queen from 1558 – 1603
Early life–
- Daughter of anne boleyn
- Disappointed henry who wanted a son
- Taken under the wing of catherine parr
- Raised protestant
- Legitimised by the 1544 succession act
- Thomas seymour– somerset’s brother groomed her
- Spent time in prison due to her role as a ‘figurehead’ in rebellions
Consolidation of power–
- Phillip ii of spain was among the first leaders to recognise her legitimacy
- Elizabeth eased her ascension by accepting the help of Mary’s
councillors like Heath
- Mary’s death was announced and parliament were not dissolved on
Mary’s death which showed that the political elites were on the side of
elizabeth
- 9 of Mary’s catholic ministers pledged support
- Cecil made principal secretary lasted 40 years
- Elizabeth made few new appointments– kept mary’s old councillors
guessing to secure loyalty
- Elizabeth took part in pageants to show herself to her subjects
- She was crowned and anointed by a catholic bishop
- Phillip ii even offered to marry elizabeth
- Mary Queen of Scots was second in line to the throne– made phillip
eager to keep elizabeth onside as Mary Queen of Scots was french and
an enemy
Government–
- Parliament never allowed to sit for more than 10 weeks
- Floor managers in parliament such as Hatton
- By 1600 there were 50 Jp’s per county
- 1585 position of lord lieutenant– temporary measure under henry viii–
made permanent to oversee work of JPs.
- Careful system of patronage
, - Cecil made lord burghley after 40 years
- Primary and secondary patronage
- Rented land instead of sold it
- Granted monopolies to her favourites
- By 1603 fewer nobles existed than at the start of her reign
- Norfolk– one of elizabeth’s close advisors betrayed her– see rebellion of
northern earls
- 1570’s previously unseen levels of togetherness with council united in
desire to elizabeth marry, settle succession, and protect the reformation
- HOWEVER there was dispute over suitors
- Peace and war faction emerged with cecil (Peace) and walsingham
(war) disagreeing
- Elizabeth fought with councillors
- Leicester was able to manipulate the queen
- After the deaths of walsingham in 1590, hatton in 91 and cecil being
invalided from 92, HUGE instability
- Rivalry emerged between cecil’s son– cecil– and the earl of essex
- Essex fails against the tyrone rebellion in 1599 and is exiled
Suitors–
- Phillip ii of spain
- Charles of austria son of hre (kept on the hook to secure habsburg
friendship)
- Erik of sweden– protestant no real prospect of marriage
- Duke of anjou– son of a french king but catholic and too young. They
were close friends and kept anglo-french relations calm
- She was madly in love with robert dudley but he had murdered his wife
so no real prospects. Exiled when he married another woman
Image–
- Elizabeth tones down the extravagance of her court
- 1563 elizabeth gets £40,000 from parliament
- Jousting and pageantry emphasised– anniversary of ascension
- Dances at court
- Virgin queen
- 25 royal progresses
- All portraits must be approved by queen
- Sergeant painter