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England: Turmoil and Triumph 1547-1603 -The Triumph
of Elizabeth 1563-1603
Life before 1558
What events would have influenced the young Elizabeth?
• When she was born she was a huge disappointment to her father because she was
not a male heir
• Her mother Anne Boleyn was accused of adultery, incest and treason, thus being
executed and leaving Elizabeth without a mother
• When Henry married Jane Seymour both Elizabeth and Mary were removed from the
line of succession and made bastards
• She was made an orphan when her father died when she was 13 years old
• Towards the end of her father’s reign he re-legitimised her and added her into the line
of succession
• She was close to Catherine Parr who took her under her wing
• Intimate relationship with Catherine’s new husband Thomas Seymour- disputed as to
whether this relationship was consensual or not. Nonetheless he was executed by
Edward Seymour for having plans to marry Elizabeth and potentially a threat to his
authority (Elizabeth had no involvement)
• Whilst growing up she was allowed to practice Protestantism under the Church of
England
• She did not try and override the succession of Lady Jane Grey
• In 1554 she was taken to the Tower of London for two months on suspicion of being
involved in the Wyatt’s rebellion, though she was acquitted she was virtually put on
house arrest in her home in Oxfordshire
What situation had Elizabeth inherited?
• Not an easy situation to inherit as she was the last of Henry’s legitimate children to
inherit the throne- the continuity of the Tudor dynasty rested on her shoulders
• After the religious changes that were made by her father, brother and sister, Elizabeth
inherited a country that was fiercely divided between Protestantism and Catholicism
• She inherited the problem of the Franco-Scottish alliance- as the papacy did not
recognise Elizabeth as a legitimate heir, if she she continued in creating a Protestant
1
England: Turmoil and Triumph 1547-1603 -The Triumph
of Elizabeth 1563-1603
Life before 1558
What events would have influenced the young Elizabeth?
• When she was born she was a huge disappointment to her father because she was
not a male heir
• Her mother Anne Boleyn was accused of adultery, incest and treason, thus being
executed and leaving Elizabeth without a mother
• When Henry married Jane Seymour both Elizabeth and Mary were removed from the
line of succession and made bastards
• She was made an orphan when her father died when she was 13 years old
• Towards the end of her father’s reign he re-legitimised her and added her into the line
of succession
• She was close to Catherine Parr who took her under her wing
• Intimate relationship with Catherine’s new husband Thomas Seymour- disputed as to
whether this relationship was consensual or not. Nonetheless he was executed by
Edward Seymour for having plans to marry Elizabeth and potentially a threat to his
authority (Elizabeth had no involvement)
• Whilst growing up she was allowed to practice Protestantism under the Church of
England
• She did not try and override the succession of Lady Jane Grey
• In 1554 she was taken to the Tower of London for two months on suspicion of being
involved in the Wyatt’s rebellion, though she was acquitted she was virtually put on
house arrest in her home in Oxfordshire
What situation had Elizabeth inherited?
• Not an easy situation to inherit as she was the last of Henry’s legitimate children to
inherit the throne- the continuity of the Tudor dynasty rested on her shoulders
• After the religious changes that were made by her father, brother and sister, Elizabeth
inherited a country that was fiercely divided between Protestantism and Catholicism
• She inherited the problem of the Franco-Scottish alliance- as the papacy did not
recognise Elizabeth as a legitimate heir, if she she continued in creating a Protestant
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