Control - Monarchy

Question 1

How did the monarchy maintain stability?

Answer 1

• Source of unity and authority in the Kingdom
• Directly responsible for the protection of his or her subjects
• Responsible for ensuring laws of land upheld
• Held power from God and owed allegiance to no one else, as said by Henry VIII

Question 2

Example of when it was claimed that treason was an act of sin

Answer 2

William Baldwin 1559
- Mirror for Magistrates

Question 3

The Great Chain of Being

Answer 3

• Connects humans to God upwards and animals, plants and minerals downwards
• All have their place in society

Question 4

Edmund Dudley ‘The Tree of Commonweath’

Answer 4

1509
- Let not them [the commons] presume above their own degree not any of them pretend or counterfeit the state of his better

Question 5

Monarchy and the Law

Answer 5

• The monarch was directly responsible for ensuring the laws of the land were upheld

Question 6

Monarchy and God?

Answer 6

• Monarch held power from God and owed allegiance to no one else
• Act against monarchy not just treason, but sin against God

Question 7

The Great Chain of Being:

Answer 7

• Idea that everyone and everything had a fixed place in society
• Moving beyond position caused chaos
• Periodic risings show that not everyone believed in this philosophy

Question 8

Publicising respect:

Answer 8

• 1534 - Spiritual and lay office holders swore oaths of allegiance and supremacy
• Under Edward, oaths of uniformity introduced (Mary reversed and Elizabeth reinstated)
• Oaths of succession and supremacy taken nationwide by individuals and corporate institutions

Question 9

Proclamations:

Answer 9

• Increasing use of royal proclamations (nearly 900 used in Tudor era)
• 1509 - Henry VII issued a proclamation to end speculation about a pretender
• 1553 - Duke of Northumberland issues one denying Mary’s right to the throne
• Countries sent to every county and read aloud in parish churches and marketplaces

Question 10

Henry VII propaganda

Answer 10

• Printing press enabled wider circulation of announcements
• Henry VII claimed descent from King Arthur
• Henry VII used Tudor Rose as a symbol of unity
• Burgundian-style court (lavish displays and entertainment) impressed nobles and foreign visitors

Question 11

Henry VIII Propaganda

Answer 11

• Expanded visual imagery to emphasise wealth and imperial authority
• Coins depicted a closed crown and increasingly detailed facial features
• Holbein’s portraits of Henry VIII and illustrations on official documents reinforced his grandeur
• Built stately residences such as Hampton Court and Greenwich

Question 12

Edward VI and Mary I propaganda

Answer 12

• Neither glamorised to same extent
• Edward portrayed as image of his father
• Mary’s Great Seals emphasised her regal bearing

Question 13

Elizabeth I

Answer 13

• Undertook summer progresses, visiting castles, manor houses, gentry, nobility and provincial towns -
• Poets depicted her as Belphoebe and Astraea (mythical figures symbolising beauty and justice)
• Court life revolved around rituals and ceremonies celebrating her

Question 14

Patronage:

Answer 14

• Secured loyalty
• Rewards included knighthoods, monopolies, land, annuities, pensions + appointments in church, court, judiciary, administration and armed forces -> in return for service and obedience
• Servants built networks of clients in central and local government
• Politically active class remained loyal to crown

Question 15

How many main beneficiaries of patronage?

Answer 15

2,500 (courtiers, nobles, gentry)

Question 16

How did patronage occur without selling offices?

Answer 16

• Money circulated through fees, gifts and unrecorded payments

Question 17

When was patronage monopolised under 1 individual?

Answer 17

Wolsey (1520s)
Robert Cecil (1590s)