Key Topic 1: Queen, Government and Religion (1558-69)

Q: Who was Elizabeth I?

A: Elizabeth I was Queen of England from 1558–1603, succeeding her sister Mary I. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. She never married or had children, and her death in 1603 ended the House of Tudor.

Q: How did Elizabeth deal with religion?

A: Elizabeth created the Church of England and made herself Supreme Governor, forming the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. She was more tolerant than Mary I, but the Pope excommunicated her in 1570, leading to plots against her.

Q: What major plot led to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots?

A: The Babington Plot (1586) led to the execution of Elizabeth’s cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. Other plots included the Throckmorton and Ridolfi plots.

Q: What were key successes in Elizabeth’s foreign policy?

A: Elizabeth balanced France and Spain against each other and sometimes supported Protestant nations like the Netherlands. Her biggest success was defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Q: How did Henry VIII’s divorce create problems for Elizabeth’s legitimacy?

A: Henry VIII wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon, but the Catholic Church banned divorce. He created the Church of England, which allowed divorce, so he could marry Anne Boleyn. Catholics rejected this divorce, meaning they believed Henry’s marriage to Anne was invalid and Elizabeth was illegitimate.

Q: Why did Catholics see Elizabeth as illegitimate?

A: Catholics believed Henry’s first marriage was never ended, so his marriage to Anne Boleyn never truly happened. This meant Elizabeth had no rightful claim to the throne in their eyes.

Q: How did Anne Boleyn’s execution affect Elizabeth’s legitimacy?

A: After Anne Boleyn was executed, Henry VIII had their marriage annulled (declared invalid). This meant Elizabeth was officially declared illegitimate because her claim depended on that marriage.

Q: Who was at the top of Elizabethan social structure?

A: At the top was the Monarch, followed by the nobility and gentry, who owned large amounts of land. Below them were the yeomen, who owned land but less than the nobility and gentry.

Q: Who made up the lower levels of Elizabethan society?

A:

• Tenant farmers — rented land from yeomen or gentry

• Labouring poor — owned no land

• Homeless and vagrants — at the very bottom of society

Q: How did social structure differ between towns and the countryside?

A: In the countryside, status was mainly based on land ownership. In towns, status depended more on money, with the wealthy at the top and the poor at the bottom.

Q: What was the role of Court in Elizabethan government?

A: Court was a central part of Elizabethan government, centred around the Queen. It provided advice and entertainment for the monarch.

Q: Who could be part of the Royal Court?

A: Being part of Court was a great honour granted by the Queen. It included the Queen, key household members, and important nobles, and sometimes visiting ambassadors or foreign monarchs.

Q: How did Court operate alongside Elizabeth I?

A: The Court travelled with the Queen wherever she stayed, following her across the country.

Q: Who was in the House of Lords and House of Commons?

A: The House of Lords included nobles, bishops, and other clergy. The House of Commons contained representatives of the common people.

Q: What was the main function of Parliament under Elizabeth I?

A: Its main role was dealing with financial matters, especially agreeing to taxes, particularly to pay for wars when needed.

Q: How much power did Parliament have compared to Elizabeth I?

A: Parliament could advise the Queen, but Elizabeth often ignored its advice. Parliament only met when she called it and was dismissed when she decided. During her 44-year reign, she called Parliament only 13 times.

Q: What was the Privy Council in Elizabethan England?

A: The Privy Council was a core group of nobles who acted as Elizabeth I’s main advisors and key members of government.

Q: What were the main duties of the Privy Council?

A: The Council advised the Queen, helped her make decisions, and carried out her wishes. It could make government decisions without Elizabeth present, but she could overturn any of them.

Q: How often did the Privy Council meet?

A: At the start of Elizabeth’s reign it met about once a week, but by the end it met almost every day, showing its growing importance.

Q: Who was Sir William Cecil and why was he important?

A: Sir William Cecil was Elizabeth’s Secretary of State. He was highly trusted and gave strong support and advice to Elizabeth throughout much of her reign.

Q: What were Lord Lieutenants responsible for in Elizabethan England?

A: Lord Lieutenants were part of local government and were responsible for organising and maintaining the local militia (defence forces).They trained local defence forces and ensured the Queen’s wishes were carried out locally.

: How did the threat of the Spanish Armada affect Lord Lieutenants?

A: In 1588, the threat of invasion led Elizabeth to ensure every county had a Lord Lieutenant so England would be better prepared for defence.

Q: What was the role of Justices of the Peace in Elizabethan England?

A: They were key members of local government responsible for maintaining law and order in the counties. The role was voluntary but considered a great honour. Their powers increased and eventually included collecting fines, imprisoning crime suspects, and bringing arrested people to the Assizes courts to be tried.

Q: Why was France seen as a danger to England?

A: France was an old enemy with a larger population and more money than England, and it was allied with Scotland, England’s other main enemy.

Q: How did Mary, Queen of Scots increase the French threat?

A: Mary, Queen of Scots was married to the French king and was Elizabeth’s cousin. She had a claim to the English throne, making France more dangerous politically.

Q: Why did some people support Mary, Queen of Scots instead of Elizabeth?

A: After Mary I died in 1558, Mary, Queen of Scots claimed she was the rightful Queen of England. Many English Catholics supported her claim.

Q: What is Protestantism?.

A: Protestantism is a form of Christianity that rejects the authority of the Pope and aims to make religion more accessible, including having the Bible and church services in English

Q: What was Elizabeth I’s religious background?

A: Elizabeth was born and raised a Protestant. During this period, Protestants and Catholics competed to establish their faith as the true religion.

Q: What were some core Protestant beliefs about church leadership and forgiveness?

A:

• The Church is led by the Monarch, not the Pope

• Only God can forgive sins, not priests

• Priests are allowed to marry

Q: What are Catholic churches and priests like?

A: Churches are decorated with bright, bold colours. Priests wear vestments and are forbidden to marry.

Q: When and why did Puritanism appear in England?

A: It began shortly after Elizabeth I became Queen, when it became safe to return after Mary I’s Catholic rule. Puritans opposed church leaders and wanted beliefs based directly on the Bible.

Q: What did Puritans believe about religion and how people should live?

A:

• Humans are naturally sinful and must live strictly religious lives to reach heaven

• No excess: no drunkenness, extravagant clothes, theatre, or even reading for pleasure

• Marriage: men head of household, women humble and submissive

Q: What was the Religious Settlement and why was it introduced?

A: It was Elizabeth I’s attempt to unite England after the religious changes under Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. It aimed to settle the divide between Catholics and Protestants and standardise church services and beliefs.

Q: What had Mary I done to religion in England?

A: Mary I reintroduced Catholicism and overturned Henry VIII’s Supremacy Acts.

Q: What did the Act of Supremacy 1559 do?

A: It made Elizabeth Supreme Governor of the Church of England and ensured the Roman Catholic Church had no control over England’s church.

Q: What did the Act of Uniformity 1559 do?

A: It reintroduced the Book of Common Prayer, standardised church services, detailed church interiors, and set rules for what priests should wear.

Q: Was the Religious Settlement successful?

A: It faced several challenges, showing it was not popular with everyone. However, it was a key attempt to solve religious division in England and created a Church that lasted Elizabeth’s reign.

Q: Why were Puritans unhappy with Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement?

A: Puritans believed it did not go far enough, as Elizabeth had sacrificed too much to Catholics. They wanted a radical Puritan Church with all Catholic elements removed.

: What are vestments in the church?

A: Vestments are the clothing priests wear during services, including the surplice, a white robe worn over the cassock.

Q: What was the Vestment Controversy?

A: Puritan priests refused to wear the surplice, seeing it as a Catholic symbol, even though the Act of Uniformity 1559 made it law.

: How did Elizabeth deal with Puritan priests refusing to wear vestments?

A: Initially she ignored it, but in 1565 she ordered Archbishop Parker to enforce the law. Priests refusing the surplice risked losing their jobs or being arrested.