Queen, Government and Religion, 1558-1569

• 1. What was the Privy Council?

  • The Privy Council was a group of around twenty of the Queen's most trusted counsellors - they advised her on all aspects of government and ensured her wishes were carried out
  • They were expected to obey her orders even if they disagreed with her
• 2. Elizabeth was the most powerful figure in Elizabethan England - everyone was expected to be loyal to the Queen and obey her
• 3. What was the role of parliament?

  • Parliament was made up of members of the nobility and the gentry
  • The Queen needed Parliament's consent to pass new laws or raise taxes
  • Parliament only met when the Queen summoned it - Elizabeth tried avoiding it - she only called Parliament 13 times during her 44-year reign
• 4. What was the role of Nobility and Gentry?

  • The Queen relied on members of the nobility and gentry to enforce law and order throughout the country
  • Local government posts like Justices of the Peace and sheriff were unpaid, but many men volunteered in order to increase their local power and influence
  • Justices of the peace were particularly important - they enforced the law, provided for the poor and ensured roads and bridges were maintained
• 5. What was patronage?

  • Elizabeth used patronage to ensure the support of the nobility and gentry - this often involve handing out titles and offices that gave the holders a source of income
  • Elizabeth distributed the patronage widely to ensure that no-one felt left out- this helped to ensure political stability
• 6. What were the gentry?

  • The gentry were part of the social elite in Elizabethan England, below the level of nobility
  • Member of the gentry were people who owned land and lived off the income it provided - they didn't have to do other work to survive
• 7. Why were there social and economic divisions in 1558?

  • England's population had been rising steadily since around 1500 - most people lived and worked in rural areas, but towns and cities were growing rapidly - London was the largest and most important city
  • The economy was dominated by agriculture, but farming practices were changing - the export of woollen cloth to Europe was very important to the economy, but merchants were also starting to explore trade with the Americas and Asia
• 8. Why were there social and economic divisions? (2)

  • Elizabethan society was dominated by a small, land-owning aristocracy of nobility and gentry - there was also a growing number of wealth men who earned their living as lawyers or merchants
  • There was great inequality, and the divide between rich and poor was growing - poverty became a major problem in Elizabethan England
• 9. Who was Elizabeth I?

  • Elizabeth was Henry VIII's second child, the daughter of his second wife, Anne Boleyn
  • As a child, she was third in line to the throne (behind Edward VI and Mary I) so no-one really expected her to become queen
  • Elizabeth had a difficult upbringing and sometimes feared for her life - in 1554, she was accused of conspiring against her half-sister Mary, and placed under house arrest for almost a year
• 10. Who was Elizabeth I? (2)

  • Elizabeth was very cautious and only trusted a few close advisers
  • She could be very indecisive - she was reluctant to make decisions without carefully considering their possible consequences
  • She was intelligent, confident and very well educated
  • Despite having little training in how to govern, she became a powerful and effective leader
• 11. Elizabeth's illegitimacy:

  • In 1533, Henry VIII had deforced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and married Anne Boleyn - divorce was forbidden in the Catholic Church, so many Catholics believed Henry's marriage to Anne was not valid and their daughter, Elizabeth, was illegitimate
  • When Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn was dissolved and Anne was executed in 1536, Henry declared Elizabeth as illegitimate - although Henry later changed his mind about this, some Protestants still questioned Elizabeth's legitimacy
• 12. Why was Elizabeth's illegitimacy a problem for Elizabeth?

  • The issue of Elizabeth's legitimacy weakened her claim to the throne and allowed others, especially Mary, Queen of Scots to claim that they had more right to rule
• 13. Why did Elizabeth being a woman hinder her power?

  • In the 16th century, most people believed the monarch should be a man - they thought that rule by a woman was unnatural
  • The violence and chaos of Mary I's reign had reinforced people's belief that women could not rule successfully
  • Most people expected Elizabeth to act as a figurehead, without any real power - they thought she should let her male counsellors take control or find a husband to govern for her
  • Elizabeth was determined to rule in her own right and refused to let her counsellors take over
• 14. Why was Elizabeth expected to Marry and produce Heir?

  • Because people believed women couldn't rule effectively, there was pressure for Elizabeth to find a husband who could rule for her
  • There were also concerns about the succession - if Elizabeth died without an heir, there would be a risk of civil war, with different groups competing for the throne - to prevent this, Elizabeth was expected to marry and produce an heir as quickly as possible
  • Elizabeth was reluctant to marry - women had to obey their husbands, so she would lose her power and freedom, she became known as the 'Virgin Queen'
• 15. Why else was Elizabeth reluctant to marry a husband?

  • Choosing a husband could create serious political problems - if Elizabeth chose a member of the English nobility, this would create anger and resentment among those who weren't chosen
  • If she married a European prince or king, this could give a foreign country too much control over England
• 16. What financial difficulties did Elizabeth face?

  • Under King Edward VI, huge sums of money were spent on wars in Scotland
  • Queen Mary I had also spent too much money - as a result, Elizabeth inherited enormous debts when she became queen
  • The taxation system was old-fashioned and ineffective - while ordinary people faced high taxes, it was common that members of the nobility and gentry had to pay less taxes than they owed
  • England was suffering high levels of inflation - this meant that prices were rising, while wages stayed the same or fell - the poor and urban citizens were affected most
• 17. Why was Elizabeth reluctant to reform the tax system?

  • Elizabeth was reluctant to reform the tax system and raise taxes because she feared it would upset the nobility and gentry who supported her government
• 18. Elizabeth quickly ended the war with France:

  • In 1557, Mary I took England to war with France - she did this to support her husband, Philip II of Spain, who was already fighting the French
  • The war was not a success - in January 1558, the French conquered Calais, England's last remaining territory on the European mainland - this made it more difficult for the English to control the Channel, and increased the risk of a French invasion
  • When Elizabeth became queen in November, she wanted to end the war with France as quickly as possible - peace agreed in 1559
• 19. Why did Elizabeth try to avoid conflict throughout her reign?

  • Throughout her reign, Elizabeth tried to avoid foreign wars - a policy partly influenced by England's financial weakness - she feared that raising taxes to pay for a war would be unpopular and might fuel opposition to her rule
• 20. The threat of the French to Elizabeth:

  • When Elizabeth became queen, Scotland was controlled by France's Catholic royal family and there were many French troops in the country - however, French rule was unpopular with many Scots
  • In April 1558 Mary Queen of Scots married the heir to the French throne - as Catholics, the French royal family disliked Elizabeth, and wanted England to be ruled by a Catholic - Mary's marriage increased the risk the French might invade from Scotland to try to put her on the English throne
• 21. How did the threat of the French decrease? (1)

  • In the late 1550s, Scottish Protestants, led by the preacher John Knox, rebelled against French rule - they appealed to England for support, and in 1560 English troops and ships were sent to help them
  • The French were defeated and forced to leave Scotland - the departure of the French, combined with the death of Mary's French husband in December 1560, greatly reduced the threat of invasion
• 22. How did the threat of the French decrease? (2)

  • The French Wars of Religion began in 1562 and continued until 1598
  • This long period of civil war between Catholics and Protestants weakened France and largely removed the threat of a French invasion for the rest of the 16th century
• 23. How did the Protestant Reformation create religious divisions?

  • The Protestant Reformation began in Germany in the early 16th century and gradually spread across Europe - Reformers challenged many Catholic beliefs and practises
  • The Protestant reformers believed Christians were saved by faith, not by good deeds
  • They questioned the authority of the Pope
  • They translated the Bible from Latin into languages that ordinary people could understand
  • They thought churches should be plain and simple, unlike highly decorated Catholic churches
• 24. Henry VIII's role in religious change:

  • Until the 1530s, England was a Catholic country, and most people were Catholics
  • In the early 1530s, Henry VIII divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon - the Pope refused to accept the divorce, and so Henry broke away from the Roman Catholic Church - he rejected the Pope's authority and made himself head of the Church of England
  • Henry did not support the Protestant Reformation - he didn't try to reform the English Church and make it Protestant, so Catholic beliefs and practices remained largely unchanged
• 25. Edward VI's role in religious change:

  • Edward VI was a strong supporter of Protestantism and tried to reform the Catholic Church
  • He made churches and church services simpler - statues and decorations were removed from churches and priests weren't allowed to wear their elaborate Catholic vestments
  • A new, Protestant prayer book was issued, and church services were held in English, not Latin
• 26. Mary I's role in religious change:

  • Queen Mary I was a devout Catholic - she restored the Pope as head of the English Church, removed Edward's Protestant reforms and brought back Catholic beliefs and practices
  • Under Mary, Protestants were harshly persecuted - more than 280 people were executed for their beliefs, and hundreds more (known as Marian exiles) fled to Protestant countries in Europe
• 27. Elizabeth wanted Religious Stability:

  • Elizabeth I had been raised as a Protestant - although she hid her beliefs during Mary's reign to avoid being imprisoned, she was deeply religious and committed to Protestantism
  • Elizabeth had seen the turmoil caused by Edward VI's extreme Protestant reforms and the violence of Mary I's Catholic restoration - she wanted to end the constant religious changes of the last 30 years by creating a stable and lasting religious settlement
• 28. The Act of Supremacy

  • In the Act of Supremacy, Elizabeth changed the title of Supreme Head of the Church of England (used by predecessors) to Supreme Governor of the English Church - this gave her control without explicitly describing her as 'head' which would have satisfied those who didn't think a female leader fit to lead the Church
  • Churchmen required to swear Oath of Supremacy - recognising the Queen as supreme governor and promised loyalty to her
  • Most parish priests took the oath apart from one Catholic bishop, who was replaced with a Protestant one who had been a Marian exile
• 29. The Act of Uniformity and Royal Injunction reforms:

  • The Act of Uniformity and the Royal Injunctions were both passed in 1559 and imposed moderate Protestant reforms on the English Church, and also made concessions to English Catholics
  • The reforms were:
  • Going to church was compulsory - there were fines for missing a church service
  • A new Book of Common Prayer was issued, which had to be used in all churches
  • All parishes had to have a copy of the Bible in English
• 30. The Act of Uniformity and Royal Injunction Concessions:

  • The Act of Uniformity and the Royal Injunctions were both passed in 1559 and imposed moderate Protestant reforms on the English Church, and also made concessions to English Catholics
  • The concessions were:
  • The wording of the communion service (an important Christian service) was kept deliberately vague, so that it could be accepted by both Protestants and Catholics
  • Churches were allowed to keep some decorations, and priests had to wear certain Catholic vestments
• 31. How was the Religious settlement enforced?

  • Elizabeth wanted everyone in England to conform to her religious settlement
  • Royal commissioners were ordered to visit churches throughout the country to ensure that the Acts and Injunctions were being enforced
• 32. The aims of the religious settlement:

  • The Elizabethan religious settlement made England a Protestant country, but allowed some elements of Catholic belief and practise to continue
  • This clever 'middle way' was designed to satisfy the majority of the population, who held moderate religious beliefs and were willing to make some compromises for the sake of peace and stability
• 33. How did the Church play an important role in English society?

  • Senior churchmen were involved in government - all bishops held a seat in the House of Lords, and the Archbishop of Canterbury was usually a member of the Privy Council
  • Parish priests were often the most educated people in their communities, which made them respected and influential figures
  • As well as providing religious guidance, they gave advice, helped resolve disputes and provided charitable support for the poor and elderly
  • The Church helped promote national unity and obedience to the Queen - including praying
• 34. How were Puritans a challenge to the Religious Settlement?

  • As extreme Protestants, the settlement was only a first step and wanted Elizabeth to further remove all traces of Catholicism from the Church
  • Many Puritans had been Marian exiles - while in exile they came into contact with leading Protestant reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin
  • The Vestment Controversy of the 1560s was a challenge - Puritan priests refused to wear the surplice (white Catholic vestments)
  • In 1965 Elizabeth ordered the Archbishop of Canterbury to enforce - refusal led to loss of jobs or imprisonment
• 35. How did the Catholic Nobility pose a threat to the settlement?

  • A large proportion of the nobility were still Catholic - the compromises in the religious settlement won some of them around, but others refused to attend church services (recusants)
  • The Catholic nobility were influential outside the south-east - they used their strong local power to protect Catholics and maintain their traditional religious practices
  • They posed a threat to the settlement since there was a risk they might try to overthrow Elizabeth, restoring Catholicism
• 36. How did Elizabeth minimise the threat of the Catholic nobility to the religious settlement?

  • Elizabeth did not force the Catholic nobility to attend church services - as long as they didn't make a public show of their beliefs, they were allowed to continue practising Catholicism
  • However, the threat posed by the Catholic nobility became more serious when Mary, Queen of Scots arrived in England in 1568
• 37. Why did Spain and France not threaten the Religious Settlement?

  • There was risk that either France or Spain could try and replace Elizabeth with a Catholic leader, reversing the settlement, however:
  • The threat of French invasion was serious in the first years of Elizabeth's reign, but faded with the start of the Wars of Religion
  • in the 1560s, Spain was facing a growing revolt in the Netherlands - to prevent an alliance forming between England and the Protestant Netherlands, Spain tried to stay on good terms with Elizabeth and avoided challenging her religious settlement
• 38. The Catholic aspects of the religious settlement encouraged Catholic countries and even the Pope to think that Elizabeth might actually return to Catholicism - this helped to reduce the threat of a foreign challenge during the early years of the settlement
• 39. Why was the Pope not a threat to the Religious Settlement?

  • The Pope had the power to excommunicate Elizabeth (expel her from the Catholic Church) - this might encourage Catholic countries to invade England - it could also encourage rebellion within England by releasing Elizabeth's Catholic subjects from their duty of loyalty to her
  • However, neither France nor Spain had the military resources to invade England, and there was no clear support for a revolt against Elizabeth at home, so the Pope didn't take any action against her in the 1560s
• 40. Who was Mary, Queen of Scots?

  • Mary was the only child of James V of Scotland - she was related to the Tudors by her grandmother, Margaret Tudor - Margaret was Henry VIII's sister
  • As a granddaughter of Margaret, she had a strong claim to the English throne - because Mary was Catholic, her claim was supported by many English Catholics
  • Mary became Queen of Scotland in 1542 when she was just six days old - her mother acted as regent, while Mary was raised in France
  • In 1558, when Mary was 15 years old, she married the heir to the French throne - he died in 1560, Mary returned to Scotland