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Elizabeth and Her Court: Patronage, Privy Council and the Rebellion of the…
Elizabeth and Her Court: Patronage, Privy Council and the Rebellion of the Earl of Essex
Elizabeth used many different methods to keep control of her people
Patronage
Giving people important positions of power and responsibility. If the nobles and gentry did not please her then she could take away their positions of power.
Royal Court
The royal court is the term for the group of people who supported Elizabeth. It consisted of 500 nobles, advisors and servants. A courtier was a person who attended court. The royal court was not a physical place but moved around with Elizabeth
Privy Council
The most powerful courtiers were Elizabeth's Privy Council. They advised the queen and were known as the Privy Counsellors
Progresses
Name of the tours that Elizabeth went on to meet her people
Portraits and Propaganda
Elizabeth had many portraits done oh her to show she was England's rightful ruler and was powerful
Parliament
Elizabeth passed important laws and got taxation money through Parliament. She successfully managed to keep Parliament under control
What was the Royal Court
The Royal Court was the centre of political life
About 500 courtiers (members of the Court) lived with Elizabeth and worked for her
The Royal Court was not a place but a group of people. It was mobile. The Court was basically wherever the Queen was. People were in the Court to influence the queen.
Courtiers were personally selected by the queen. Courtiers competed for power and influence
Elizabeth used patronage (giving people important duties or privileges) to control people. Patronage caused competition and factional rivalry. It also ensured loyalty to the queen
In the summer, the queen and her courtiers went on progresses (tours of the country). This allowed the queen to be seen - showing off the power of the monarch
Lavish banquets, feasts, masques, plays and tournaments were put on to entertain the courtiers. They glorified the queen's image. Elizabeth was highly educated and loved to be seen dancing or speaking to ambassadors in their own language or in Latin
Elizabeth needed to keep the support of a wide range of people in her court. Elizabeth used her personality and firmness to keep control. She allowed a range of people into her court. For example, a small group of Catholic noble families could attend court so she did not lose the loyalty of Catholics
What was the Privy Chamber
The people in the Court did not have constant access to the queen. The queen had her own private space, the Privy (Private) Chamber (room) with her own servants and ladies-in-waiting. This private household was at the heart of Court. They had to be loyal - Elizabeth once broke the finger of a lady in waiting who married without her permission
Only her most trusted courtiers were ever invited into the Privy Chamber
The Privy Council
What was the role of the Privy Council
The Privy Council met daily and their job was to advise the queen and help her run the country. The Secretary of State was the Queen's main adviser and led the Privy Council. William Cecil (Lord Burghley) was Secretary of State from 1558-1572 and 1590-98. Francis Walsingham was Secretary of State from 1572 to 1590
Leading the government
The Privy Council organised the work of JPs and led government departments:
Lord Treasurer - controlled Elizabeth's finances and spending
Lord High Admiral - commanded navy
Lord Chamberlain - ran royal household and controlled access to Elizabeth
Security
The Council protected Elizabeth and uncovered plots against her. Francis Walsingham was in charge of the spy network. They also organised England's defences to protect against invasion
Policy
They advised the Queen on important policy decisions such as religion and foreign policy
Parliament
They helped Elizabeth to control Parliament and decided what could be debated
Propaganda
The Privy Council helped organise a positive image of the Queen through publications and portraits
How did Elizabeth keep control of her Privy Council
Elizabeth kept careful control of her Privy Council. Elizabeth was famous for delaying decisions or never even making them. She was a very cautious ruler which often frustrated her Privy Counsellors
Small team
Elizabeth had a small but loyal team of Privy Counsellors. Mary had 50 but Elizabeth limited it to 19. Only 7 or 8 at most meetings
Written records
Elizabeth had a good eye for detail and made her Counsellors keep written records to enable her to question decisions carefully
Selection
Elizabeth chose the Privy Council very carefully. She delayed appointing Robert Dudley for four years for fear of making other members jealous
Divide and rule
She chose members with different opinions so she could listen to all sides and make the final decision herself (e.g. Burghley and Dudley were rivals)
Patronage
She rewarded them - e.g. William Cecil made Lord Burghley. Dudley was made Earl of Leicester
Punishments
Harsh punishments for rebels such as the Earl of Essex who was executed after his failed rebellion
Cecil and Walsingham - Secretaries of State
William Cecil (Lord Burghley), Secretary of State 1558-72 and 1590-98; Lord Treasurer 1572-90
Elizabeth's main minister for 40 years - she relied heavily on him. All correspondence passed through him
Moderate Protestant but keen to suppress Catholicism. Saw Mary, Queen of Scots as the greatest enemy and Elizabeth believed he had tricked her into executing her
Wished to avoid conflict and war and keep England stable
Once rebuked him by saying she had 'lifted him from the dirt and was able to cast him down again'
Prepared to challenge Elizabeth - but loyal
Died of exhaustion in 1598 - his son, Robert, became new Secretary of State
Sir Francis Walsingham, Secretary of State 1572-90
Responsible for foreign affairs
Strong Puritan. Believed Catholics were a threat and should be repressed
Cold and distant - did not flatter the queen
Elizabeth nicknamed him 'The Moor' due to his dark hair
He was Elizabeth's spy master - ran a network of informers uncovering plots against Elizabeth
She felt he forced her into repressing English Catholics and sending troops to the Netherlands in the 1580s
Elizabeth once lost patience with him and threw her slipper at him
Hardworking and well-educated - died following a fit caused by exhaustion
Elizabethan Government in the 1590s
In the 1590s, England was widely seen as being in decline.
An ageing monarch
By the 1590s, Elizabeth was ageing. She was becoming less popular and there was a sense that England needed new ideas and a new monarch
Military problems
England had been at war with Spain for many years. Elizabeth spent huge sums of money fighting against Spanish rule in the Netherlands. She had to send an army to Ireland to deal with Catholic rebellions
Economic problems
The cost of defeating the Armada (1588) had caused high taxes and inflation. In the 1590s there were terrible harvests, particularly between 1594 and 1597. Food prices rose and there was widespread hunger. Poverty and crime increased
Political problems
Elizabeth had kept the loyalty of her key ministers. Her key ministers such as Robert Dudley, Lord Burghley, Francis Walsingham and Christopher Hatton had all died. Younger and more ambitious ministers vied for power like the Earl of Essex
In the Privy Council of the 1590s there was great rivalry between Robert Devereux (Earl of Essex) and Robert Cecil
The Earl of Essex - appointed to the Privy Council in 1593
Born in 1565, son of Elizabeth's cousin, Lettice Knollys, and step-son of her old favourite Robert Dudley
Young, eloquent and good-looking, favourite of Elizabeth and popular with the people
Ambitious, arrogant and short-tempered, Military hero - fought in Netherlands, France and Spain
Angered Elizabeth by joining Drake's failed attack on Lisbon in 1589 and married without permission in 1590
Joined Privy Council in 1593
Was disrespectful towards Elizabeth and hated the Cecil family
Robert Cecil - appointed to Privy Council in 1591
Born in 1563, Cecil joined the Privy Council in 1591
The son of William Cecil, he took on a heavy workload as his father aged
He was trained by his father and Walsingham in the art of spying
He was a shrewd and subtle politician
What Caused Essex's Rebellion
Essex was ambitious and wanted to be Elizabeth's main adviser. In 1596, he led a successful attack on the Spanish port of Cadiz. He destroyed warships and returned to England as a hero
While he was away, Elizabeth made Robert Cecil her Secretary of State. Elizabeth refused to make one of Essex's supporters the Lord Deputy of Ireland
On returning, Essex insulted Elizabeth and turned his back on her. Elizabeth punched him on the ear - Essex almost drew his sword and stormed out of the meeting. Essex was banned from court
Elizabeth sent Essex to Ireland in 1599 to crush a Catholic rebellion led by Hugh O'Neill, the Earl of Tyrone. He went against her orders and made peace with the rebels. Elizabeth was furious and banned him from court, took away his government jobs and got rid of his monopoly on sweet wines. Essex was ruined
What Happened During Essex's Rebellion
Essex gathered 300 supporters including unemployed soldiers and unhappy nobles
His plan was to seize the Queen and remove Robert Cecil from court
Rumours of Essex's plan spread through London
On 7th February 1601, Essex supporters put on a performance of Shakespeare's play Richard II at the Globe Theatre. It included a scene where the king was overthrown
Elizabeth was furious and summoned Essex to court
8th February 1601
Essex refused to appear before the Privy Council. 4 Privy Counsellors were sent to his home to arrest him but Essex took him hostage
Essex marched into London with his supporters - the Privy Council declared him a traitor - his supporters began to surrender
Essex's position weakened and he decided to return home. Soldiers were sent to block his route home and there was some fighting. Essex managed to escape home by the River Thames
When he got to his home, he found the hostages had been released and armed soldiers were surrounding his home. Essex surrendered
His rebellion lasted just 12 hours and he was put on trial, found guilty of treason and executed at the Tower of London on 25th February 1601
The ending of the rebellion showed that Elizabeth was weakened but still in control