Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588 Vocabulary

Privy Council

A group of 20 noblemen who discussed issues, advised Queen Elizabeth I, and ensured her wishes were carried out.

Divine Right

The belief that a monarch's right to rule came directly from God.

Illegitimate

A term used regarding a monarch or heir born outside a recognized legal marriage, implying they had no legitimate right to rule.

Catholic

A form of Christianity that dominated Europe until the 16th century whose followers recognize the Pope as head of the Church.

Protestant

A form of Christianity that emerged in the 16th century as a challenge to Catholicism, whose followers do not follow the Pope.

Puritan

Extreme Protestants who wanted a very simple form of worship with no distractions or lingering Catholic elements.

Clergy

People who have been trained and approved for carrying out religious services in the Church, such as priests.

Papacy

The system of Church government ruled by the Pope.

Succession

The issue or process of determining who would inherit the throne after the current monarch died.

Secretary of State

The most important person on the Privy Council who supervised all government business and was closest to the queen.

Recusant

A Catholic who was unwilling to attend the official Elizabethan Protestant Church services.