The National government of England in the Elizabethan Age comprised three bodies: the monarchy, the Privy Council, and Parliament. There were also regional and county governments. Although Elizabeth was not above the law, the Queen remained the most powerful person in England. Disobeying Elizabeth was against the law; requests ordered by the Queen had to be obeyed. Elizabeth prevailed over major decisions in religion, the dates Parliament met and what they talked about, warfare, education, foodways, and clothing styles. The two institutions that Elizabeth governed with were her Privy Council and Parliment. Elizabeth's Privy Council consisted of twelve active memembers. These members, however, rarely showed up at a meeting together. William Cecil held the chief position in this group, with Robert Dudley and Sir Francis Walsingham below him. Elizabeth trusted Cecil in the head position of Secretary of State because he was wise, cautious, and a good administrator. Later, Walsingham became Secretary of State. Other important members of Elizabeth’s Privy Council were Christopher Hatton and Francis Bacon. The Council decided policy issues for the English government, but still remained completely dependent on Elizabeth. The main concerns of the Privy Council were religion, military matters, diplomacy, the security of the Queen, economics, and the welfare of the English people. The Council also issued proclamations of the Queen. In the Elizabethan Age, Parliament consisted of two houses: the House of Lords (the Upper House) and the House of Commons (the Lower House). Only bishops and aristocrats could be in the Upper House, and commoners elected the members of Parliament for the Lower House. The members of the L... ... middle of paper ... ...losophical Society, 9 Mar. 2007 . Thomas, Heather. “Power and Government.” The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I. 9 April 2007. . ---. “Monarch.” The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I. 9 Apr. 2007. . ---. “Privy Council.“ The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I. 9 Apr. 2007. . ---. “Parliament.” Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I. 9 Apr. 2007. . Weir, Alison. The Life of Elizabeth I. New York: Ballantine Books, 1998. http://faculty.tnstate.edu/smcurtis/Elizabethan%20Government.htm Haigh, Christopher. Elizabeth I. London: Longman, 1988. Original Letters, Illustrative of English History, edited by Sir Henry Ellis – Series 1, Volume I
One monarch who faced limited royal power due to his relationship with parliament was Henry IV. This uneasy relationship was mainly down to the fact that Henry was a usurper, and was exacerbated by his long periods of serious illness later in his reign. Parliament was thus able to exercise a large amount of control over royal power, which is evident in the Long Parliament of 1406, in which debates lasted from March until December. The length of these debates shows us that Henry IV’s unstable relationship had allowed parliament to severely limit his royal power, as he was unable to receive his requested taxation. A king with an amiable relationship with parliament, such as Henry V, and later Edward IV, would be much more secure in their power, as taxation was mostly granted, however their power was also supported more by other factors, such as popularity and finances. Like Henry IV, Henry VI also faced severely limited power due to his relationship with parliament.
Another source of opposition to Charles’ personal rule was that of the parliament and Charles’ financial expenditure. Charles’ personal rule lasted 11 long years in which he didn’t call parliament for any money or subsidies. To finance his problems, he used his position of power as king to call upon favours and rules that enabled him to gain money without calling parliament. One of these was selling titles. Distraint of Knighthood. This was where men who owned estates worth £40 per annum were in theory supposed to present them to be knighted at a new King’s coronation. Charles thus fined people for not doing so even though the practice had...
Raffel, Burton. and Alexandra H. Olsen Poems and Prose from the Old English, (Yale University Press)Robert Bjork and John Niles,
Bliss. "The Elizabethan Poor Laws." The Elizabethan Poor Laws. N.p., 1908. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .
May, Robert. “Lesson 6: The Early Modern Period.” English 110S Course Notes. Queen’s University. Kingston. Summer 2010. Course Manual.
In 1837 queen Victoria started her reign as queen of England. She affected the whole world with the political decisions that she made while queen. But these decisions were dictated by things that started the day she was born and even during her reign as queen. Many people don’t really know much about Queen Victoria so they can ask why is your political leader worth studying? What has changed because of her being queen? What lead her and motivated her to make the choices she made? All of these things can be determined by looking at her past life and life during her reign that affected the way she ruled. There are two parts that will be discussed in her life that have affected her as a political leader. The first part has to deal with her childhood and the aspects of the stage in her life. The second part focuses on her life later on from the later years of her marriage to after her husband dies. Many things heavily dictate these two eras in her reign from her life.
Goldstein,Gary. "The Life of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford (1550-1604)" Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature. Anniina Jokinen, 3rd of June 1999. Web. 25th of April 2014.
"QUEEN ELIZABETH I & THE CHURCH." Elizabeth I and the Church. Web. 22 Mar. 2014. .
The monarchy symbolizes unity and traditions, which is unique and treasured to the nation. The monarch universally known as head of the Commonwealth, she is voluntarily recognised as the Head of State to 54 independent countries (The British Monarchy, 2013) The Queen to modern Britain, is an icon, who cannot simply be swapped for an elected politician. The British monarchy has played huge importance in British history, which is integral to our national identity. The Queen reined for 61 years and she provides an existing connection between the past, present and future. This is exactly what a politician could not offer to the public; for instance, Tony Blair, prior to 1997 was unknown on a state level, as he had done nothing significant for the British public. The monarchy’s traditions are famous not only in the United Kingdom but throughout the world. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the ruler of sixteen other countries including Britain. Whilst the queen receives many privileges as head of state, it does come at a personal cost. Her privacy is limited as she is consistently scrutinized from t...
The leadership of Queen Elizabeth I was a multi-faceted reign, she not only ruled a country but also navigated through a time where religious tensions were high. It was not just about England, but there were other countries involved. Elizabeth needed to have a variety of leadership styles to deal the different events that were taking place. It was through her education and wisdom of watching her father’s reign that she has been revered as “one of the greatest monarchs ever to rule England”. (A Great Monarch, 2010, p. 147). It was through her strengths and her weaknesses that she succeeded and was feared as a great political figure. “Elizabeth’s blend of shrewdness, courage, and majestic self-display inspired ardent expressions of loyalty and unify the nation against foreign enemies”. (Britannica, 2013). It was apparent that “She was very vain and could be extremely temperamental. She had a furious temper, and many of her courtiers lived in fear of her rebukes”. (Collinson, Margaret, & Collinson, 2004p.431). It was also known, “She could also be very indecisive, a trait that frustrated her close advisers”. (Collinson, Margaret, & Collinson,
Gascoigne, Bamber. "HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN (from 1707)." History World. (2001): n. page. Print. .
During the Victorian Era, a monarchy ruled the English Government (“Late Victorian Politics” 1). This type of governing body had been in place for centuries, and the popularity was less accepted by the people of the land (“Victorian Government” 1). Although Queen Victoria was considered a fair and just monarch, daily decisions were made by the Prime Minister and other appointed and elected officials. However, she did meet with them and make suggestions (“Victorian Government” 1). The government also consisted of the Parliament which was a bicameral legislature (“Late Victorian Politics” 1). This legislature contained the House of Lords and the House of Commons (“Late Victorian Politics” 1). Members of the House of Commons were elected by public vote while members of the House o...
The British Monarchy. “The Queen in Parliament.” The Royal Household. Accessed May 4, 2014. https://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/QueenandGovernment/QueeninParliament.aspx.
Burns, Julia. "Notes MLA 6318". Church and State in Early Modern England. Fall 2013. Dr. D. David.
The Elizabethan age was a very important time in the history of England. The time period is named after the queen who ruled England during this time, Queen Elizabeth I (Haigh). This time was a great time for the advancement of England, as they were ushered out of the Middle Ages, and into this new era. While there were many hardships, and plague was a common occurrence, the people lived a much more comfortable life than they ever had before (Jonson). Many great accomplishments were also achieved, including Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation around the world, which was only the second time it had ever been done, and the victory of the British navy over the Spanish Armada (Haigh). Another one of the things that affected the Elizabethan age so greatly was the theater.