Page 47 - All About History - Issue 08-14

Picture depicting
the coronation of
Elizabeth I in 1558

The Church of England was one of compromise and
middle ground. While she herself was a Protestant,
she didn’t hold the puritanical beliefs of some of
her council members. She introduced the Act of
Portrait of Mary
Queen of Scots, who Supremacy in 1558, which reaffirmed England’s
was executed after separation from Rome and established her as the head
being found guilty of the Church. Elizabeth understood the dangers of
of plotting against trying to impose religion and allowed Catholicism to
Elizabeth I continue, provided it took place in secret.
However, Leanna de Lisle reminds us that we should VS
not forget Elizabeth’s willingness to crack down when
necessary. “Elizabeth’s conservatism and pragmatism Catholic C of E
has seen her described as a religious moderate, in
The services were The image of the
contrast to the ‘fanatical’ Mary,” she explains. “But as 1 held in Latin, 1 minister became much
the new Protestant queen of a largely Catholic country
countermanding the simpler. They were not
Elizabeth was necessarily moderate, and as her reign reformation’s ideal that allowed to wear Roman
grew longer, she proved that, like Mary, she could be
everyone should be able Catholic vestments, such
utterly ruthless when faced by a threat. The hundreds to understand. The English as the surplice.
of executions of villagers following the Northern
prayer book was banned.
Rebellion far exceeded anything her predecessors had All rood lofts, a
done in similar circumstances; her later persecution Church furnishings 2 screen portraying the
of Catholics was also relentless and cruel. It is a little- 2 were restored to their crucifixion, a common

known fact that she also burned heretics – namely former lavish state and feature in Catholic
Anabaptists – these were far fewer in number than the buildings were now churches, were removed.
Mary’s victims, but then there weren’t that many decorated completely with The Pope was not the
Anabaptists!" She executed both Protestants and Catholic artwork. head of the church.
Catholics for publicly disobeying the laws of the
Church of England. However, events in Europe show Catholic Mass was The Bishop’s Bible,
the English queen in a much more favourable light. 3 reintroduced, and Holy 3 which was in English
Comparatively, Elizabeth was extremely tolerant. Communion was now rather than Latin, was
The St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in Paris showed banned by law. restored, opening it up to
the fervour with which Catholic Europeans detested The clergy were not a wider readership.
reported to be pregnant. The young princess Protestants. She was also much more tolerant than 4 allowed to marry. There was a
denied these rumours, confounding her many of her advisors. Priests who had married 4 general removal of
interrogator. “She hath a very good wit and before the new law came 'superstition', such as
nothing is gotten of her but by great policy,” he Verdict into effect were given a making the sign of the
wrote. This practice would serve her well once Elizabeth successfully found a moderate middle choice of two options: cross during communion.
ground in a very turbulent time, but would crack down Leave their families or lose Simplicity was what the
Mary took the throne but not all players were mercilessly if the rules she had laid down were broken. their job. Puritans strived for.
as skilled in the game of thrones; Seymour was
executed the following year.
When the staunchly Catholic Mary refused to
convert, Edward began proceedings to remove
both his sisters from the line to the throne, fixing
his hopes on his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, instead.
However, the prince was seldom in good health
during his short life, so it was no surprise that he
died before the contract could be finalised and
Mary became the new queen of England. Just as another attempted rebellion in 1555, but her overtly Protestant or Catholic gestures, Elizabeth
Edward had asked Mary to change her faith, the sister’s patience was wearing thin and Elizabeth managed to confound them all. Instead, the
new queen was determined that her sister should was placed in the Tower of London, with some emphasis was elsewhere: Elizabeth’s intention to
convert. She acquiesced without enthusiasm, Catholic supporters clamouring for her execution. restore England to a state of prosperity. The new
but it was clear to both Protestants and Catholics Elizabeth’s future prospects were looking anything queen knew that if she was to have any chance of
that her true allegiance still lay with her father’s but golden, and the next few months saw her surviving her early years she would need trusted
Church of England rather than the Pope’s Catholic walking a political tightrope. Mary, desperate and astute advisors, and chose William Cecil and
Church. Over the course of Mary’s reign, many to provide her husband and her country with a Robert Dudley. Cecil had worked for Edward,
conspiracy plots were designed to get Elizabeth Catholic heir to end the uncertainty surrounding survived the reign of Mary and was fiercely loyal
onto the throne. None of them succeeded, but the throne, announced that she was pregnant, to Elizabeth. In contrast, Dudley’s appointment and
they did almost manage to get her killed. but by 1558, it became clear that Mary’s condition favour with the queen had nothing to do with his
In 1554, Thomas Wyatt attempted a rebellion was not pregnancy, but a devastating illness. Her abilities as a politician. He had known Elizabeth
following the announcement that Mary would health broke quickly, and she died on 17 November since childhood and her affection for him had only
marry the Spanish king Philip. The queen’s of that year after begging Elizabeth to keep grown stronger, and rumours abounded that she
reprisal was brutal and swift, executing not England Catholic once she took the throne. Her spent the nights as well as the days with him.
only the ringleaders, but Jane Grey as well. wishes would not be fulfilled. Cecil disapproved of Dudley and agreed with
Elizabeth claimed ignorance, a trick she Elizabeth’s coronation was a stunning balancing the majority of Parliament that Elizabeth should
managed to successfully repeat a year later after act. With countless eyes waiting for any hint of an marry as soon as possible. The eyes of France and
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