History - Elizabethan England

Elizabeth’s Powers

What was the order of the Elizabethan hierarchy?

God → Elizabeth →nobles and bishops → gentry (knights, lawyers, merchants) → everyone else

Elizabeth’s Powers

What was patronage?

The system where Elizabeth would distribute rewards such as titles, monopolies and official jobs to her most favoured courtiers, ensuring their loyalty and reminding them of her importance.

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Why was this system so important?

Elizabeth relied on influential nobles to keep the peace and inform her of the mood among the people. The nobles also relied heavily on having her favour, since if they did, they could more easily build a network of their own supporters to keep their lands and wealth secure.

Elizabeth was quite generous with her use of patronage as she wanted to keep support of all factions of Court, to prevent any of them joining up or plotting to increase their power.

Elizabeth’s Powers

What was the Court?

A gathering of nobles and higher gentry favoured by the Queen, who met in whichever of Elizabeth’s palaces she was staying in. Courtiers were loyal and vied for her favour in return for patronage. It was a way for Elizabeth to show off her power and project a positive image of herself to her people.

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How was Court a glamorous spectacle?

→ There would be dances, plays and musical performances

→Great feasts in the Banqueting House

→Open-air sermons in the courtyard

→ Jousting tournaments

→ Hunting expeditions

Elizabeth was highly educated and genuinely interested in art, religion, dance and sport. Loved to be seen dancing and heard talking to her ambassadors in their own language, and prided herself in her ability to ride and hunt. In this way Court was carefully designed to show off her vast array of talents to her people

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What was the Privy Chamber?

Elizabeth’s own rooms which were at the centre of Court. She spent most of her leisure time here talking, reading, playing cards etc with a small group of ladies in waiting from favoured nobility, who had to show complete loyalty.

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What was the Privy Council?

A group of Elizabeth’s most trusted advises who helped her govern the country and make important decisions on trade, finance, law enforcement and defence.

She had full power to reject their suggestions, and cleverly appointed councillors with different viewpoints to give herself the choice between them.

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Who were her Secretaries of State?

Sir Francis Walsingham (1572-90)

→ strong Puritan, wanted to speedily repress English Catholics who were ‘a threat to national security → firmly believed he was a servant of the state, not of the Queen, never tried to flatter or charm her and often used Parliament and courtiers to pressurise her into making decisions

→ she valued his loyalty and attitude towards work, respected his honest advice but got enraged when he spoke too directly or was impatient. Didn’t warm to him as a person and showed no signs of grief when he died.

Sir William Cecil (1558-72 and 1590-98)

→ moderate Protestant, but more ready to repress the Catholics than her and wanted to avoid foreign religious disputes that could lead to expensive war

→ more charming than Walsingham, but similarly tried to use Parliament and courtiers to change her mind on matters, like the execution of MQS

→very close with Elizabeth; she wept bitterly at his death and turned to his son Robert as new SoS

Both well-educated lawyers from gentry families; Elizabeth believed highly educated gentry were better at government matters than nobility.

Elizabeth’s Powers

Rebellion of the Earl of Essex, 1601 (part 1)

Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, arrived in court in 1584 and soon became the Queen’s new favourite, spending hours with him in the Royal Household talking and playing cards. He frequently angered her, like when he joined an attack on Lisbon or married without permission, but forgiven both times; 1593 his military skill won him a spot in Privy Council

In the 1590s, there was a power struggle; Robert Cecil expected to be next SoS but Essex wanted the role. She gave the role to Cecil, and Essex was so outraged he built an opposition faction at court. In 1598, she was favouring Cecil in a meeting and Essex rudely turned his back on her - she punched him, and he almost drew his sword on her, but stormed out.

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Rebellion of the Earl of Essex, 1601 (part 2

In 1599, he failed to crush a rebellion in Ireland in an attempt to win the Queen’s favour, but had the audacity to still knight some followers in her name. She sent him a rebuke, and so upon his return he forced his way into her bedchambers; she banned him from court and took away his government jobs.

For years he had been working to win the favour of the next in line, James VI of Scotland, and tried to threaten Elizabeth to give him back his wealth and power or give up her throne. She sent 4 privy councillors to arrest him, but he locked them in his house and took to the streets with his 300 supporters; but, the rebellion collapsed when the mass did not join in. He was arrested, and beheaded for treason.

Elizabeth’s Powers

What was Parliament composed of?

1. The monarch, who only appeared herself on rare occasions, as well as her SoS

2. The House of Lords, who were nobles and bishops

3. The House of Commons, who were selected members of the gentry

Parliament had to approve if Elizabeth wanted to make major changes to the laws, introduce new punishment or raise new taxes.

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How did Elizabeth control Parliament?

→ Set stricts limit on what could be discussed - insisted they shouldn’t talk of the succession, her marriage, foreign policy or religion.

→ Local lords were expected to ensure ‘suitable’ MPs were chosen

→ Several Privy Councillors served as MPs in the House of Commons and others in the House of Lords

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Puritan Opposition in Parliament

→ Wanted Elizabeth to marry a Protestant prince and name a Protestant successor

→ Wanted Elizabeth to change the way church was organised, following Presbyterianism (leaders elected by the locals)

→ Insisted MPs were free to discuss any matters they liked in Parliament without fear of arrest or punishment

This was a problem as they were openly disobeying her wishes on what not to speak of and challenging her power

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Opposition over religion

→ 1560s Vestiarian Controversy, Puritan clergy were refusing to wear decorated surplices as they believed them to be Catholic superstitions. Puritan MPs tried to bring the matter to Parliament and introduce bills to officially remove the Vestments - Elizabeth was fuming as this directly challenged her Royal Prerogative - she ordered bishops to enforce the wearing of the surplices at the risk of the clergies’ jobs

→ In 1576 Puritan MP Peter Wentworth complained that MPs weren’t allowed to talk freely - he was imprisoned for a month for this as it was seen as a challenge to Elizabeth’s power. In 93 he urged Elizabeth to reassure her people by naming a Protestant successor, she was again furious at his intrusion and imprisoned him again where he later died, showcasing her power and creating an example for other outspoken MPs

Elizabeth’s Powers

Opposition over money

MPs were angry at how Elizabeth rewarded monopolies in the patronage system, as giving one person full rights over a good would raise its’ price, which was damaging to the economy.

In 1601 she agreed to this and accepted that she had to cancel some monopolies, showing that despite her temper and punishment to hose who challenged her prerogative, she could be compliant for to Parliament for the good of her people when they stayed within their confines