Elizabethan England

• Features of Elizabeth Society

  • Monarch at the top
  • Nobility
  • Gentry
  • Yeomen/Yeoman Farmers
  • Tenant farmers
  • Labouring poor
  • Vagrants and vagabonds
• Features of Elizabeth Government

  • Monarch believed in Divine Right
  • Monarch could declare war
  • Monarch could stop government discussing issues
  • Secretary of State
  • Privy Council
  • Parliament
  • Justices of the Peace
• Life expectancy in 1558 was only between 28 and 41
• People were expected to follow the official Christian religion of the monarch or else be punished for committing treason and heresy
• England was a very violent place with no police force or permanent army
• 90% of the population were poor and lived in the countryside
• Ownership of land was key to how rich or how powerful a person was
• There was a strict social hierarchy with no social mobility
• If a person was born poor, no matter how skilled or hard working they were, they would be expected to remain poor
• Elizabethan government was also strictly structured and had many key features to help Elizabeth rule the country
• Legitimacy to the throne


  Being legally able to become a monarch
• Catholics did not support Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon


  They did not see his marriage to Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth's mother as legal, so they did not see Elizabeth as the legitimate heir
• Religion


  Catholics in England were angry with Henry VIII for starting the Protestant Church of England, and the Pope strongly influenced many English Catholics to challenge Elizabeth's Protestant faith
• Gender


  Women were seen as inferior to men and many did not trust Elizabeth to lead an army or make decisions about the country
• Marriage


  Elizabeth was expected to marry but worried it would put her under the control of another country and threaten her power in England
• Children


  Many believed Elizabeth needed to have children to ensure the stability of the Tudor monarchy
• Previous Tudor Women


  People were worried Elizabeth would be as evil and strict a ruler as her half-sister Mary I
• Elizabeth's Personality


  She was confident, educated and charismatic, but also hesitant in decision-making which frustrated many
• The Economy


  Elizabeth needed to raise money through taxes, but this was unpopular, and England was in debt when she became Queen
• France was wealthier and had a larger population than England in 1558
• France had a strong friendship with Scotland called the Auld Alliance
• The Catholic French King Francis II was engaged to the Catholic Scottish monarch Mary, Queen of Scots
• England had control of the land of Calais in France, which was under threat of being taken back by the French
• Mary, Queen of Scots believed she was the legitimate heir to the English throne and was heavily supported by Catholics
• The border between Scotland and England was difficult for the English to defend, and there were constant Scottish raids into England
• Mary of Guise, the French mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, brought French troops to help fight against England on the border
• Spain was a strict, powerful and wealthy Catholic country that supported Mary, Queen of Scots' claim to the English throne
• The Pope had huge control and influence over Catholics across Europe and used this to ask Catholics to challenge Elizabeth
• The Scottish army also had the help of the French army against England on the border
• Spain was a strict, powerful and wealthy Catholic country
• Spain supported the claim that Mary, Queen of Scots had to be the rightful Queen of England
• Elizabeth was worried that Spain might join forces with France and Scotland to become an even bigger threat against her
• The Catholic King of Spain, Philip II had even been married to Elizabeth's extremely Catholic sister Mary I
• Spain had all the right power and support to defeat Elizabeth
• Despite the poor communication methods and modes of travel between European countries, the head of the Catholic Church, the Pope, still had huge control and influence over the beliefs and actions of Catholics all over Europe
• The Pope used his power and influence to his advantage to ask Catholics to challenge Elizabeth
• The Pope spoke about his dislike for the Reformation (the change to the Protestant Church) and had already argued with Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII about religion
• The Pope wanted a 'Counter-Reformation' – this meant he wanted to make all Europe Catholic again and stop the spread of the Protestant Church
• Elizabeth was worried that the Pope could influence Catholics all over Europe to challenge her as Queen of England
• The Pope was even willing to offer support to countries such as Spain and France in their fight against Protestant England