Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Elizabeth's Relationship With Her Court and Parliaments (Privy Council…
Elizabeth's Relationship With Her Court and Parliaments
Parliament
Parliament was made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons
They had influence over tax and were responsible for passing laws
The Queen decided when they met and could veto any decisions they made- she saw them as an inconvenient necessity
Lord Lieutenants
They took administrative responsibility for a particular area of the country
They settled disputes, collected taxes and raised militia to fight for the Queen when needed
They were in a position of great power and influence and many were also privy councillors
Privy Council
They managed the day to day running of the country and were Elizabeth's main advisors
The deliberately appointed men who were hostile towards each other so that they wouldn't rebel against each other
They were rarely united on any issue so that Elizabeth could retain dominance over them
They dealt with issues varying from military and foreign affairs to religion
Progresses
Progresses took place in the summertime when Elizabeth and her court would travel around the country, partly to escape the heat and smell of London
It was a major exercise in public relations and was for many the only time that people could see their Queen
Elizabeth would arrive to her hosts with 500 courtiers and 400 wagons, as well as her bed
Royal court
The royal court was made up of the 1000 government officials, ladies-in-waiting, servants and advisors who surrounded Elizabeth
The main power was held by the 12 closest men to Elizabeth, but the rest of the court was also very influential in trends and fashion
The royal court travelled with Elizabeth around the countries on progresses
Three significant court figures
William Cecil
He was Elizabeth's most trusted advisor, serving as Secretary of State and as an MP
He encouraged Elizabeth to take control of Catholic Ireland and to fight other Catholics at home and abroad
He was important in developing the Poor Law and other new religious policies
Francis Walsingham
He was known as Elizabeth's 'spy master', having 'eyes and ears' everywhere
He was key in dealing with England's biggest rivals of the time: Spain, France and the Netherlands
He helped to gain the information necessary for the execution of Mary Queen of Scots
Robert Dudley
He was a childhood friend of Elizabeth's and there were many rumours that she had a romance with him
He was responsible for Elizabeth's safety, because he was Master of the Horse
He was a puritan and frequently argued with Cecil about religion
Justices of the Peace
There was no police force at the time so each county had several JPs to keep order
They were selected by the local gentry
There main role was to ensure laws passed by Parliament were enforced