Elizabeth I's Succession, 1558-1569 (Edexcel GCSE History: British Depth Study (Paper 2, Booklet B))

The medieval concept of patronage

The support given to her by the Privy Council and Parliament

Her subjects’ belief in the Divine Right of Kings

Elizabeth being voted into power by her subjects

Elizabeth was raised as a Protestant. Elizabeth’s religion undermined the power she had due to the Divine Right of Kings.

English Catholics never accepted Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. As a result, they never saw Elizabeth as being born in wedlock.

Henry VIII declared Elizabeth as illegitimate. He never restored Elizabeth’s legitimacy which is why English Catholics were unhappy with Elizabeth’s succession.

English Catholics would never accept Elizabeth because she was a female. Catholics did not believe that a woman could rule.

Elizabeth disappointed her Privy Council as they had strongly supported Elizabeth marrying Philip II of Spain. This would have increased England’s strength and wealth.

Elizabeth did not secure an alliance with Scotland as she refused to marry the Duke of Alençon.

Elizabeth did not secure the line of succession. The country did not know who would become the next monarch of England.

Sweden became a serious threat to England as Elizabeth refused to marry King Eric of Sweden.

Elizabeth could lose her temper easily. This made Elizabeth act recklessly and aggressively, causing the war with Spain.

Elizabeth was very religious. This meant that Elizabeth would do anything to free the Protestants in the Netherlands from Spain’s harsh, Catholic rule.

Elizabeth was uneducated. She did not understand the issues in the Spanish Netherlands which led her to make poor decisions.

Elizabeth was a slow decision-maker. In the conflict with Spain in the Netherlands, her indecision caused her to miss an opportunity to win a crucial victory.

English merchants used Calais to trade across Europe. France now controlled all of English’s trading opportunities in Europe.

Calais was strategically important for England. England had lost its only military base in mainland Europe.

It was a humiliation for England. England had lost its capital city which reduced England's influence on Europe.

It increased the threat of Spain to England as it regained important territory in its empire.

The relationship between Elizabeth and Parliament was unimportant. Elizabeth had the Divine Right of Kings so she did not need the support of Parliament.

The relationship between Elizabeth and Parliament was important. Elizabeth needed the support of Parliament to decide on key issues such as the succession.

The relationship between Elizabeth and Parliament was unimportant. Elizabeth had royal prerogative which meant it was up to Elizabeth to decide on all issues.

The relationship between Elizabeth and Parliament was important. She wanted to maintain a good relationship with Parliament so they would approve extraordinary taxes.

Elizabeth did not have enough money to raise an army. This meant that Elizabeth would struggle to defend her throne from foreign invaders and internal opposition.

Elizabeth needed to find a way to raise England’s finances. She would be more willing to start a war with Spain if it meant she could claim Spanish treasure.

England's economic issues caused falling prices in the 1550s. This meant that other foreign nations did not want to trade with England, impacting England’s finances further.

Elizabeth demanded that Parliament pass more taxes to pay off England’s debt. This caused increased tensions between Elizabeth and her subjects.

Elizabeth was strongly Protestant. Elizabeth wanted to implement reforms that would make England more Protestant regardless of the opinion of English Catholics.

Powerful, Puritan countries were likely to support any religious conflicts within England. Elizabeth would have to find a way of keeping control over the country without starting a war.

The North of England was more Catholic than the South of the country. Northern Catholics were far away from Elizabeth’s control, making them a threat.

There was a threat of civil war between England and Scotland. Elizabeth needed to create a religious settlement which would ensure Scotland was happy under English rule.

The issue of the Catholic clergy was very significant. Changing the official religion of England required passing an Act through Parliament. The House of Lords contained many Catholic bishops who would not agree with this change.

The issue of the Catholic clergy was not that significant. Most members of Parliament were Protestant so she did not need the clergy’s support to govern England.

The issue of the Catholic clergy was significant. Not all bishops would be willing to convert to Puritanism which would make governing England challenging.

The issue of the Catholic clergy was not significant. Elizabeth ruled England using the Divine Right of Kings. The Catholic clergy would have to follow Elizabeth’s instructions.

Philip II of Spain had been married to Elizabeth’s cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. When Elizabeth came to power, she rejected Philip’s marriage proposal which damaged Anglo-Spanish relations.

Philip II of Spain had been married to Elizabeth’s half-sister, Mary I. When Elizabeth came to power, she rejected Philip’s marriage proposal which damaged Anglo-Spanish relations.

Under the Treaty of Nonsuch in April 1559, Spain and France were no longer at war. Spain and France could unite against Elizabeth and European Protestantism, damaging Anglo-Spanish relations.

Elizabeth was bitter about the loss of Calais. She wanted to invade Spanish territory to regain England’s power and reputation. This worsened England and Spain’s relationship.