Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
Challenges to Elizabeth I's Succession in Europe (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How did Foreign Powers Challenge Elizabeth's Rule? - Summary
Elizabeth's succession faced challenges within England. England's relationship with other European powers worsened these issues. In this period, England was not considered powerful. From the early 1500s, England had suffered a number of military defeats to France, Spain and Scotland.
In 1422, England's territory included most of France. By 1558, England only held Calais in Northern France. The English defeat in France was embarrassing to Elizabeth. The taking of Calais increased France's power.
Spain was the most powerful Catholic country in Europe. The Spanish Habsburg dynasty under Philip II owned regions of France and Italy. It had a large and expanding empire in the Americas. Where England was £300,000 in debt, Spain was the wealthiest European power.
An issue that increased tension was religion. England under the previous ruler, Mary I, had converted back to Catholicism. England had an alliance with Spain through the marriage of Mary to Philip II of Spain. As a Protestant, Elizabeth's decisions could affect England's relationship with Catholic Spain.
Elizabeth had to contend with a complicated political situation between England, Spain, France and Scotland
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question may need knowledge of why Scotland was a threat to England. You may not know that Scotland was a separate country at this point in history. England had little influence in Scotland's politics. Scotland had its own monarch. The border between Scotland and England moved constantly throughout the medieval period due to war. It was not until the Act of Union in 1707 that England and Scotland joined together as the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
The Threat of France
France was a significant threat to Elizabeth's reign
The table below explains each aspect of the challenge that France posed to England in 1558:
Reasons Why France was a Threat to England in 1558
Feature of 16th-century France | Why did this pose a threat to Elizabeth's reign? |
France was wealthy and had a large population | England was not wealthy at this point and had a much smaller population. If France declared war on England, it would likely defeat England's forces |
France had held an alliance with Scotland since 1295 known as the Auld Alliance | France could launch an attack on England through Scotland. France could also use Scottish forces to increase the size of its army |
Scotland's monarch, Mary, Queen of Scots, was half-French. Due to her marriage with Francis II, she became Queen of France in 1559 | France had a much closer union to Scotland by the time of Elizabeth's reign. France may have wanted to extend Scotland's borders into English territory |
Worked Example
Describe one feature of France's threat to Elizabeth's rule in 1558
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of France's threat to Elizabeth's rule was its power (1). France had more wealth and a bigger population than England. If France declared war on England, they would likely win (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots directly challenged Elizabeth's reign
She declared herself the legitimate queen of England
Her claim to the English throne centred on:
Her Catholic faith
Her close relation to King Henry VII
Many English Catholics believed that Mary was the rightful heir to the English throne, not Elizabeth
They believed that Elizabeth was illegitimate due to the issues surrounding her birth
In 1558, Mary, Queen of Scots was living in France
She was married to Francis II, King of France
Mary's mother, Mary of Guise, ruled Scotland in place of her daughter
The Guise were an important aristocratic family in France
Mary of Guise had French troops stationed in Scotland
Scotland's threat to England increased
England's northern borders with Scotland were hard to defend
Scotland had financial and military support from France
Loss of Calais
From the reign of William I (also known as William the Conqueror) in 1066, an English monarch had owned all or part of France
In 1558, England permanently lost their claim to France through the taking of its last French territory, Calais
The flow diagram below explains how England lost Calais:
How did England lose Calais?
Why was England's loss of Calais a significant threat to Elizabeth's reign?
It was a humiliation for England
England had owned parts of France for nearly 500 years. To lose its last French territory reduced England's influence on Europe
Calais was strategically important for England
England had lost its only military base on mainland Europe
English merchants used Calais to trade across Europe. English trade relied upon Antwerp in the Netherlands to access European markets. This area was heavily controlled by Spain
France & Spain's Relationship
After the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis in April 1559, Spain and France were no longer at war
The two countries had fought against each other in multiple wars throughout the early 16th century
Both countries had aimed to increase their territory across Europe
An opportunity presented itself for Spain and France to pursue an alliance
Both countries were Catholic
They both hated the new Protestant religion that had begun to spread across Europe
Protestantism challenged the authority of the leaders of Spain and France
Spain and France wanted the backing of the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church
An alliance between France and Spain threatened England
Elizabeth was a Protestant
Europe expected Elizabeth to change England's religion to Protestantism
Spain and France could unite against Elizabeth and European Protestantism
Both leaders had personal grievances with Elizabeth
Elizabeth had rejected Philip II of Spain's marriage proposal
Francis II's wife Mary, Queen of Scots believed that Elizabeth was illegitimate. She could use her influence to persuade France to invade England. This would allow Mary to claim the English throne
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question could ask you to explain why Spain and France posed a threat to Elizabeth's reign in 1558.
Their shared religion combined with their power was Elizabeth's biggest fear. If they could put their ambitions aside and work together, England would be an enemy of both countries. France could use their alliance with Scotland to invade England from the north. Spain could use their fleet to invade England from the south.
The threat both countries posed was genuine. Their Catholic faith provided the motivation to depose Elizabeth in favour of the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots. Their combined wealth would give them the means to plan an invasion. Elizabeth would struggle to defend England from this threat. The country had £300,000 of debt. As a result, they would not be able to pay to raise an army.
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