1. Government and Politics
Tudors and Stuarts
Government and Politics
The Privy Council

2. The Privy Council
This council developed when the King’s Council of medieval times became too large and unweildy

3. The Privy Council
Elizabeth’s Privy Council had between 9-20 members attending at different times
Elizabeth rarely attended
The Privy Council had the monarch’s trust and confidence
Members of the Privy Council included:
Peers
Knights
Judges
Gentlemen
Bishops

4. The Privy Council
During Elizabeth’s early years the Privy Council met in either morning or afternoon sessions three times a week
During the 1590’s they met
all day, every day of the week
because the volume of work
had grown considerably

5. The Privy Council The Privy Council had three functions: Advice
Administration
Adjudication (sitting in judgement)

6. The Privy Council-Advice
Elizabeth often asked her Privy Councillors for advice on many topics including:
her marriage prospects,
Mary Queen of Scots,
foreign policy,
the war with Spain
However,
minutes were not kept and the advice was not
always unanimous or taken by Elizabeth

7. The Privy Council-Administration
The Council was predominantly concerned with the internal politics of England:
Law and order
The military
Foreign policy
Religion
Commerce and trade
Grievances

8. The Privy Council-Adjudication
The Council often acted as a court of law although it wasn’t one
The Council was often divided by factions in spite of Elizabeth’s reluctance to encourage such groupings
s Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) and William Cecil (Lord Burleigh)
1590s Sir Robert Cecil and the Earl of Essex

9. The Privy Council-Bureaucracy
The Privy Council used about 40 messengers
Most of the administration was carried out by:
Chancery
Privy Seal Office
Signet Office
Exchequer

10. The Privy Council-Chancery
Chancery drafted official documents, land grants and appointments

11. The Privy Council-Privy Seal Office
The Privy Seal Office issued the large volumes of orders and various correspondences

12. The Privy Council-Signet
The Signet dealt with the monarch’s private correspondence

13. The Privy Council-Exchequer
This department handled the finances
The Lower Exchequer dealt with money in and out
The Upper Exchequer audited the accounts

14. Bibliography
History volume 2, Britain , by Robin Silcock, Longman Paul, Auckland, 1990

15. REVISION:
When you have completed the PowerPoints and related worksheets get students to mind-map the ‘Government and Politics’ topics covered:
The Crown
The Privy Council
Courts of Law
Local Government
Parliament’
If you are unfamiliar with the basic concepts of mind-mapping then check the ‘Mind mapping with Tony Buzan’ video found on the site and show