elizabeth unit two

• Mary Queen of Scots


  Arrived in England in 1568 after being forced out of Scotland on accusations of murdering her second husband, Lord Darnley
• Darnley became convinced Mary was having an affair with her secretary, Rizzio


  Darnley had Rizzio stabbed to death
• In 1567 Darnley was murdered


  By Mary's friend the Earl of Bothwell
• Mary then married Bothwell


  A few months later
• The Scottish nobles rebelled and forced Mary to abdicate in favour of her three year old son, James
• In 1568 Mary escaped and fled to England
• Mary's imprisonment


  Elizabeth imprisoned her instead of helping her win back the throne of Scotland
• Elizabeth faced a very difficult decision about what to do with Mary
• Reasons why Mary, Queen of Scots was a threat to Elizabeth


  • She was a Catholic
  • She had a clear claim to the throne
  • She had a son
  • There was no easy solution to the 'problem of Mary'
  • She was ruthless
• Catholic religion did not recognise divorce

  Catholics claimed Elizabeth was illegitimate and Mary was the real heir to the throne
• When Mary had married the heir to the French throne, France declared Elizabeth a 'bastard' and said that Mary was the rightful queen</b>
• Spain also supported Mary's claim to the English throne
• If Elizabeth had married and provided an heir

  Mary's claim to the throne would have been weakened
• Elizabeth chose not to marry and this meant that when she died the throne would pass to Mary or her son James
• There were many Catholics in England who were willing to help Mary escape
• Elizabeth lived in constant fear that England's Catholics might break Mary out of prison as part of a plan to depose her
• Mary was cunning and ruthless - she was prepared to do anything to get what she wanted
• In 1570, the Pope had excommunicated Elizabeth
• Ridolfi Plot 1571


  Roberto Ridolfi was an Italian banker who carried messages between Mary, Queen of Scots, the Duke of Alba in the Netherlands, the Pope and King Philip of Spain to organise an invasion, overthrow Elizabeth and make Mary queen
• The Duke of Norfolk was put on trial and executed in 1572 for his involvement in the Ridolfi Plot
• A new law was passed and anyone who claimed Elizabeth was not the rightful Queen could be executed
• Throckmorton Plot 1583


  Francis Throckmorton carried letters between Mary, Queen of Scots and the French and Spanish ambassadors. The plan was for Spain to fund an invasion by the French Duke of Guise at the same time as a Catholic revolt in the north of England to free Mary and replace Elizabeth
• Throckmorton was executed and the Spanish ambassador expelled from England
• In 1584, the Bond of Association was passed by Elizabeth's government. It said that if Elizabeth's life were under threat, Mary, Queen of Scots would be executed
• Babington Plot 1586


  Anthony Babington planned to murder Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. Catholicism would then be restored
• Babington and six other plotters were arrested and executed for treason
• Mary, Queen of Scots was put on trial and found guilty of plotting to take Elizabeth's life
• Elizabeth eventually signed the death warrant and Mary was beheaded in February 1587
• The execution of Mary Queen of Scots removed a long standing Catholic threat and there were no more major plots in England following her execution
• The execution angered other countries and made the possibility of war with Spain even greater
• Spain had already begun its plans for an invasion and had begun assembling a vast armada even before Mary's death
• Reasons why England and Spain went to war in 1585

  • Religious differences
  • King Philip of Spain's dislike of Elizabeth's Protestant Church
  • Philip's involvement in Catholic plots against Elizabeth
  • Philip's worry that Mary, Queen of Scots would take England into an alliance with France
• King Philip of Spain was a strong Catholic who regarded Elizabeth's Protestant Church as a great evil
• In 1571, the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth and called for Catholic monarchs to act, but Philip did nothing
• Philip was happy to stir up trouble in England through the Spanish Ambassador's involvement in Catholic plots against Elizabeth
• Armada


  Massive navy built by Spain to launch an invasion of England
• Spain's attempt to invade England with its Armada

  1588
• 5 main reasons for the Spanish Armada invasion

  • Religious differences
  • Privateering
  • Failed plots
  • Belief in Elizabeth's weakness
  • Desire to remove Protestant Queen Elizabeth
• Religious differences


  Massive religious differences between Spain and England, with Spain being strongly Catholic and wanting to return England to Catholicism
• Philip thought it was his life's work to return countries to the Catholic faith