Parliament’s and Elizabeth’s relationship

Which houses are Parliament made up of?

The House of Commons and the House of Lords

What sort of people are in the House of Commons?

‘Common’ people - though in reality, in Elizabethan England, most of these were highly privileged, wealthy and educated

What sort of people were in the House of Lords?

Lords, bishops and other members of the nobility

Who are the nobility?

Those who possess land and a title

What were Parliament responsible for?

Passing laws and granting taxes

What did Elizabeth use taxes for?

Her personal income

In what way did the Queen have more power than Parliament?

She could set their agenda (decide what they discussed) and chose when they met

In what way did Parliament have more power than the Queen?

They could refuse to grant her taxes, forcing her to behave as they liked, otherwise she wouldn’t have an income

How many times did Parliament meet in Elizabeth’s 45 year reign?

13 times, for an average of 3 weeks a year

How did Elizabeth control Parliament?

She had many of her Privy Councillors in Parliament, able to help control the proceedings

How did Parliament get involved with Elizabeth’s marriage?

Some MPs thought that marriage and having children would secure Elizabeth’s position and line of succession, thus contributing to the safety of England

What was Elizabeth’s reaction to Parliament’s discussions about marriage?

She forbade them from discussing it, as she said that it was a private matter and an inconvenient time to discuss it

How did Parliament get involved with the religion of England?

Elizabeth wanted to instate a ‘Middle Way’ to allow some Catholic worship whilst also supporting Elizabeth’s belief in Protestantism and the Church of England. Puritan MPs disagreed wholeheartedly with this (as Puritans wanted to completely destroy the Catholic faith).

How did Elizabeth react to Parliament’s discussions about religion?

She forbade them from mentioning it since Puritan MPs threatened to not pass her tax requests

How was Parliament involved in freedom of speech?

Peter Wentworth complained that MPs weren’t given freedom of speech

How did Elizabeth react to Wentworth’s complaint?

She sent him to the Tower of London for a month

How was Parliament involved in monopolies?

Many MPs disagreed with Elizabeth granting monopolies, as it increased the price of that good through inflation, and granted Elizabeth money - they thought that monopolies were unfair and were being abused

What happened to monopolies?

Some MPs protested against them, and threatened to not grant her taxes, so Elizabeth removed some, but not all

What is a monopoly?

A document which gave one noble or merchant the right to manufacture and sell a particular good

What is the benefit of monopolies?

They were supposed to promote businesses and boost England’s economy

What is the drawback of monopolies?

They caused inflation, so the price of that good rose

Did Parliament gain in influence throughout Elizabeth’s reign?

Yes, as they controlled taxes