1. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
What would you need to include in this answer….
Discuss in groups of 3
What was your overall judgement….

2. Inaccuracy shown in some answers:
How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Parliament: Monopolies
Monopoly:
was the exclusive right granted to a person to control the sale of a certain item.
e.g.
Essex’s monopoly was over sweet wines.
Raleigh had a monopoly over playing cards and licensing of taverns.
More and more being granted to members of court.
Usually resulted in items being more expensive as the person who held the monopoly took a cut of the price.
Inaccuracy shown in some answers:
‘Elizabeth abolished or cancelled all monopolies either in 1597 or in 1601’
Be precise:
1597 Parliamentary criticism of monopolies- Elizabeth promised to act on the issues of monopolies but she later granted more.
1601 Parliament’s discontent grew over the practice of monopolies and some MPs moved to introduce a bill to abolish them. The queen repealed around 12 monopolies and used the so called ‘Golden speech’ to smooth over relations with parliament.
The queen did not repeal all monopolies neither did she lose the right to grant monopolies.

3. Evidence of decline in authority
How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Parliament: Monopolies
Evidence of decline in authority
Evidence that she maintained authority
1 No Royal Authority Royal Authority maintained
Using your knowledge where would you place monopolies as evidence of if authority had declined.

4. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Parliament: Monopolies
Evidence of decline in authority
Granting of monopolies was part of the monarch prerogative.
Important as Elizabeth sold some to raise money and also granted them as gifts to courtiers.
1601 parliament does suggest that the queen and her advisors had lost control of parliament and she does repeal some monopolies and allow for others to be tested in court.
Evidence that she maintained authority
She managed to rescue her relationship with parliament using her ‘Golden Speech’.
Power to grant Monopolies remained in tact.

5. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Parliament: Finance
Evidence of decline in authority
Evidence that she maintained authority
Parliament granted each requested subsidy. This allowed her to carryout her foreign policy.

6. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Evidence that she maintained authority
Elizabeth dealt with Wentworth by placing him in the tower where he remained imprisoned until he died.
She resisted naming a successor as she feared it would lead to conspiracies and plots to take the crown before she had died. This helped her maintain authority as
even though James VI kept in touch with Elizabeth's enemies and was approached by Essex before his rebellion, James refused to get involved with any plots as he feared it could lose him the crown as he had not been officially recognised as her successor.
Succession:
Matter of prerogative which Elizabeth had defended.
Evidence of decline in authority
Mp for Northampton ; Peter Wentworth had written a pamphlet calling for Elizabeth to instruct Parliament to examine the rights of all claimants to the throne.
Ageing queen could have been bullied into naming a successor by councillors or Mps – but wasn’t.

7. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Unrest:
Remember to place events in the context of the difficult times of the 1590s
Harvest had failed 4x in a row
Food shortages and price increases. E.g. cost of wheat had doubled
Country was at war and taxes were being raised to finance it.
Outbreak of Plague
Rebellion and unrest should have been common but they were only small examples of rebellion ad unrest.
Some people mentioned example of unrest in 1590s but lacked precise examples.
You could have used:
London 1596; government had to abandon collecting Ship Money.
Food riots in Kent in 1595.
Apprentices rioted regularly in London.

8. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Rebellion : Oxfordshire Rising 1596
Evidence of decline in authority
Reaction of Elizabeth and her advisors shows that they feared rebellion as they authorised the sue of torture on the ring leaders who had been charged with treason.
Elizabeth passed the Tillage act in 1597which reversed enclosures carried out since Suggesting authorities were nervous as they felt the need to recognise the problem of enclosures.
Evidence that she maintained authority
Oxfordshire Rising only attracted 4 people to the meeting.
Focus of the rising was economic discontent and enclosures. It was not personal grievances with the queen.
Considering the economic and social problems of the 1590s (bad harvests, hunger, price increases) it shows loyalty that so few people got involved.

9. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Rebellion: Essex
Evidence of decline in authority
Result of the factional infighting between Essex and Cecil combined with Essex frustration at lack of control over patronage.
Potential threat to Elizabeth as he had some noble supporters e.g Earl of Southampton
Support in wales but too far to help him. Also some support in London.
Evidence that she maintained authority
Many potential supporters were put off by Essex’s character.
Over in a day.
Essex had no feudal retainers- meant he did not have an access to any soldiers to form an army.
Few people supported it.
Essex executed.

10. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Rebellion: Ireland
Evidence of decline in authority
Fear that Spain could use Ireland as a base to invade England.
By 1598 Tyrone had taken control of most of Ireland.
Essex sent with over 4000 men but
Evidence that she maintained authority
Essex punished for returning from Ireland without permission. He was placed under house arrest and didn’t have his monopoly over sweet wines renewed.
Essex replaced with Mountjoy. Mountjoy had more success capturing Irish leaders and dealt with the Spanish landing Kinsale in 1601.

11. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Factional infighting
Older more reliable advisors had died out e.g. Walsingham and had been replaced by men who were not always as competent as the previous generation. This suggests a decline in gov.
Some people touched on this issue but struggled to link it to the question or use it to suggest a decline in Elizabeth's authority.
Some incorrectly suggested that this was the first time Elizabeth had experienced factional rivalry. This is not true Leicester had previously led a faction as had Burghley. However Factional rivalry had always been contained and well managed by Elizabeth.
The difference is that this infighting made it difficult for the privy council to function and advise Elizabeth as members were dragged into the Essex vs Cecil disputes. Each wanted to control Patronage and wanted the ear of the queen. Also each side wanted to be in control so they would be in prime positon when the new monarch took the throne
Few students could give any specific example where factional infighting had been a problem. You could have referenced the disagreements over war. Essex favoured a more aggressive approach whereas Cecil favoured a cheaper less aggressive approach. Essex was so angered by a Privy council discussion on what action to take over Ireland that he turned his back on the queen. She slapped him and he reached for his sword.
Some linked it to the Essex rebellion as Elizabeth failed to manage Essex and the infighting resulting in matters spiralling out of control.
Some linked it to Essex disobeying orders in Ireland when he tried to negotiate with Tyrone and manoeuvre himself into a more powerful position over Cecil .

12. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
Few students could give any specific example where factional infighting had been a problem. You could have referenced the disagreements over war. Essex favoured a more aggressive approach whereas Cecil favoured a cheaper less aggressive approach.
Example of how matters were dominated by faction was a Privy council discussion on what action to take over Ireland. Essex was angered that the queen did not take his suggestion that he turned his back on the queen. She slapped him and he reached for his sword.
Some linked factional rivalry to the Essex rebellion as Elizabeth failed to manage Essex and the infighting resulting in matters spiralling out of control.
Some linked it to Essex disobeying orders in Ireland when he tried to negotiate with Tyrone and manoeuvre himself into a more powerful position over Cecil .
Factional infighting
You could argue however that factional rivalry was one sided. It was mainly Essex who had the problem with Cecil.
Elizabeth had given Essex a chance to prove himself in Ireland so she can be seen to be managing faction and Essex. Showing her maintaining authority.
Factional rivalry was exacerbated by Essex rah hot headed charterer .

13. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
General issues
Introductions must be relevant to the question. Lots of answers waffled on story telling and scene setting. Outline your overall judgement and argument …briefly state the evidence that there was a decline and also the evidence that suggests she mostly maintained authority.
Missing Conclusions or ‘basic’ conclusions ….you must be making judgements as you go along but also a final overall conclusion at the end making clear how you reached this decision.
Paragraphs must signpost your argument so the examiner can see your point. Some paragraphs started off with lengthy description then added in a bit of analysis at the end this leads to people story telling rather than creating an argument.
Give specific examples where possible to back up your point.
Plan- you should know your judgement before you start writing, you should know the evidence / factors you will use in your debate.

14. How far did royal authority decline in the last 15 years of Elizabeth's reign?
General issues
On the one hand you could argue……however when you take into account…..it is clear…..
….. Strongly suggests her royal authority declined/ was maintained….
When you consider….it emphasises ….
….suggests her authority declined because…
This challenged Elizabeth’s prerogative and is evidence of a decline…
Elizabeth dealt with this challenge by….helping her maintain her authority…