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• When Elizabeth I became queen in 1558, she faced several key challenges, including religious conflict, foreign relations, legitimacy, gender, marriage, and finance/economy
• Religious conflict


  Europe was in the midst of the Reformation, with conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism. Henry VIII had broken from the Catholic Church, but the Church of England was not yet clearly Protestant or Catholic under his successors.
• 300 Protestants were burned at the stake by Queen Mary I before Elizabeth's reign
• Elizabeth's goal


  To create a "via media" or middle way to end the religious conflict and please both Catholics and Protestants
• The country was split, with the north and west being more Catholic, while the south and east were more Protestant
• Elizabeth faced the risk of rebellion from Catholic nobles and bishops who had influence in Parliament
• Elizabeth also faced foreign policy challenges, as she was surrounded by powerful Catholic countries like Spain, France, and Scotland
• Spain


  The most powerful and wealthy country in Europe, ruled by the fiercely Catholic King Philip II
• France


  England's traditional enemy, also a strongly Catholic country with a growing Protestant movement (the Huguenots)
• Scotland


  An independent country ruled by the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, who was allied with France
• Tensions between Spain and France prevented them from forming an alliance against England
• Elizabeth also faced challenges to her legitimacy, as Catholics believed she was an illegitimate ruler
• Legitimacy


  The issue of whether Elizabeth was the authentic and correct monarch, as Catholics believed her parents' marriage was not authorized by the Pope
• Gender


  Elizabeth was only the second crowned queen of England, and there were patriarchal and sexist views that women could not hold power or lead
• Marriage


  Elizabeth was expected to marry and have an heir, but this was problematic as it would require her to submit to a husband, conflicting with her role as monarch
• Finance and economy


  Elizabeth inherited substantial debt from the wars of her predecessor, Mary I, as well as high unemployment and poor harvests
• The key differences between Catholicism and Protestantism included the role of the Pope, the language of the Bible and services, church decorations, the role of priests, and the nature of communion
• In 1559, Elizabeth passed the Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity to establish her religious settlement, aiming to create a middle way between Catholicism and Protestantism
• Differences between Protestants and Catholics

  • Protestants:
  • Do not believe a priest is holy, just refer to them as clergy
  • Anyone can communicate with God, clergy do not need to wear special vestments
  • Communion bread and wine is symbolic, not the literal body and blood of Christ

  Catholics:

  • Believe in transubstantiation, where the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ during communion
• Elizabeth's Religious Settlement (1559)


  Act of Supremacy - Elizabeth became Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the Pope's authority was rejected, everyone had to swear an oath of loyalty to Elizabeth

  2. Act of Uniformity - Everything had to be uniform in the Church of England, the English Book of Common Prayer and Bible had to be used, attendance at Church of England services was mandatory with fines for non-attendance

  3. Royal Injunctions - Catholic doctrine, beliefs about pilgrimages and saints were denounced, images and decorations in churches were allowed, the monarch's supremacy over the Church was to be preached
• Elizabeth's Religious Settlement


  • - Mostly Protestant with some Catholic elements to create a compromise (via media)
  • Vague wording around communion to allow both Catholics and Protestants to interpret it as they wished
• Factors of the Puritan Challenge

  • Strong:
  • Friends in high places - Puritans had influential supporters in Elizabeth's Privy Council
  • Crucifix controversy - Puritans forced Elizabeth to remove crucifixes from churches

  Weak:

  • Investment controversy - Puritans failed to force Elizabeth to change vestment requirements
  • Limited numbers and options - Puritans were a small, divided group with no clear leader
• Factors contributing to the Catholic Threat/Lack of Threat

  • Threat:
  • Papacy - Pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570, theoretically allowing Catholics to overthrow her
  • English nobility - Around a third were Catholic recusants
  • Plots - Plots by Catholics involving the Pope, Spain and France

  Lack of Threat:

  • Papacy's excommunication had little impact in England
  • English nobility plots were easily crushed
  • Spain and France were too occupied with internal conflicts to aid English Catholics
  • Elizabeth's religious tolerance - She did not severely persecute Catholics
• Mary, Queen of Scots was a threat to Elizabeth because she was the heir to the English throne and a Catholic, which would reverse Elizabeth's religious settlement
• Mary, Queen of Scots' Declining Power


  Husband the King of France dies, she has to return to Scotland

  2. Scotland has become Protestant, Mary is unpopular as a Catholic queen

  3. Mary is forced to abdicate the Scottish throne in 1567

  4. Mary escapes and flees to England, asking Elizabeth for help
• Mary, Queen of Scots' arrival in England


  Causes the 1569 Revolt of the Northern Earls - Catholic earls aim to depose Elizabeth and replace her with Mary
• Families


  Very important north of England and basically ruled the north of England on behalf of the monarchy
• The families (earls of Northumberland, Westmoreland) were Catholics and lost their power under Elizabeth I, being replaced by Protestants
• In 1569, the earls wanted to rebel to try and get their power back, and saw an opportunity with the arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots
• The earls' rebellion


  1. Marched to Durham

  2. Held a Catholic mass in the cathedral

  3. Appealed to other Catholic nobles in England and foreign countries for help

  4. Expected Spanish troops that did not arrive

  5. Were defeated by a royal army
• 700 of the rebels were executed, but Elizabeth did not execute Mary, Queen of Scots, as she did not want to execute another monarch
• The Pope excommunicated Elizabeth I in response to the executions, but this had limited impact as it was treasonous to share a copy of the excommunication
• After the rebellion, there were no more major rebellions against Elizabeth I, but there were plots to try and murder her
• The Ridolfi Plot of 1571


  1. Involved the Duke of Norfolk, the most powerful nobleman in England

  2. Norfolk was executed for converting to Catholicism and being involved in the plot
• Elizabeth refused to execute Mary, Queen of Scots, even though her Privy Council pressured her to do so, as she believed monarchs were appointed by God and did not want to set a dangerous precedent
• After the Ridolfi Plot, more action was taken against Catholics, including making it treason for Catholic priests to be in England, with the punishment being hanging, drawing and quartering
• Elizabeth refused to marry, which angered her Privy Council, who saw Mary, Queen of Scots, as a threat to Protestantism
• The Bond of Association


  Agreed that if there was any further plot or if Elizabeth was killed, they would ensure that Mary died as well
• The Babington Plot


  1. Discovered early by Elizabeth's spymaster Walsingham

  2. Walsingham let it unravel until he found evidence that Mary was involved

  3. Mary was found guilty and executed in 1587
• The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, marked the end of the threats to Elizabeth I within England, but the start of threats from abroad, particularly from Spain