Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
The Ridolfi Plot, 1571 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How did the Ridolfi Plot Challenge Elizabeth? - Summary
After the Revolt of the Northern Earls, most Catholics conformed to Elizabeth’s rules. She released an Act of Parliament that widened the definition of treason. Under the new law, treason included calling Elizabeth a heretic or claiming she was not the queen. There remained a significant threat to Elizabeth’s safety from English and foreign Catholics. In 1570, the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth through a papal bull. He called upon loyal Catholics to depose Elizabeth. From 1571 to 1586, Elizabeth faced a series of Catholic plots against her rule. All of the plots centred around replacing Elizabeth with Mary, Queen of Scots. This would revert England’s official religion to Catholicism. Ridolfi’s plan had gained the support of Spain. Their offer to send troops to England showed that it had the potential to succeed. The Ridolfi Plot taught Elizabeth that there was a serious Catholic threat within England and from abroad. She increased her surveillance of Mary and tightened laws against Catholics. The plot marked the beginning of several serious attempts to assassinate and depose Elizabeth. |
What Happened in the Ridolfi Plot?
Key Individuals Involved in the Ridolfi Plot
Name | Job Title | Role in the Ridolfi Plot |
|---|---|---|
Roberto Ridolfi | Banker from Florence, Italy | He was one of the Pope’s spies in England. He organised the plan, communicating with the Duke of Norfolk and Philip II |
Mary, Queen of Scots | The exiled Queen of Scotland | Elizabeth had imprisoned Mary after she fled Scotland to England in 1569. She was the focus of the plan. She was to marry the Duke of Norfolk and become Queen of England |
Thomas Howard | Duke of Norfolk | England’s most respected Protestant noble. As he came from an ancient noble family, he disliked that Elizabeth favoured newer nobles like Sir William Cecil. His role was to marry Mary, Queen of Scots and lead a rebellion against Elizabeth |
Philip II of Spain | King of the Spanish Habsburg Empire | Philip hated Elizabeth as she had rejected his marriage proposal and changed England’s religion to Protestantism. He intended to send the Duke of Alba and 10,000 troops to support the Ridolfi Plot |
Details of the Ridolfi Plot
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question may ask you to judge the extent to which Catholic plots endangered Elizabeth. The flow diagram shows how ambitious Ridolfi’s plot was. It relied upon the murder of Elizabeth and the Spanish invasion of England. The plan aimed to kill Elizabeth. This is high treason, the most serious crime an individual could commit in medieval times. If Elizabeth's government foiled the plan, the plotters would face execution. The Ridolfi Plot, with Spain’s involvement, was incredibly dangerous to Elizabeth.
What happened in the Ridolfi Plot?
In March 1571, Ridolfi travelled to the Spanish Netherlands
He met with the Pope, Philip II and the Duke of Alba
He had in his possession a signed letter from the Duke of Norfolk. The letter confirmed that Norfolk was a Catholic and would lead a rebellion against Elizabeth with Philip’s support
Historians have debated whether the letter was authentic. Some historians think Ridolfi was a double agent. They believe Elizabeth's government hired Ridolfi to trap the Duke of Norfolk in a Catholic plot.
Elizabeth released Norfolk after the Revolt of the Northern Earls. This annoyed her government. The evidence would force Elizabeth to execute Norfolk for treason
The meeting was a success for Ridolfi
He secured Philip’s support. He agreed to send the Duke of Alba and 10,000 men to England when Norfolk required them
Historians are unsure about how genuine this support was. Alba wrote to Philip that Spain should only send troops to England if Norfolk succeeded in overthrowing Elizabeth
Sir William Cecil uncovered Ridolfi’s plot in the Autumn of 1571
Norfolk’s servants betrayed the plan when under interrogation
Cecil also had evidence in the form of coded letters in the Duke of Norfolk’s house
The Duke of Norfolk was arrested in September 1571
Ridolfi’s plan was never enacted
Cecil foiled the plan before it began
Ridolfi was not in England when Cecil discovered the plot. He never returned to England so he did not face the repercussions of his actions
Worked Example
Describe one feature of the Ridolfi Plot, 1571
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of the Ridolfi Plot in 1571 was the collaboration of the Duke of Norfolk (1). Ridolfi had corresponded with Norfolk through encoded letters. Norfolk stated that he was a Catholic and would lead a rebellion to overthrow Elizabeth (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question focuses on the key features and characteristics of the Ridolfi Plot. Testing your knowledge and understanding will help you achieve full marks.
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.
The Significance of the Ridolfi Plot
Consequences of the Ridolfi Plot
The Ridolfi Plot | |
|---|---|
Short-term consequences | Long-term consequences |
Parliament demanded the punishment of the Duke of Norfolk and Mary, Queen of Scots. In January 1572, the government put the Duke of Norfolk on trial for high treason. He was found guilty. His execution took place in June 1572. | Elizabeth refused to punish Mary. She remained imprisoned and was still in consideration for the royal succession. This continued the threat Mary posed to Elizabeth’s safety |
From 1574, English Catholics were smuggling priests into the country. Wealthy families concealed Catholic priests within their houses in secret hiding places called ‘priest holes'. Any priests caught by government searches would be hung, drawn and quartered. This showed the actions that English Catholics took to keep their faith alive | The plot reinforced that Spain was a threat to England. As the persecution of Dutch Protestants increased, Elizabeth and her government worried that Spain wanted to destroy Protestantism across Europe. Elizabeth pursued a better relationship with France to protect England from Spain |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Try to link the Ridolfi Plot to the wider context of Europe in 1571. Spain repressed the Dutch Revolt in 1566. The Duke of Alba was governing the Netherlands through the Council of Troubles. The Council in the 1570s were killing thousands of Dutch Protestants. The Netherlands was relatively close to England. The Ridolfi Plot seemed to prove to Elizabeth and her government that Spain wanted to destroy English Protestantism.
The 1581 Laws Against Catholics
The increased presence and risk of Catholicism in England caused Elizabeth to act
In 1581, her parliament released two anti-Catholic laws. These were:
An increase in the recusancy fine to £20
Originally, it was a one-shilling fine. There were 12 pence in a shilling. The fine could equal a week’s pay for an Elizabethan worker
A £20 fine would bankrupt most Elizabethan families
The extension of the definition of treason to converting people to Catholicism
This showed that Elizabeth no longer believed in allowing Catholics to worship privately in their households
These new laws increased the persecution of English Catholics. It did not stop Catholic plots against Elizabeth
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