A woman fit to rule

Henry VIII thought that a woman would not be able to rule England. Elizabeth proved him wrong. There was no doubt that she was in charge of the Government. She chose her ministers, and they obeyed her orders. She listened to her council of advisers, then made up her own mind.

The court was where the queen was at any time. It might be in one of her palaces, or it might be in the house of a great lord, when the queen was on tour. She, and all around her, put on a great show. They dressed in fine clothes and jewels, and took part in grand pageants and banquets. All this display was meant to let men know that the ruler of England was a rich and mighty queen, so they should treat her with respect.

Parliament met every three or four years, mainly when the queen needed taxes. And when it met, the Commons were always anxious for the queen's safety. They asked her to marry. They urged her to make stricter laws against the Catholics. They begged her to get rid of Mary Queen of Scots.

Elizabeth had more than one quarrel with the Puritan gentry in the Commons. The Puritans dared to attack the Church of England. She told them that the Church was her affair, not theirs. They replied that the Commons had a right to free speech - they could talk about the Church if they wished. But in the end, the Puritans gave in. Like other Englishmen, they were devoted to their queen.

Walter Robson: Crown, Parliament and People; Oxford University Press, 1992/2002, page 22