Challenges to Elizabeth I's Succession in England (Edexcel GCSE History)

What Issues did Elizabeth Face in England in 1558? - Summary

Financial Problems

• In the 16th century, the monarch had responsibility for paying all the costs involved in running the country

• The concept map below shows the multiple ways that the monarch could gain money:

How could a monarch raise money in the 16th century?

A concept map showing the multiple methods that 16th-century monarchs used to raise finances

• England in 1558 was poor

  • Mary I and Philip II of Spain began a war with France over certain regions of France and Italy

    • Mary sold Crown land to pay for the war 

    • The war did not achieve its aims. It had wider consequences for England's claim on Calais

  • England's economic issues caused rising prices in the 1550s. Owning a lot of land impacted the monarch's ability to use Crown land to raise funds

    • The monarch struggled to use rent from the Crown lands to increase England's finances

  • The Exchequer could become too powerful and mismanage England's money

    • Both Edward VI and Mary I introduced reforms to prevent this from happening

  • By 1558, England had £300,000 of debt

    • In comparison, England's annual income was roughly £287,000

• Elizabeth needed to improve England's finances by:

  • Paying off England's debts to ensure the royal treasury had positive funds

  • Avoiding a costly war with a foreign power

  • Tackling the issue of rising prices

Religious Tensions Within England

• From the beginning of the English Reformation under Henry VIII, England had suffered multiple changes of religion

• The diagram below shows these changes in religion:

Religious changes, 1530 - 1555

A graph showing how religion changed from 1530 to 1555

• Past Tudor monarchs had experienced rebellions due to religion

  • When Henry dissolved the monasteries in 1536, there was a major rebellion in the north of England

  • Edward VI's strongly Protestant beliefs caused issues. A new English prayer book caused revolts in Cornwall and Devon

  • Mary I's restoration of Catholicism triggered a rebellion by Sir Thomas Wyatt. In retaliation, Mary burnt 300 Protestants to death

• The religious situation in England was critical

  • There were religious divisions across England

  • There was a threat of civil war, supported by foreign countries

  • Elizabeth needed to develop a solution to the religious tensions that would satisfy the majority of England's population