Elizabethan Government in 1558: Court, Privy Council and the Problems Elizabeth Inherited
Elizabethan government worked through a small circle of trusted advisers and a wider structure of local officials, all ultimately dependent on the monarch's authority. The Privy Council, headed from 1558 by Elizabeth's chief adviser William Cecil (later Lord Burghley), met regularly to debate policy and oversee its enforcement; the Royal Court, where nobles competed for the queen's favour and patronage, gave Elizabeth a way to reward loyalty and manage rivalries; Parliament met only when summoned, mainly to grant taxation and pass laws; and in the localities, unpaid Justices of the Peace and Lord Lieutenants carried out government business and kept order on the Crown's behalf. Elizabeth inherited this system in 1558 alongside a set of serious problems: a country divided over religion after Mary I's Catholic restoration, a costly and unsuccessful war with France that had just lost Calais, a debased currency and heavy royal debt, and doubts about whether an unmarried young woman could govern securely.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Learn the main layers of Elizabethan government in order of scale: the monarch, the Privy Council (the inner circle of advisers, headed by William Cecil from 1558), the Court (nobles and courtiers seeking favour and patronage), Parliament (Lords and Commons, summoned occasionally), and local government (Lord Lieutenants and unpaid Justices of the Peace in each county).
- Learn William Cecil's role precisely: appointed Secretary of State in 1558, he became Elizabeth's most trusted adviser for most of her reign, later becoming Lord Treasurer and being ennobled as Lord Burghley in 1571.
- Learn at least four of the problems Elizabeth inherited in 1558: religious division; the recent loss of Calais and an expensive, unsuccessful war with France; a debased currency and royal debt; and doubts about a female, unmarried ruler's authority and the unresolved succession.
- For 'describe two features of' questions on Elizabethan government, pick two distinct layers or roles (e.g. the Privy Council's function, and the unpaid role of Justices of the Peace) rather than describing the whole system at once.
- For 'explain why' questions about the problems facing Elizabeth in 1558, group causes clearly (religious, financial, foreign policy, succession) and use one precise piece of supporting detail for each rather than listing problems without explanation.
- For 16-mark judgement questions weighing which problem mattered most, commit to a clear line (e.g. religion mattered most because it threatened both internal unity and Elizabeth's relations with Catholic powers abroad) and support it against at least one credible alternative.
Worked example
Explain why Elizabeth faced serious problems when she became queen in 1558. You may use the following in your answer: religion, and finance. You must also use information of your own.
- Plan the two given factors plus one of your own: religion, finance, and a third factor such as the war with France and loss of Calais, or the unresolved succession.
- Develop the religion point: Mary I had returned England to Catholicism and persecuted Protestants, so Elizabeth's expected return to Protestantism risked provoking resistance from Catholics at home and hostility from Catholic states such as Spain and France abroad.
- Develop the finance point: years of war and a debased currency (coins containing less precious metal than their face value) had left the Crown short of money and the economy weakened by rising prices.
- Add the own-knowledge factor: England had just lost Calais, its last territory in France, in the war Mary I had entered on Spain's side, damaging national prestige and leaving relations with France strained.
- Conclude by linking the factors: religious division, financial weakness and a damaging recent war together meant Elizabeth began her reign needing to stabilise the country on several fronts at once, not just one.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1Who was Elizabeth's chief adviser from 1558, and what position did he hold?Show answer
Answer: William Cecil, appointed Secretary of State in 1558 (later Lord Treasurer and Lord Burghley).
Q2What was the Privy Council?Show answer
Answer: The small group of the monarch's most trusted advisers who met regularly to debate and oversee government policy.
Q3Name one unpaid role that carried out government business in the localities.Show answer
Answer: Justice of the Peace (or Lord Lieutenant).
Q4Which French territory did England lose shortly before Elizabeth became queen?Show answer
Answer: Calais, lost in January 1558 during the war Mary I had joined on Spain's side.
Q5What does it mean to say Elizabethan coinage had been 'debased'?Show answer
Answer: The coins had been made with a lower proportion of precious metal than their face value suggested, undermining trust in the currency and contributing to rising prices.
Q6Give one reason Parliament was politically important even though it met only occasionally.Show answer
Answer: It had to grant taxation for the Crown to raise significant extra money, and it passed statute law, such as the religious settlement, giving Elizabeth's decisions legal force.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE History exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Describe two features of the Privy Council in early Elizabethan government.
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Explain why Elizabeth faced serious problems when she became queen in 1558. You may use the following in your answer: religion, and finance. You must also use information of your own.
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'Religion was the most serious problem Elizabeth faced in 1558.' How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. You may use the following in your answer: the religious divide, and the financial situation. You must also use information of your own.
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