The Reign of Elizabeth I

MASSOLIT

7 Oct 202011:09

Summary

TLDRIn this lecture, Susan Doran discusses the early challenges faced by Queen Elizabeth I, including questions of legitimacy due to her birth out of wedlock and gender, religious conflicts in a predominantly Catholic House of Lords, and her precarious relationship with foreign powers. Despite these, Elizabeth successfully established her reign through a combination of luck, political savvy, and strategic alliances, navigating issues of religion, marriage, and economy to secure her position as a providential ruler.

Takeaways

👑 Susan Doran, a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, discusses Queen Elizabeth I's early reign challenges.
🏰 Elizabeth faced legitimacy issues due to her official status as a bastard and the threat of Catholic pretenders like Mary, Queen of Scots.
🙅‍♀️ Her gender was questioned as a barrier to rule, with John Knox's 'First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women' arguing against female leadership.
⛪️ Religion was a significant hurdle, as Elizabeth sought a Protestant settlement in a predominantly Catholic England with a resistant House of Lords.
🔄 Elizabeth navigated religious tensions by choosing a middle way between different Protestant confessions, balancing Lutheran and Calvinist elements.
🤝 She managed foreign relations adeptly, securing Spanish support against French influence and maintaining economic ties with the Netherlands.
💍 The question of Elizabeth's marriage was a political issue, with her decision to remain single impacting her reign's dynamics.
💵 Financially, Elizabeth inherited a debt-ridden England, with the country facing significant economic challenges post-war with France.
👍 Despite numerous obstacles, Elizabeth's early reign was marked by success in legitimizing her rule and implementing her desired religious and political reforms.
🔮 Looking back at 1563, it appeared Elizabeth would continue to overcome the political challenges and solidify her position on the throne.

Q & A

Who was Susan Doran and what is her role in the lecture series?
-Susan Doran is a senior research fellow in history at Jesus College, the University of Oxford, and a fellow at St. Bennet's Hall, also at the University of Oxford. She is delivering a series of lectures on Queen Elizabeth the First.
What was the primary issue concerning Elizabeth's legitimacy when she took the throne?
-Elizabeth was officially a bastard, which raised questions about her eligibility to become the Queen of England. Additionally, there was the potential threat from a Catholic pretender, such as Mary Queen of Scots, who could claim the throne based on bloodline and not being born out of wedlock.
How did Elizabeth's gender impact her claim to the throne?
-Elizabeth's gender was a challenge to her legitimacy because it was a time when women were generally excluded from political power. John Knox's publication, 'The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women,' argued against female rulership.
What was the religious landscape of England when Elizabeth ascended to the throne?
-England was Roman Catholic when Elizabeth came to the throne. Her predecessor, Mary, had returned England to the Roman Church and introduced Catholic forms of worship, including the Roman Catholic mass.
What were the challenges Elizabeth faced in implementing her preferred religious settlement?
-Elizabeth wanted a Protestant form of worship, but the House of Lords was predominantly Catholic, with bishops appointed by Mary and mainly Catholic noblemen. Getting the religious settlement through Parliament was a challenge due to the need for parliamentary approval.
How did Elizabeth manage to get the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity passed through Parliament?
-Elizabeth used a combination of luck, good polity, propaganda, and coercion. She restricted the number of bishops attending the House of Lords and persuaded Catholic nobility to either not attend or support her Protestant settlement.
What was the nature of the religious settlement Elizabeth introduced?
-The settlement was a middle way between different confessions of Protestantism, retaining some Lutheran aspects like church ornaments and clergy vestments, but was closer to Calvinism in its doctrines, especially regarding the communion service and predestination.
How did Elizabeth's foreign relations impact her early reign?
-Elizabeth needed support from foreign powers, particularly Spain, to secure peace with France and to prevent French support for Mary Queen of Scots. She was successful in securing Spanish support and in preventing French troops from being present in Scotland, but her efforts in France were less successful.
What was the economic condition of England when Elizabeth became queen?
-England was in a rough economic state, with a significant debt of about 300,000 pounds after the war with France, and they had to pay high interest rates on at least part of that debt.
How did Elizabeth address the issue of her marriage during her early reign?
-The question of Elizabeth's marriage was put on hold during her early reign, as she focused on establishing her legitimacy and dealing with other pressing issues.
What was the theory of the king's two bodies and how did Elizabeth exploit it?
-The theory of the king's two bodies allowed for the acceptance of a female monarch by distinguishing between the office of kingship, which was male, and the natural body performing the role, which could be female. Elizabeth used this theory to strengthen her claim to the throne, often referring to herself in masculine terms related to her office.

Outlines

00:00

👑 Early Reign Challenges of Queen Elizabeth I

In the first lecture, Susan Doran discusses the initial problems faced by Queen Elizabeth I during her early reign. These challenges included questions about her legitimacy due to her being officially considered a bastard and the threat of a Catholic pretender, Mary Queen of Scots. Additionally, Elizabeth's gender was a point of contention, as some, like John Knox, argued against women holding political power. Religion was another significant issue, with Elizabeth being a Protestant in a predominantly Catholic England. She aimed to establish a Protestant form of worship, which was met with resistance from the Catholic House of Lords. Elizabeth also had to navigate her relationships with foreign powers, particularly Spain and France, while needing their support for various political and economic reasons. The lecture concludes with the mention of Elizabeth's marriage considerations and the dire state of the English economy, which was heavily in debt after the war with France.

05:00

🎓 Overcoming Obstacles: Elizabeth's Early Successes

Susan Doran details how Queen Elizabeth I successfully overcame the challenges of her early reign. Elizabeth managed to have her legitimacy accepted in England, partly due to luck, as there were no strong male candidates and the existing Catholic contender, Mary Queen of Scots, had little support. Elizabeth also leveraged the theory of the king's two bodies to strengthen her position as a female monarch. Regarding religion, Elizabeth employed propaganda and coercion to pass the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity through Parliament, establishing a Protestant settlement that was a middle way between different Protestant confessions. On the foreign relations front, Elizabeth used both luck and force, backing the French Huguenots and preventing French troops in Scotland, though her efforts in France were less successful. The lecture suggests that by 1563, Elizabeth had made a promising start to her reign, despite the numerous problems she faced.

10:01

🌍 Elizabeth's Foreign Relations and Economic Challenges

The final paragraph of the lecture script discusses Queen Elizabeth I's foreign relations and economic challenges. Elizabeth was able to maintain a delicate balance in her relations with foreign powers, particularly avoiding a French puppet on the English throne, which was not favored by Philip II. She also took a proactive stance in preventing French troops from being present in Scotland and supported the French Huguenots to counter a Catholic regime that could potentially threaten England and support Mary Queen of Scots. While her efforts in Scotland were successful, her involvement in France, specifically the New Haven expedition, did not go as planned. Economically, the lecture hints at further discussion on the state of the English economy, which was in a dire situation with significant debt and high interest rates after the war with France. By the end of this period, Elizabeth had demonstrated her ability to navigate and begin to address the complex political and economic issues of her reign.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Legitimacy

Legitimacy refers to the recognition of a ruler's right to govern, often based on factors such as birthright or legal status. In the context of the video, Elizabeth I faced questions about her legitimacy due to her being officially declared a bastard and the existence of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was a Catholic claimant. The video discusses how Elizabeth managed to secure her position despite these challenges, highlighting the importance of legitimacy in the stability of a monarchy.

💡Catholic

Catholicism, in this video, refers to the religious affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church, which was the dominant faith in England before Elizabeth I's reign. The video explains the challenges Elizabeth faced in establishing a Protestant religious settlement, given the predominantly Catholic House of Lords and the influence of Catholic European powers. It also touches on the broader religious conflicts of the time, such as the threat posed by a Catholic claimant to the English throne.

💡Protestant

Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emerged during the Reformation and diverged from the Roman Catholic Church. In the video, Elizabeth I is depicted as a Protestant, which was a significant factor in her religious policies. She aimed to establish a Protestant form of worship in England, which was a departure from the Catholic practices of her predecessor, Mary I. The video discusses the political and religious complexities of this transition.

💡Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots, was a historical figure and a claimant to the English throne, which posed a direct challenge to Elizabeth I's rule. The video mentions her as a potential pretender to the English throne, being a Catholic with a strong bloodline claim. Her relationship with the French king and her marriage to his son added to the political complications for Elizabeth I, as it potentially aligned France with a rival claim to the English throne.

💡John Knox

John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation. In the video, he is mentioned as the author of 'The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women,' a work that argued against female rulers. This work was relevant to Elizabeth I's reign, as it represented a significant ideological challenge to her rule based on gender, which the video discusses as one of the problems she had to overcome.

💡Act of Supremacy

The Act of Supremacy was a piece of legislation that established the monarch as the supreme head of the Church of England. The video discusses how Elizabeth I used this act, along with the Act of Uniformity, to solidify her religious policies and establish a Protestant Church of England. This was a critical step in overcoming the religious challenges she faced, as it legally defined the religious landscape of her reign.

💡Act of Uniformity

The Act of Uniformity was a law that enforced a uniform religious practice across the Church of England, including the use of a specific prayer book. The video explains that Elizabeth I's successful passage of this act, along with the Act of Supremacy, was crucial in implementing her preferred Protestant religious settlement. It was a significant political maneuver that demonstrated her ability to navigate the religious and political landscape of the time.

💡Philip II of Spain

Philip II was the King of Spain during Elizabeth I's reign and had significant influence in European politics. The video discusses how Elizabeth I needed Philip II's support for various reasons, including securing peace with France and preventing French support for Mary, Queen of Scots. His stance was important for Elizabeth's foreign policy and the balance of power in Europe during her reign.

💡Calais

Calais was the last English possession in France, which was lost to France shortly before Elizabeth I's ascension. The video mentions Elizabeth's desire to regain Calais as part of her foreign policy objectives, highlighting the importance of territorial control and the complex relations between England and France during her reign.

💡Economy

The state of the economy during Elizabeth I's early reign is discussed in the video as a significant challenge. England was heavily in debt following the war with France, which posed a substantial problem for Elizabeth and her ministers. The video touches on the economic strategies and the state of finances, which were critical to the stability and prosperity of her reign.

💡The King's Two Bodies

The theory of the King's Two Bodies was a legal and political concept that distinguished between the monarch's physical body and their official, or 'body politic,' role. The video explains how Elizabeth I exploited this theory to reinforce her legitimacy as a female ruler, arguing that while the office of kingship was male, she, as a woman, could fulfill the role effectively. This concept was used to reconcile the traditional male association of the monarchy with her female identity.

Highlights

Susan Doran, a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, discusses the early challenges faced by Queen Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth's legitimacy as a ruler was initially questioned due to her being officially a bastard.

The threat of a Catholic pretender, Mary Queen of Scots, loomed over Elizabeth's reign.

Elizabeth's gender was a point of contention, with John Knox's work arguing against female rulers.

Elizabeth's religious beliefs conflicted with the predominantly Catholic House of Lords.

The Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity were crucial for establishing a Protestant settlement in England.

Elizabeth's approach to religion was a middle way between different Protestant confessions, not between Catholicism and Protestantism.

Elizabeth's foreign relations were complicated, needing support from Spain while being at odds with France.

The question of Elizabeth's marriage was a significant political issue of her reign.

England's economy was in a dire state, with a large debt and high interest rates post-war with France.

Elizabeth successfully established her legitimacy through a combination of luck and political strategy.

The theory of the king's two bodies was used to justify a female monarch, with Elizabeth often referring to herself as a prince.

Elizabeth's political savvy allowed her to navigate the religious landscape and pass key religious legislation.

Elizabeth's marriage was put on hold, a strategic move that influenced her reign.

Elizabeth's foreign policy was a mix of luck and strategic alliances, with varying degrees of success.

By 1563, Elizabeth had made a strong start to her reign, despite numerous political and economic challenges.