Elizabethan England

• Elizabeth I


  She was 25 when she took the throne
• Elizabeth's first task as queen

  1. Make sure her position as queen was not threatened by anyone

  2. Arranged for her coronation to happen quickly, in January 1559

  3. Drew up her plans for England's religion
• As there was no police force or permanent army, keeping order relied upon everyone knowing their place in society
• Hierarchy in the countryside

  • King/Queen
  • Nobility
  • Gentry
  • Yeomen
  • Tenant farmers
  • Landless or labouring poor
  • Unemployed, homeless
• Hierarchy in towns


  • Merchants
  • Professionals
  • Business owners
  • Skilled craftsmen
  • Unskilled workers and the unemployed
• Wherever you were in Elizabethan society, you had to respect and obey those above you and you had to care for those below you
• Households were run along similar lines to society, with the husband and father as head of the household
• Parts of Elizabethan government

  • The Court
  • The Privy Council
  • Parliament
  • Justices of the Peace
  • Lords Lieutenants
• The Court


  Made up of courtiers, nobles and important advisers. Had no power but could influence the monarch. Its role was to entertain as well as advise the monarch.
• The Privy Council


  Made up of 19 Privy Councillors. Met three times a week, usually with Elizabeth in charge. Its role was to advise the monarch on government policy, carry out the monarch's decisions, and check what the Justices of the Peace were doing.
• The two houses of Parliament

  • House of Lords
  • House of Commons
• House of Lords


  Made up of noblemen and bishops
• House of Commons


  Made up of MPs who were voted for by male landowners
• Role of Parliament


  • To grant extraordinary taxation if the monarch needed more money
  • To pass laws (Acts of Parliament)
• Elizabeth I said it was her right to stop parliament talking about foreign policy, who she might marry, and who might be monarch next - the succession
• Divine right


  Belief that the monarch's right to rule came from God
• Patronage


  Giving someone encouragement, wealth or support. For example, Elizabeth gave patronage to explorers by giving them money for their voyages and praising their efforts.
• Crown


  (with a capital 'C') Refers to the monarch and his or her government
• Foreign policy


  How one country decides to behave towards another country
• Succession


  Deciding who is going to become king or queen after the monarch dies
• It was unusual, and it was also thought to be unnatural, for a woman to rule as queen
• The Christian religion taught that women should obey men
• Monarchs were also expected to lead their armies into battle and this would not have been seen as a suitable thing for a woman to do
• Legitimate


  Born to parents who are married
• Roman Catholic


  The form of Christianity followed by most people up until the 16th century. The pope was the head of the Catholic Church.
• Treason


  Trying to kill the monarch or badly damage the country
• Heir


  Someone who, by law, takes on a title and the property of another person such as king or queen, when that person dies
• Many Catholics did not believe Henry VIII had the right to give himself a divorce. They said he was still married to Catherine of Aragon.
• When Anne Boleyn gave birth to Elizabeth, many refused to accept that she was legitimate
• Reign


  The length of time a king or queen rules a country
• Protestants


  Protestants were Christians but they did not accept the pope as their religious leader. Nor did they agree with some Catholic teachings.
• Politics


  How to get, keep and use power
• Stereotype


  An exaggerated idea of what someone or something is like
• Protestants


  Christians who did not accept the pope as their religious leader and disagreed with some Catholic teachings
• Women were not thought to be capable of ruling. Even in the home the husband was head of the house. It was unusual for women to be in a position of power
• Many people thought that Elizabeth should marry. However, she did not want to
• Elizabeth turned down offers of marriage from her brother-in-law Philip II of Spain, King Eric of Sweden, and the heir to the French throne, the Duke of Alençon
• Elizabeth I


  • Highly intelligent
  • Confident, with a strong personality
  • Well educated - she spoke Latin, Greek, French and Italian
  • Excellent grasp of politics
  • Could make great speeches and win people over
  • Had a temper that people feared
  • Often took a long time to make up her mind, which could be frustrating for her advisers
• England's monarchs could not do whatever they pleased. They needed money and support to rule successfully
• When Elizabeth took the throne, the Crown was £300,000 in debt, which was a huge sum in 1558. The Crown usually only earned about £286,667 per year