Elizabeth 1 Tudor (years of life - 1533-1603) - the English queen, whose activities contributed to the formation of the image of the Golden Age. He is believed to have fallen precisely on her reign. The domestic and foreign policy of Elizabeth 1 Tudor is very rich and interesting. In the article we will talk about her reign, present her biography. You will find out what Elizabeth 1 Tudor was like as a politician. In addition, we will say a few words about who ruled after her.
Elizabeth's Descent
The future queen was born in Greenwich Palace, located in today's London. This important event for the country took place on September 7, 1533. Elizabeth's father was Henry VIII of England, and her mother was Anne Boleyn. This woman was formerly a lady-in-waitingHenry's first wife. In order to marry her, he divorced his wife Catherine of Aragon, who could not give him an heir, and left the power of the pope. In 1534, Henry VIII proclaimed himself head of the Church of England. Anne Boleyn (the photo below shows portraits of her and Henry) was executed in May 1536, accusing her of adultery. However, the real fault of this woman was that she failed to give birth to Henry's son, the heir to the throne.
The fate of Elizabeth during the reign of Edward VI
Elizabeth in the period between the death of her father, which occurred in 1547, and her own accession, had to go through severe trials, which, of course, affected her character. Under the reign of Edward VI, his half-brother, who reigned from 1547 to 1553, the future queen was, against her will, involved in the conspiracy of Lord Admiral Thomas Seymour. Jealous of Edward Seymour, his brother, who during the minority of Edward VI was the protector of the kingdom, Thomas acted rashly several times. These actions led to the assumption that he was hatching plans for a coup d'état. Thomas's plan to marry Elizabeth was the pinnacle of recklessness. The failed groom was taken into custody in January 1549.
The years of the reign of Mary I and the fate of Elizabeth
During the reign of Mary I Tudor, that is, in the period from 1553 to 1558, great danger hung over Elizabeth. Maria was the half-sister of the future queen. When Heinrich divorcedCatherine, her mother, she was already old enough to realize the shame associated with this. Maria became a bigoted Catholic, filled with pro-Spanish sympathies as well as resentment for Anne Boleyn's daughter.
After ascending the throne, Mary married Philip, who was the heir to the throne of Spain. This gave rise to a large number of conspiracies. The most important of these can be considered the revolt of Thomas Wyeth that took place in January 1554. Although Elizabeth outwardly submitted to the Catholic religion, again introduced into the state, the Protestants did not cease to pin their hopes on her. Because of this, the very existence of Elizabeth was a threat to Mary (her portrait is presented below).
The future queen after Wyeth's rebellion was arrested and then placed in the Tower. Here she had to spend 2 months. Then Elizabeth was under close supervision for another year at Woodstock, located near Oxford.
Ascension to the throne. Question about church organization
Elizabeth 1 Tudor ascended the throne on November 17, 1558. At a meeting of parliament, held in January of the following year, the question of church organization was raised. The queen was ready to separate the Anglican Church from the papacy and Rome, but in other respects she was determined to act in a conservative spirit, with great caution. The House of Commons spoke of the need for radical and uncompromising reform. Elizabethpreferred the episcopal church organization and service adopted in the so-called high church. As a result, a compromise was reached, called via media, which means "middle way" in Latin. Elizabeth's reforms determined the features of the Anglican Church that have survived to the present day. However, they created dissatisfaction among both Protestants and Catholics.
Question of Succession
Parliament, as well as government officials were concerned about the future of Protestantism in the country. The fact is that Queen Elizabeth 1 Tudor was the last of the Tudor dynasty. Both political considerations and personal choice led to the fact that she remained a virgin until the end of her days. The Protestants did not want to allow a Catholic woman to the throne. And Mary Stuart, the Scottish queen, who had the rights to the crown of England, was just a Catholic. In fact, Elizabeth was completely alone. She decided to postpone the issue of succession to the throne. Her correctness was confirmed by a long reign (almost 45 years). However, the queen's stubbornness at first led to discontent both from parliament and from close advisers. This was especially true for 1566.
England-Scotland relations
At that time, relations between England and Scotland came to the fore, where in 1559 the reformation vigorously declared itself. There was an uprising against the French regent Mary of Guise, who ruled on behalf of Mary Stuart, her daughter. Mary of Guise at that time was both the ruler of Scotland and the consort of the kingFrance. In order for the rebels to be able to oust the French from the country, it took the intervention of Elizabeth. In 1562 and for a long time after that, the queen interfered in the domestic politics of France. She supported the rebellious Protestant (Huguenot) party. Some time later, Elizabeth also supported the Protestants in Holland, who opposed King Philip II of Spain.
Relationship with Mary Stuart
In 1561, Francis II, husband of Mary Stuart, died. After that, Mary returned to her homeland. A controversial and complex history of her relationship with Elizabeth began in many respects. Unlike the latter, Maria was not a statesman. She was deposed after the assassination of Henry Stuart, her second husband. Maria was imprisoned, but she managed to escape. She lost to opponents who defeated her troops, and then ended up in England, crossing the border.
The arrival of Stewart in England in May 1568 created certain problems for the heroine of our article. Elizabeth 1 Tudor as a politician found herself in a difficult situation. The government of the country kept Mary as a prisoner, so she began to attract opposition. Troubles soon began in England, one of the causes of which was associated with the presence of Stuart. The rebels at the end of 1569 revolted in the north of the country. In February 1570, a papal bull took place, during which Elizabeth 1 Tudor was proclaimed deposed, and her subjects were released from the oath to the queen. Catholics were forced to flee abroad. They founded onon the continent of the seminary, where Catholic youths were educated and brought up, and then as missionaries they went to England. The purpose of the papacy was to overthrow Elizabeth with the help of the French party of Guise and the secular authorities of Spain. It was planned to raise Mary Stuart to the throne.
Parliament and the Queen's ministers began demanding strict laws against Catholics, especially missionaries. Ridolfi's conspiracy against Elizabeth was uncovered in 1572. Mary Stuart was also involved in it. After this conspiracy, ministers and parliamentarians demanded that Maria be accused of high treason. However, Elizabeth decided to intervene, so there was no condemnation. When a decree was passed depriving Stewart of the right to the throne of England, Elizabeth vetoed her.
The ranks of priests from seminaries from 1580 began to be strengthened by the Jesuits. Spain annexed Portugal in the same year. For a long time, Elizabeth contributed to the rebellion of the Netherlands against Spain. This, and British raids on Spanish colonies, led to conflict.
The murder of William the Silent. Association Agreement
Shortly after the Throckmorton conspiracy was discovered, in 1584, it became known that William the Silent, who was a Catholic, was killed in the Netherlands. English Protestants formed the so-called Treaty of Association. His goal was the massacre of M. Stewart in the event that an attempt was made on their queen.
Support for the Dutch rebellion. Execution of Mary Stuart
The death of William the Silent led tothat the Dutch uprising lost its leader. This forced Queen Elizabeth to send English troops to the aid of the Dutch, commanded by the Earl of Leicester. This happened in the autumn of 1585. This open intervention was tantamount to a declaration of war.
The foreign policy of Elizabeth 1 Tudor did not suit everyone. The Babington plot was uncovered in 1586. His goal was the assassination of Queen Elizabeth and the accession of Mary. The latter took part in it. She was put on trial. According to the resolution of Parliament adopted in 1584-1585, she was sentenced to death. In the autumn of 1586, Parliament was convened. His repeatedly repeated unanimous demand left no choice for Elizabeth. Mary had to be executed on February 8, 1587.
Spanish Armada
The death of Mary was the impetus for the so-called Catholic enterprise against England. The Spanish Armada went to sea in the summer of 1588 in order to defeat the fleet of England and cover the landing of the Spanish army on the coast of this country. The decisive battle lasted more than 8 hours. The invincible Armada was defeated as a result of it. She was scattered, and on the way to Spain, she suffered heavy losses due to storms.
Action against Spain
War between England and Spain was not formally declared, but open conflict between these states continued. Henry III, King of France, was assassinated in 1589. After that, Elizabeth was drawn into the confrontation already on a new front. The Catholic League of France, supported by Spain, opposed the accession of Henry IV, the rightful heir. He was the leaderthe Huguenot parties. Queen Elizabeth helped Henry in the fight.
This is briefly the foreign policy of Elizabeth 1 Tudor. A table, of course, would help us present the information even more concisely. However, the queen's activities are so interesting that one does not want to resort to this method of presenting information. We believe that the domestic policy of Elizabeth 1 Tudor should be described in the same way. The table will also be inappropriate here. We have already told something about the domestic policy of the queen. Her relationship with ministers and courtiers is very curious. We invite you to get to know them.
Ministers and courtiers of Elizabeth
The Queen showed great loy alty to her entourage, which, perhaps, no monarch showed. Elizabeth 1 Tudor, whose biography testifies to her extraordinary personality, independently selected all her ministers. William Cecil was the first candidate. Elizabeth relied on him more than anyone. Among other advisers to the queen were: W alter Mildmay, Francis Walsingham, William's son - Robert Cecil, and Thomas Smith. These ministers were extraordinary people. Despite this, Elizabeth has always been their mistress and mistress. This is an important fact for those who are interested in the characteristics of Elizabeth 1 Tudor.
The queen had, in addition to ministers, and courtiers. The most notable figures of these were: Christopher Hutton, Earl of Leicester and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. Elizabeth kept Francis Bacon and W alter Rayleigh somewhat aloof, as she did not trust their human qualities, but she highly valued their abilities.
Elizabeth's relationship with the Earl of Essex
Burghley, who lived until 1598, wanted to transfer influence and position to Robert Cecil, his youngest son. He was very capable, but he had a physical handicap. The Earl of Essex, a young aristocrat (his portrait is presented above), opposed this. During the capture of Cadiz, which took place in 1596, he earned flattering marks and great fame. However, when he moved beyond military ambitions to include political ones, he had to confront the Cecils.
Elizabeth made Essex, a man of great charm, a favorite. She admired his qualities. However, the Queen was not enamored with Essex enough to support him in dangerous political endeavors. She deliberately promoted Robert Cecil to the top, while at the same time opposing Essex in his intention to nominate her candidates to the highest positions. Such was the policy of Elizabeth 1 Tudor towards this man.
A series of personal clashes ensued between Elizabeth and her favorite. Once the queen grabbed him by the ear when he turned his back on her in a rage, intending to leave (according to another version, she slapped him). He took up his sword with a threat, exclaiming that he would not have tolerated such impudence from anyone, that he was a subject, not a slave.
1599 was the culmination of the Essex story. Then Elizabeth instructed the favorite to suppress the uprising of Tyrone that had begun in Ireland. Having received all the necessary resources from the government, he disobeyed instructions fromLondon. Essex failed in the mission and made a truce with the rebels. Then, also against orders, he returned to England. Essex openly changed the current government in February 1601. He tried to raise all of London against the queen. Essex was put on trial and then executed on February 25, 1601.
Fight against puritanism
The domestic policy of Elizabeth 1 Tudor is also characterized by the fact that the queen showed her unshakable attitude towards puritanism. She appointed in 1583 their main opponent, John Witgift, as Archbishop of Canterbury. However, the opposition did not want to give up. Some members of the clergy decided to turn to Presbyterianism. Soon a movement was created whose task was to destroy the episcopate. The Puritans operated using influence in the Commons and other political levers. Elizabeth eventually had to fight the House of Commons. Until the very last decade of the queen's reign, this chamber was almost exclusively Puritan in sympathy. Parliamentarians constantly came into conflict with Elizabeth. And they disagreed with her not only on the issue of the reform of the Anglican Church, but also on others: on the succession to the throne, on the need for marriage, on the treatment of M. Stewart.
Summary of Elizabeth's reign
The reign of Elizabeth 1 Tudor was one of the most dynamic periods in the history of England. From the very beginning, the Protestants believed that providence saved the queen. She had to deal with increasing external andinternal dangers, and the love of the people for her grew, and eventually turned into a real cult. The domestic and foreign policy of Elizabeth 1 Tudor was discussed long after her death. And even today, interest in this ruler does not subside. The characterization of Elizabeth 1 Tudor as a political figure arouses curiosity not only among historians, but also among many people around the world.
Death of Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth passed away at Richmond Palace, located in present-day London. She died on March 24, 1603. Most likely, at the last moment, Elizabeth named or pointed to her successor. They became James VI, the Scottish king (James I of England). That's who ruled after Elizabeth 1 Tudor.
Jakov I
The years of his life are 1566-1625. James 1 of England became the first king of England representing the Stuart dynasty. He ascended the throne on March 24, 1603. James became the first sovereign to rule both kingdoms located in the British Isles at the same time. As a single power, Great Britain did not yet exist at that time. Scotland and England were sovereign states, headed by one monarch. The story of who ruled after Elizabeth 1 Tudor is no less interesting than the period of Elizabeth's reign. But that's another story.
