Queen Elizabeth Absolutism

Queen Elizabeth came into power under somewhat unique circumstances. She was placed in charge of an England which was changing both religiously and socially. The England which she ruled was like no other that came before it, in large part due to her father. Not only did Elizabeth have to face a Protestant England, she also had to deal with the growing prominence of the gentry, a parliament with increased validity, and dwindling royal funds. In addition to the changes which the country was undergoing she was also forced to navigate a traditionally patriarchal society. She dealt with these changes by leaning on the side of conservatism in most matters. As a ruler she did little to change England as a country; rather she attempted to keep everything

Henry viewed marriage and children as a way to secure his dynasty as well as the future of England whereas to Elizabeth they were potential traps, which could provide more methods with which to undermine her authority. Any potential husband may attempt to rule in her stead, and justify taking such action using her gender. Others realized this as well, and the combined pressure from her council and the people often prevented her from marrying eligible suitors. Her indiscretions were viewed much more harshly as well. Henry's affairs were par for the course; Elizabeth's entanglements provided fodder for criticism in harsher times, and lead to the public viewing her as an eccentric fool during the last years of her rule. The church also played much different roles in their romantic lives. In Henry's case Protestantism provided him with the means to divorce his first wife and pursue relationships with reproductively viable partners. Elizabeth's image as the defender of the Church of England lead to her being lauded as a “virgin queen”. This perception of her as the embodiment of Protestant ideals was intertwined with the rest of her public image; marrying would destroy her painstakingly maintained public persona and place her power in a precarious position. Elizabeth's gender played a large role in her more cautious ruling style. She couldn't rock the boat as often as her father did, in case she ended up tipping it