Elizabeth i's challenges

• the leading northern nobles hatched a plot in 1659, to put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne
• the rebellion failed and the 750 people who had been evolved were executed
• Mary queen of Scots was imprisoned until 1686, walsingham found out that she had been writing letters to a catholic plotter called Antony Babbington about overthrowing Elizabeth
• this plot was called the babbington plot
• Elizabeth had her cousin, Mary queen of Scots, executed
• in 1688, Spain tried to Invade england
• spain tried to invade England because Mary queen of Scots was Catholic and spain wanted to take revenge as they were also a catholic country
• the Spanish Armada was won by england
• her closest advisers want her to marry as marrying a foreign prince would have secured a strong policitical alliance
• it was important for her to marry so that she would have an heir to become ruler after her death
• she wanted to marry Robert Dudley but her advisers persuaded her against accepting a proposal
• Elizabeth never married because she knew if she did, her husband would become king and her own influence would decline
• she claimed her true love lay with her country
• she refused to name an heir as she was worried the heir and rebels would try to overthrow her before her death
• she named James vi , Mary queen of Scots son, as the heir
• she spread propaganda about how terrible the catholics were
• sir Francis walsingham was put in charge of a network of spies to keep and eye on Elizabeth
• the northern plot was the most serious of her reign
• not naming an heir was seen as a failure to the throne as it was her duty to provide a stable succession to the throne