Elizabeth I: Government

• Court: Elizabeth's image formed by 25 Royal Progressions throughout her reign.
• 1563: Parliament voted for a Court allowance of £40,000. Elizabeth used her own income, which helped to portray her as careful and hard-working.

  13 poor men a day given fivepence donation at palace gates.
• 1563: All paintings of Elizabeth to be based on images supplied by Sergeant Painter. Any others prohibited.
• Patronage: Fewer nobles in 1603 than 1558. Only 18 peerages granted in her reign. William Cecil became Secretary of State, became Lord Burghley in 1571.
• Robert Dudley:

  Appointed Master of the Horse and Knight of the Garter in 1559, joined the Privy Council in 1562 and became the Earl of Leicester in 1564.

  1585-6, Became Lord-Lieutenant of the Netherlands English Expeditionary Force, later accepted Title of Governor of the Netherlands, which angered Elizabeth who ordered his return.
• Cecil had the most influence to begin with, but rivals arose with Dudley, Sussex and Norfolk.
• Sir Francis Walsingham - the Spymaster General who aimed to trap Mary, Queen of Scots. Used Codebreakers and Letter Resealers to monitor correspondence, as well as having agents within the country and without.
• 1567: Leicester opposed marriage to Archduke Charles of Austria, Cecil favoured

  1579: Leicester and Walsingham opposed marriage to Duke of Anjou, Cecil in favour

  1590s: Rivalry between Robert Cecil and Earl of Essex

  1601: Essex's rebellion, failed and executed
• Privy Council - Reduced to 19 from 50, reduced again to 11 by 1597.

  Some of Mary's councillors retained i.e. Lord Treasurer Winchester.

  Main Privy Councillors under Elizabeth - Cecils (Sr and Jr) Dudley, Essex and Knollys.
• Justices of the Peace: Around 50 per county by 1600, administered poor laws

  Lords Lieutenant: Supervised JPs, in charge of local militias. Deputy Lieutenants established in the 1560s to share workload.
• Parliament:

  Jan-May 1559: Religious settlement

  1563-7: Pressure on Elizabeth to marry

  1571: Subsidy granted to suppress 1569 Rebellion

  1572: Debate surrounding whether to execute Norfolk and Mary Q.S.

  1576: Wentworth imprisoned over infringing Royal Prerogative

  1581: Anti-Catholic laws tightened
• Parliament Continued:

  1584-5: Act for Surety of Queen's Person - Bond of Association

  1586-7: Aftermath of Babington Plot

  1589: Aftermath of Armada

  1593: Wentworth's Second Imprisonment

  1598: Triple subsidy raised over economic crisis

  1601: 1598 Poor Laws revised, Golden Speech and Quadruple subsidy raised
• House of Lords 1558:

  57 Lords, comprised of 1 Duke, 1 Marquess, 15 Earls, 2 Viscounts and 38 Barons
• House of Lords 1603:

  55 Lords comprised of 1 Marquess, 16 Earls, 2 Viscounts and 36 Barons
• 438 Acts passed in 10 Parliaments and 13 Parliamentary Sessions
• Parliamentary Conflict: Angered Elizabeth by discussing Marriage, several imprisonments and clashes but nothing consequential. 'Puritan Choir' of MPs failed to bring about change.