As is evident from the title, the link between the ‘Reformation’ and royal dynastic politics in E... more As is evident from the title, the link between the ‘Reformation’ and royal dynastic politics in England and Scotland is the subject of Professor Michael Questier’s new book. Like other scholars, Questier recognises that Britain’s religion depended upon the outcome of royal biology and succession politics, although unlike many of them he chooses to start his story in 1558, to cover what he calls the ‘post-Reformation period’, rather than in Henry VIII’s or Edward VI’s reign. Also following other scholars, Questier appreciates that changes in religion made dynastic politics ‘ideologically fraught’ and that dynastic politics, such as the Anjou match, could ‘stir up conflict over religion’. As he admits, there is little new information in the book and ‘much of what is in it should be recognizable to those with a working knowledge of the period’ (p.7). Questier’s explicit claim to originality lies in his attempt to avoid present-centredness by recovering the voices and narratives of post...
This comprehensive and beautifully illustrated collection of essays conveys a vivid picture of a ... more This comprehensive and beautifully illustrated collection of essays conveys a vivid picture of a fascinating and hugely significant period in history. Featuring contributions from thirty-eight international scholars, the book takes a thematic approach to a period which saw the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the explorations of Francis Drake and Walter Ralegh, the establishment of the Protestant Church, the flourishing of commercial theatre and the works of Edmund Spencer, Philip Sidney and William Shakespeare. Encompassing social, political, cultural, religious and economic history, and crossing several disciplines, The Elizabethan World depicts a time of transformation, and a world order in transition. Topics covered include central and local government; political ideas; censorship and propaganda; parliament, the Protestant Church, the Catholic community; social hierarchies; women; the family and household; popular culture, commerce and consumption; urban and rural economies; theatre; art; architecture; intellectual developments ; exploration and imperialism; Ireland, and the Elizabethan wars. The volume conveys a vivid picture of how politics, religion, popular culture, the world of work and social practices fit together in an exciting world of change, and will be invaluable reading for all students and scholars of the Elizabethan period.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/usufaculty_monographs/1040/thumbnail.jp
This chapter treats border defence, dynastic security and the Counter-Reformation threat in separ... more This chapter treats border defence, dynastic security and the Counter-Reformation threat in separate sections. As the sixteenth century progressed, however, all three areas became closely related. In the first place, the monarch’s dynastic interests and England’s national security issues began to merge after Henry VIII’s break from Rome, as the threat to England from pretenders ceased to be simply dynastic in nature. Thus, in the mid and late 1530s Reginald Pole was a danger to the king because of his papal connections as well as his Yorkist lineage. Later on, the pretender Mary Queen of Scots imperilled the Protestant Church as much as the person of Elizabeth herself, and came to be treated by the pope and Philip II as a banner for the Counter-Reformation. In addition, the nature of the threat to England’s land borders also changed over the period. Whereas in the first half of the century the northern borders were insecure mainly because of the Franco-Scottish ‘Auld Alliance’ and the Scottish king’s readiness to open up a second front in the Anglo-French continental wars, the issues dominating Anglo-Scottish relations during Elizabeth’s reign concerned religion and dynasty. Confronted with the complexity and interrelatedness of these dangers Elizabethans made sense of them by falling back on conspiracy theory; as far as they were concerned, all the threats to England’s security were the work of a Catholic league led by the pope. Historians, however, can probably best understand them if the themes are disentangled as far as is possible, and discussed individually.
... to a marriage since he had found that 'throughout England the form of th... more ... to a marriage since he had found that 'throughout England the form of the Catholic religion is preserved ... Ferdinand, however, refused to permit his son to leave Austria on so uncertain a mission and ordered Breuner home early in I 6o when Elizabeth's attitude had once ...
This lavishly illustrated book ties in with a major international exhibition opening at the Natio... more This lavishly illustrated book ties in with a major international exhibition opening at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich on 1 May 2003. Timed to commemorate the 400th anniversary since the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, and sponsored by Morgan Stanley, the exhibition brings together a wealth of paintings, manuscripts, fine art objects and personal effects which illuminate Elizabeth's fascinating history. Elizabeth was born at Greenwich and spent her first months at Greenwich Palace, on the site of what is now a World Heritage Site, Maritime Greenwich. The book, containing contributions from a number of well-known experts on Tudor history, will focus on Elizabeth's Court as well as her relationship with the City of London and its increasingly influential mercantile class. It will also reflect the importance of Elizabeth's maritime adventurers, and their role in creating wealth for the crown, burgeoning maritime enterprise and the beginnings of an overseas empire.
ABSTRACTIn the plays and entertainments performed before the queen from 1561 to 1578, the virgini... more ABSTRACTIn the plays and entertainments performed before the queen from 1561 to 1578, the virginity of Elizabeth was not idealized but instead marriage was celebrated as a preferable state to chastity. Robert Dudley in particular commissioned such dramatic works to assist his courtship of the queen, but the earl of Sussex, and possibly others, used masques to press on her the suit of the Archduke Charles of Austria. The iconography of chastity appeared for the first time in 1578 when Elizabeth embarked on the Anjou marriage negotiations. During the queen's visit to Norwich in the summer she was offered entertainments which implicitly criticized the matrimonial project by idealizing her virginity. For the next three years, opponents of the match followed this lead and cultivated the image of the Virgin Queen as a means of sabotaging the royal marriage plans. Thereafter Elizabeth exploited the image for her own political purposes.
This article contests the received wisdom that James I’s accession was smooth and untroubled by r... more This article contests the received wisdom that James I’s accession was smooth and untroubled by revealing the less smooth side – the jagged edge as it were - to both the moment of James I’s succession and the early months of his reign. It examines the uncertainty about the new king’s title; the short hiatus in effective government; unease about some of James’s actions; anxieties raised by the Bye and Main plots; grass-roots political agitation; and immediate concerns about the future direction of policy. Examining them together offers a new perspective on James I’s early reign.
As is evident from the title, the link between the ‘Reformation’ and royal dynastic politics in E... more As is evident from the title, the link between the ‘Reformation’ and royal dynastic politics in England and Scotland is the subject of Professor Michael Questier’s new book. Like other scholars, Questier recognises that Britain’s religion depended upon the outcome of royal biology and succession politics, although unlike many of them he chooses to start his story in 1558, to cover what he calls the ‘post-Reformation period’, rather than in Henry VIII’s or Edward VI’s reign. Also following other scholars, Questier appreciates that changes in religion made dynastic politics ‘ideologically fraught’ and that dynastic politics, such as the Anjou match, could ‘stir up conflict over religion’. As he admits, there is little new information in the book and ‘much of what is in it should be recognizable to those with a working knowledge of the period’ (p.7). Questier’s explicit claim to originality lies in his attempt to avoid present-centredness by recovering the voices and narratives of post...
This comprehensive and beautifully illustrated collection of essays conveys a vivid picture of a ... more This comprehensive and beautifully illustrated collection of essays conveys a vivid picture of a fascinating and hugely significant period in history. Featuring contributions from thirty-eight international scholars, the book takes a thematic approach to a period which saw the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the explorations of Francis Drake and Walter Ralegh, the establishment of the Protestant Church, the flourishing of commercial theatre and the works of Edmund Spencer, Philip Sidney and William Shakespeare. Encompassing social, political, cultural, religious and economic history, and crossing several disciplines, The Elizabethan World depicts a time of transformation, and a world order in transition. Topics covered include central and local government; political ideas; censorship and propaganda; parliament, the Protestant Church, the Catholic community; social hierarchies; women; the family and household; popular culture, commerce and consumption; urban and rural economies; theatre; art; architecture; intellectual developments ; exploration and imperialism; Ireland, and the Elizabethan wars. The volume conveys a vivid picture of how politics, religion, popular culture, the world of work and social practices fit together in an exciting world of change, and will be invaluable reading for all students and scholars of the Elizabethan period.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/usufaculty_monographs/1040/thumbnail.jp
This chapter treats border defence, dynastic security and the Counter-Reformation threat in separ... more This chapter treats border defence, dynastic security and the Counter-Reformation threat in separate sections. As the sixteenth century progressed, however, all three areas became closely related. In the first place, the monarch’s dynastic interests and England’s national security issues began to merge after Henry VIII’s break from Rome, as the threat to England from pretenders ceased to be simply dynastic in nature. Thus, in the mid and late 1530s Reginald Pole was a danger to the king because of his papal connections as well as his Yorkist lineage. Later on, the pretender Mary Queen of Scots imperilled the Protestant Church as much as the person of Elizabeth herself, and came to be treated by the pope and Philip II as a banner for the Counter-Reformation. In addition, the nature of the threat to England’s land borders also changed over the period. Whereas in the first half of the century the northern borders were insecure mainly because of the Franco-Scottish ‘Auld Alliance’ and the Scottish king’s readiness to open up a second front in the Anglo-French continental wars, the issues dominating Anglo-Scottish relations during Elizabeth’s reign concerned religion and dynasty. Confronted with the complexity and interrelatedness of these dangers Elizabethans made sense of them by falling back on conspiracy theory; as far as they were concerned, all the threats to England’s security were the work of a Catholic league led by the pope. Historians, however, can probably best understand them if the themes are disentangled as far as is possible, and discussed individually.
... to a marriage since he had found that 'throughout England the form of th... more ... to a marriage since he had found that 'throughout England the form of the Catholic religion is preserved ... Ferdinand, however, refused to permit his son to leave Austria on so uncertain a mission and ordered Breuner home early in I 6o when Elizabeth's attitude had once ...
This lavishly illustrated book ties in with a major international exhibition opening at the Natio... more This lavishly illustrated book ties in with a major international exhibition opening at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich on 1 May 2003. Timed to commemorate the 400th anniversary since the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, and sponsored by Morgan Stanley, the exhibition brings together a wealth of paintings, manuscripts, fine art objects and personal effects which illuminate Elizabeth's fascinating history. Elizabeth was born at Greenwich and spent her first months at Greenwich Palace, on the site of what is now a World Heritage Site, Maritime Greenwich. The book, containing contributions from a number of well-known experts on Tudor history, will focus on Elizabeth's Court as well as her relationship with the City of London and its increasingly influential mercantile class. It will also reflect the importance of Elizabeth's maritime adventurers, and their role in creating wealth for the crown, burgeoning maritime enterprise and the beginnings of an overseas empire.
ABSTRACTIn the plays and entertainments performed before the queen from 1561 to 1578, the virgini... more ABSTRACTIn the plays and entertainments performed before the queen from 1561 to 1578, the virginity of Elizabeth was not idealized but instead marriage was celebrated as a preferable state to chastity. Robert Dudley in particular commissioned such dramatic works to assist his courtship of the queen, but the earl of Sussex, and possibly others, used masques to press on her the suit of the Archduke Charles of Austria. The iconography of chastity appeared for the first time in 1578 when Elizabeth embarked on the Anjou marriage negotiations. During the queen's visit to Norwich in the summer she was offered entertainments which implicitly criticized the matrimonial project by idealizing her virginity. For the next three years, opponents of the match followed this lead and cultivated the image of the Virgin Queen as a means of sabotaging the royal marriage plans. Thereafter Elizabeth exploited the image for her own political purposes.
This article contests the received wisdom that James I’s accession was smooth and untroubled by r... more This article contests the received wisdom that James I’s accession was smooth and untroubled by revealing the less smooth side – the jagged edge as it were - to both the moment of James I’s succession and the early months of his reign. It examines the uncertainty about the new king’s title; the short hiatus in effective government; unease about some of James’s actions; anxieties raised by the Bye and Main plots; grass-roots political agitation; and immediate concerns about the future direction of policy. Examining them together offers a new perspective on James I’s early reign.
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