Elizabeth's Character and Aims

• What were the difference between Elizabeth and Mary when she ascended the throne?

  Elizabeth was young and well-educated for her role as Queen
• Who was Elizabeth in a relationship with before becoming Queen?

  Thomas Seymour
• How was Elizabeth similar and different to her Grandfather, Henry VII?

  She was involved in important decision making, especially when it meant preserving the prerogative powers. However she didn't want to be involved in the details of Government
• What were Elizabeth's short-term aims upon ascending the throne?


  1. Consolidate her position 2. Settle religious issues 3. To pursue a peaceful settlement with the French
• How did Philip II show his recognition of Elizabeth as Queen?

  He sent his envoy, the Count of Feria
• What issues made Elizabeth's succession difficult?

  Bad harvests and therefore increased food prices, Flu epidemic, the political and religious situation was fragile and England had lost Calais
• How was Elizabeth's power consolidated?

  Mary's councillors accepted Elizabeth as Queen and the political elite. William Cecil was appointed Principle Secretary. Her coronation was quickly arranged (Jan 1559). And she had international confirmation of her position by the Count of Feria sent by Philip
• What were the two aspects of Elizabeth's religious issues?


  Legal status of the Church and Books used in Church services
• Why did the legal status of the church need changing?

  If it wasn't the church remained tied to the Catholic Church of Rome
• What did the 1559 Religious Settlement entail?


  The Act of Supremacy, the Act of Uniformity and the Royal injunctions
• What was the Act of Supremacy 1559?


  In law it restored the royal supremacy under Henry VIII and removed Mary's. Elizabeth was now the Supreme Governor of the Church, clergymen had to take an oath of supremacy, removed heresy laws under Mary, and Reformation legislation under Henry VIII was restored.
• What was the Act of Uniformity?

  It introduced a modified version of Cranmer's 1552 Book of Common Prayer
• What were the Royal Injunctions of 1559?

  Set of injunctions about the conduct of church service and the government of the church.
• Which previous royal injunctions did Elizabeth use as inspiration for her own royal injunction?


  1536,1538 and 1547 emphasis on 'suppressing superstition' Eucharist was now administered at a communion table, parishes required English bibles (1538) and attacked Catholic practices e.g pilgrimages (1547)
• What personal beliefs did Elizabeth include in the Royal Injunction?

  Her disapproval of clerical marriage, wives needed two signatures from JPs
• Was Elizabeth's Religious Settlement successful?

  Many radical protestants thought it was incomplete and needed to continue more protestant reforms, but some thought it was too Protestant to be a 'Middle way' of religion.