Elizabethan England

• 1558 - 


  Elizabeth became queen. although faced hardship because: religion, patriarchy, her mother being beheaded, enemy countries, her cousin (Mary QoS), she had no husband or heir, Britains failed economy
• 1533 - 


  Elizabeth was born, to Anne Boleyn much to Henry's disgust: he wanted a boy
• Progresses


  Elizabeth would travel to be seen by her subjects, 400 wagons piled with clothes, linen, documents etc, wherever she went she was almost a goddess
• Patronage


  Elizabeth offered favouritism to those who served her and gave particular men jobs, which established loyalty and prevented her from being overtaken by her workers, by creating competition between them and not her
• Performance


  Elizabeth liked to impress and magnify the mystique of the monarchy and did so by holding banquets, balls, musical performances, plays and tournaments, these all acted as subtle propaganda which glorified her position
• William Cecil


  made Lord Burghley in 1571, attended the House of Commons and was a skillful parliamentary manager
• Francis Walsingham


  entered parliament as MP in 1558, had abilities in foreign languages and was an efficient spymaster, controlling a network of informers at home and abroad
• Robert Dudley


  became part of the privy council in 1562, childhood friend and favourite of Elizabeth, spent several years locked in te Tower of London, much like Elizabeth
• Christopher Hatton


  impressed Elizabeth with his dancing and he was promoted
• Elizabeth's suitors


  -Phillip 11 of Spain

  -Christopher Hatton

  -Robert Dudley

  -Duke of Anjou and Alencon
• Reasons for Elizabeth's marriage

  -a foreign alliance would make a powerful alliance

  -she must provide an heir to carry on the Tudor lineage

  -most potential suitors were Catholic, which would allow an alliance
• Reasons against Elizabeth's marriage

  -would limit her freedom

  -rejecting other countries would make potential enemies

  -her father's marriages worked out badly

  -her sister's marriage caused rebellion

  -power would be shared (or taken)

  -most suitors were Catholic which may cause rebellion
• 1562


  Elizabeth almost died of smallpox, which made the privy council worried about the lack of an heir
• 1566


  Parliament began to discuss potential suitors, behind Elizabeth's back and she saw this as an unacceptable interference and banned Parliament from discussing it
• 1559


  Philip II proposed
• 1560


  Dudley's wife suspiciously died
• 1567


  Charles Holy Roman Emperor was rejected
• 1581


  The Duke of Alencon and Anjou proposed
• 1603


  Elizabeth died, and was succeeded by James VI of Scotland and for the first time in British History, the entire British island was ruled by a single monarch