greater control over royal finances. Cecil continued to serve Elizabeth until his death in 1598.
• who were Elizabeth's other key ministers?

  Nicholas Bacon - was Lord Chancellor from 1559 to 1579

  Francis Walsingham - became Principal Secretary in 1573
• what were the two chambers of Parliment?

  - The House of Lords: was not elected - made up of members of nobility and senior churchmen.

  - The House of Commons: was elected, but only men who owned property over a certain value were allowed to vote. elections weren't free - the Crown controlled who got elected in some areas, and in others, powerful local figures controlled who was chosen.
• what were the main functions of Parliament?

  Advice: Parliament was an important point of contact between central gov and the leading figures in the local gov throughout the country. it enabled the Queen and her councillors to gauge the mood of the country and levels of support for their policies.

  Taxation: when the Queen needed extra revenue, she had to ask Parliament's permission to raise taxes.

  Legislation: the Queen needed Parliament's approval to pass new laws. however, she could bypass this function by issuing royal proclamations instead.
• for Elizabeth, what was Parliament's main purpose?

  to grant her taxes as she took little interest in the advice of the MPs, and she could bypass Parliament's role in passing new laws.
• what did Elizabeth have power to do in terms of Parliament?

  to summon and dismiss it. she disliked working with Parliament and tried to use it as little as possible - she only called 13 sessions in her 44-year reign.
• how was Parliament restricted?

  they were not allowed to debate topics freely. permission from the Queen was needed to discuss matters of state (religion, the succession, foreign policy). as a result, most parliamentary business focused on local matters and social or economic issues, which it could discuss without royal permission.
• what did Elizabeth believe in, that made her think she had to permit Parliament to discuss specific topics?

  she believed in the Divine Right - that rulers were sent by God to govern their country. she believed this gave her royal prerogative - the right to decide the matters of state without the interference on the Parliament.
• how did the Privy Council help Elizabeth manage Parliament?

  - the Privy Council manage relations between Elizabeth and Parliament very effectively. in particular, Cecil was highly skilled in convincing MPs to support the Queen's policies.

  - some members of the Privy Council sat in Parliament. they acted as royal spokesmen and helped to steer debates in favour of royal policies.

  - the Speaker, who kept order in the House of Commons, was chosen by the Queen and closely monitored by the members of the Privy Council - this helped the Queen's councillors to control Parliament and convince MPs to join the royal policy.

  - Elizabeth was a strong public speaker. she made a number of powerful speeches in Parliament which helped to persuade MPs to obey her wishes.
• in what ways did Parliament not agree with Elizabeth?

  - MPs were concerned about who would rule England after her death - repeatedly asked her to marry or name an heir.

  - some Puritan MPs challenged religious settlement and tried to make England more Protestant.

  - MPs were worried about the threat from Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Catholic plots surrounding her. they tried to convince Elizabeth to take action against Mary.
• how would the MPs try to force the Queen to change her mind?

  by threatening to refuse taxation. Elizabeth never gave in to this kind of parliamentary pressure. effective management by the Privy Council, combined with Elizabeth's power to dismiss the Parliament and select the topics debated, meant that she firmly remained in control.
• why was there pressure for Elizabeth to get married?

  - because people believed women couldn't rule effectively Elizabeth was expected to find a husband to rule for her.

  - concerns about succession. if Elizabeth died without an heir, there would be a risk of civil war, with different groups competing for the throne. to prevent this, Elizabeth was expected to marry and produce an heir quickly.
• when did Elizabeth refuse to talk about finding a husband?

  the Privy Council and Parliament continually asked her to name an heir because they were extremely concerned with the succession. when they asked her about it in 1563, she refused to even discuss the matter.
• what was the problem with Elizabeth marrying a European prince or king?

  this could give a foreign country too much influence over England. when Queen Mary I was married to King Phillip of Spain, which forced England into an expensive war with France.
• what was the problem with Elizabeth marrying a member of English nobility?

  it would create anger and resentment for among those who weren't chosen - leading to revolts and rebellions.
• what was the problem with Elizabeth marrying a Catholic suitor?

  the religious settlement made England a Protestant country, so it was difficult for Elizabeth to marry a Catholic. the growing anti-Catholic feeling in England would've made a Catholic husband unpopular and might have undermined support for Elizabeth's rule.
• why was Elizabeth reluctant to marry anyone?

  women were expected to obey their husbands, so she would lose much of her power and freedom if she had married.