8791606
Description
Flashcards by Sofia Curtis, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Sofia Curtis
over 7 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| The Royal Court | - Integral to the decision making process - Elizabeth could use it to seek out influence and as a way of ensuring support through distribution of patronage - Included Presence Chamber (open) and Privy Chamber (private) - Lord Chamberlain: key official that controlled Royal Court, 3 of them her close relations - Court and political life became increasingly intertwined |
| The Privy Council | - Queen's principal ministers came together, responsible for advice and administration - Key functions: discuss matters of state and offer policy advice, work as a court of law when sitting as the Star Chamber, enforce the religious settlement of 1559, oversee arrangements for national defence, enforce a range of laws and regulations, administer the country by instructing a range of officials that worked at a lower level, oversee the operation of the regional councils, manage Crown finances with the Lord Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer |
| Changes to the Privy Council | - William Cecil was established as Elizabeth's key minister at start of reign - Council did contain some ministers that held more conservative views led by Duke of Norfolk - Elizabeth's favourite Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester joined 1562 - Council reshaped somewhat 1570s with execution of Norfolk 1572 - Nucleus of firmly Protestant councillors appointed, Council was dominated by Protestants |
| Problems in the Privy Council | - Some disputes over foreign policy over MQoS execution, but mostly Queen was served well by her council - Number of councillors died in quick succession, Queen often delayed replacement and relied on their sons - Absence of senior noblemen on the council - Refused to allow Cecil to retire, his son Robert was appointed to help him - Promotion of Robert Cecil angered Earl of Essex |
| Factional rivalry at Elizabeth's court | - Structure prevented factional rivalry from creating too many problems, no single minister had control over patronage - Various great families had their areas of influence and this balanced out rivalries - Rivals to Cecil's early dominance emerged: Robert Dudley extremely ambitious and wanted to marry the Queen, Earl of Sussex represented the old aristocracy and relative to Howard family, Duke of Norfolk |
| Factional Rivalry | - Plot surrounding MQoS late 1560s, Northern Rebellion: wanted to restore Catholicism, Norfolk disgraced and executed 1572 - 1570s and 80s was a period of cooperation - Earl of Essex led rebellion 1601: shambles and badly planned, forced to surrender quickly, tried and executed 1601 - Elizabeth becoming unpopular towards end of her reign, attitudes of Essex reflected the growing discontent |
| The importance of Elizabeth's image | - Needed to promote a strong image with perfect health and strength - Travelled country on 'royal progresses' to houses of leading families and met her subjects - Deliberately toned down extravagance at court to portray herself as careful and hardworking and save money - Relied on extravagant gifts from courtiers - Reluctance to marry turned into positive propaganda: 'Virgin Queen' |
| How did Elizabeth use patronage? | - Strong appreciation for need to gain and retain loyalty of elite - Bestowed these favours carefully and to a wide circle - Aim to ensure as many nobles and gentry as possible were bound in loyalty - Another form of patronage with grant of pensions or favourable grants of land - Saw the danger of being too liberal with granting titles |
| Elizabeth and her Parliaments | - Tended to regard Parliament as a necessary but occasional evil - Secondary feature of political system but still important - Law making: 438 Acts passed - Granting taxation: most important function - Giving advice: Elizabeth irritated by them infringing on royal prerogative |
| Financial problems facing Elizabeth's government | - Ruled at a time of inflationary pressure, prices were rising - New Book of Rates at end of Mary's reign increased income from customs duties on imports - Recovery of cloth industry generated taxes - As Head of the Church she claimed income from variety of religious sources - Parliament approached to grant additional subsidies for foreign policy - Crown lands sold off - Monopoly rights to produce or import particular products were sold off to Merchants - Attempted to control expenditure, cautious approach to foreign policy, tried to conserve her finances using diplomacy rather than conflict |
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