Studied by 1 person
Part 1
Who was Elizabeth’s mother and what happened to her?
Mother- Anne Boleyn- executed by her father King Henry VIII
Why was Elizabeth herself close to being executed for treason?
She was accused of being involved in plots against her brother Edwards and sister Mary
What was Elizabeth’s character?
Self-reliant, determined, cautious, and very educated
Why did people question her legitimacy (her right to rule)?
She was a woman- they thought ruling a country should be a man’s role
How long did Elizabeth rule for?
45 years (coronated at 25)
1558-1603
How many people are in the Royal Court?
4000
How many courtiers did Elizabeth have and what did they do?
4000
They lived with her and competed for power and influence because the monarch was powerful
What is it called when Elizabeth gave courtiers duties to encourage loyalty?
Patronage
How did Elizabeth prevent a courtier from becoming too powerful?
Used divide and rule, gave courtiers equally powerful jobs which created competition but also loyalty
Who were the Privy Council?
A group of trusted ministers who helped Elizabeth govern England
How many were in the Privy Council and why?
19 members
Elizabeth thought having less people would be more efficient
Why was creating the council a good compromise?
It showed Elizabeth’s skill as a politician
Had people from Mary’s men as well as her own loyal advisors
Who was William Cecil (Lord Burghley)?
Chief Minister
Moderate and cautious
Intelligent and Hard-working
Most powerful minister- correspondence passed through him
Who was Robert Dudley(Earl of Leicester)?
Elizabeth’s favourite
Master of the horse- responsible for Queen’s safety
Committed Puritan
Often disagreed with Cecil about religion and foreign affairs
Ambitious and radical
Who was Sir Francis Walsingham?
Elizabeth’s spymaster
Keen puritan
Secretary of State in foreign affairs
In charge of Elizabeth’s Secret service
Often clashed with Cecil
What is a Royal Progress?
When the Queen and her Court (2000 people) went to stay with powerful nobles
Why did rich nobles like it even though it was very expensive to entertain the Queen and her Court?
They had access to the Queen
How was progress also a propaganda opportunity?
Allowed her to impress her leading nobles with her power and in exchange received banquets and masques to impress her
What was another way to show your loyalty to the Queen?
Have a portrait of her
Her image was strictly controlled, only approved portraits can be used
What powers did Elizabeth have over Parliament?
She had the power to call, dissolve and prorogue (postpone)
Why did Elizabeth see Parliament as a “necessary evil”?
Necessary - she had to get its permission to raise money
Evil- Thought some MPs were troublesome
What was Parliament’s role?
Pass laws
Approve subsidies (grants of money to the Queen)
How many times did Parliament meet during Elizabeth’s 45 year reign?
13
What did the MPs try to do overtime?
Influence her decisions
How did Elizabeth control MPs during her reign?
Reminded them of her royal prerogative- she gets the final say on marriage, religion etc
Sent Wentworth to prison when he said MPs should be allowed to talk freely in the House of Commons about religion
in 1601, granted concessions to MPs on the issue of monopolies(the right to sell a product) this made them raise taxes or give her funding of activities in Ireland
Who were Elizabeth’s potential suitors?
Robert Dudley
King Phillip of Spain
Francis Duke of Anjou
Why was Robert Dudley a good potential successor but why didn’t it happen?
Close friends since childhood
His wife died in 1560 and he wanted to marry Elizabeth
It would have been scandalous as his wife died in suspicious circumstances
Problems with authority in England
Why was King Phillip of Spain a good potential successor but why didn’t it happen?
Phillip had been married to Elizabeth’s sister, Mary
Spain was the most powerful country at the time
Elizabeth rejected him as he was Catholic and she had different religious beliefs
Problems with authority in England
Why was Francis Duke of Anjou a good potential successor but why didn’t it happen?
Younger brother to the king of France
Could create good relations with Catholic France
After the massacre of French Protestants in 1572, strong anti-French feelings in England
Problems with authority in England
How did Elizabeth use her single status of her never marrying to her advantage?
Propaganda portrayed her as a Virgin Queen who was married to her people and country
Why was the 1590s a difficult decade for Elizabeth?
Bad harvests which lead to food shortages
England fighting an expensive war with Spain
Her closest advisors died, Dudley(1588), Walsingham(1590) and Cecil(1598)
No successors to the Throne which made England fear a civil war
Who were the most powerful people after Elizabeth when her closest advisors died?
Robert Devereux-Earl of Essex (Dudley’s Step-son)
Robert Cecil (Cecil’s son)
What happened to the Earl of Essex in 1601?
Elizabeth sent him to Ireland to defeat a rebellion but he made a truce instead- 1599
Elizabeth was furious with him and banned him from Court and removed his monopoly on sweet wine and put him under arrest
He rebelled and marched to London with 300 other disgruntled courtiers and wanted to take Elizabeth, prisoner
However, his route was blocked and then he was arrested and executed for treason later in February 1601- rebellion only lasted 12 hours
What did the failure of the Essex rebellion show?
Despite Elizabeth’s problems she still had loyalty and power
What disease and when did Elizabeth almost die from which made England fear a civil war due to no successors?
1562
Small pox
Note 
Flashcard (22)