How did Elizabeth I govern, and how did her rule affect Wales?
Elizabeth's court, government and image: the role of the court and the Privy Council (William Cecil), parliament and patronage, the problems she faced as a new and female monarch, and the government of Wales through the Council in the Marches and the rise of the Welsh gentry.
A focused answer on how Elizabeth I governed in 1558 to 1603, covering the court, the Privy Council and William Cecil, parliament and patronage, the problems of a female monarch, and the government of Wales through the Council in the Marches.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers how Elizabeth I governed between 1558 and 1603, and the Welsh dimension of her rule. You need to explain the court and the Privy Council (led by William Cecil), parliament and patronage, the problems she faced as a new and female monarch, and the government of Wales through the Council in the Marches and the rising Welsh gentry. As a Unit 1 depth study, always be ready to connect the wider story to Wales.
The problems of 1558
Court, council and William Cecil
Patronage and parliament
The government of Wales
Try this
Q1. Who was Elizabeth's chief minister, and what body did he lead? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. William Cecil (later Lord Burghley), who led the Privy Council, the small group of trusted advisers that ran the day-to-day government of the realm.
Q2. Explain how Wales was governed under Elizabeth. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Wales had been joined to England by the Acts of Union and was governed through the Council in the Marches at Ludlow, with the Welsh gentry rising as justices of the peace and MPs, loyal to the Welsh-descended Tudor crown.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC Wales (Unit 1)4 marksDescribe two features of Elizabeth I's government.Show worked answer →
The describe question (AO1). Reward two distinct, developed features, each with one supporting detail.
Feature one. Elizabeth governed through her Privy Council, a small group of trusted advisers led by William Cecil (Lord Burghley), who handled the day-to-day running of the realm.
Feature two. She used patronage, the granting of titles, land and offices, to bind powerful nobles and gentry, including Welsh gentry, to the crown and keep their loyalty.
Top marks. Two distinct features, each developed with precise detail.
WJEC Wales (Unit 1)8 marksExplain why Elizabeth faced problems when she became queen in 1558.Show worked answer →
The explain question (AO1 and AO2). Reward a developed analysis of reasons, each supported and linked to the outcome.
Reason one. She was a woman ruling alone in a male-dominated age, so many doubted a queen could govern, command armies or avoid being controlled by a husband.
Reason two. The country was religiously divided after the swings between Protestant and Catholic rule, so any settlement risked angering one side.
Reason three. She inherited debt, the loss of Calais and the threat of Catholic powers (France and Spain) and a rival claimant, Mary Queen of Scots.
Top band. Link each problem to why her position was insecure, and judge which was most serious.
Related dot points
- The Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559 (the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, the middle way) and the challenges to it from Catholics (recusants, missionary priests) and Puritans, including the impact and reception of the Settlement in Wales.
A focused answer on the Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559, covering the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity and the middle way, the Catholic and Puritan challenges, and the reception of the Settlement in Wales.
- The threat posed by Mary Queen of Scots and the Catholic plots against Elizabeth (the Revolt of the Northern Earls, the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots), Walsingham's spy network, and the reasons for and consequences of Mary's execution in 1587.
A focused answer on the threat from Mary Queen of Scots and the Catholic plots against Elizabeth, covering the Northern Earls, the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots, Walsingham's spy network, and Mary's execution in 1587.
- The causes of the conflict with Spain, the campaign of the Spanish Armada of 1588 (Philip II's aims, the English fireships at Calais, the Battle of Gravelines and the storms), the reasons for the English victory, and its consequences for Elizabeth and England.
A focused answer on the Spanish Armada of 1588, covering the causes of the conflict with Spain, Philip II's aims and the campaign, the fireships and the Battle of Gravelines, the reasons for the English victory and its consequences.
- Daily life in Elizabethan society: the social hierarchy, rich and poor, the problem of poverty and the Poor Laws, the golden age of theatre (Shakespeare, the Globe and opposition to it), and the age of exploration (Drake's circumnavigation, Raleigh and early colonisation), including the Welsh context.
A focused answer on Elizabethan daily life, covering the social hierarchy, poverty and the Poor Laws, the golden age of theatre and opposition to it, and the age of exploration, including the Welsh context.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE History (Wales) specification (3100) — WJEC (2017)